Newbie - Intro
Mez_BCNA
Administrator, Staff, Member, Moderator Posts: 1,123 ✭
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Hi @Haiz ... Welcome to the Club that no-one ever thought they'd join .... We have lots of information on many different aspects of Breast Cancer .... don't be afraid to put up any question that you think of - there are no 'silly' questions .....
I am so sorry to hear of your Mum's passing from BC .... and hope you are recovering well from your surgery xx. I hope your Onc meeting was productive & that you don't need chemo ....
I had a lumpectomy for Invasive Lobular .... followed by radiation & Hormone tables (I am coming up to 5 years since detection.) I was lucky not to need chemo.
Make haste slowly - and look after yourself - plenty of time to consider the reconstruction (you could join the reconstruction group, if you'd like to talk with those who've gone before you. xx )
take care
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Thank you...I've had my meeting with oncologist and super lucky and glad I don't need chemo.4
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Hi there
I also had lobular cancer ( it’s tater than ductal) , hormone positive , I am 64 (62 at diagnosis).
My tumour was big , grade 2 but slow growing and nothing in my lymph nodes.
My oncologist said chemo was not recommended but radiotherapy was.
I am now on hormone therapy for at least 5 years.
Everyone is different and your treating team will tailor a treatment programme just for you .
I had double mastectomy too and delayed reconstruction - when you get to think about that stage the private group on here “ choosing breast reconstruction” is very helpful .
Also there is a lot of useful info on this website and the forum is a place where you can post any questions - we all “ get it” in a way someone who hasn’t been though breast cancer never really can .
Take care🌺2 -
Hi @Haiz Sorry to hear about your mom's passing. I was initially diagnosed with DCIS on both breasts and did a bilateral mastectomy 4 months ago. I also did a CT scan and bones scan before my surgery but didn't find anything. However, the pathology results found a micromet in my left lymph node. So, 4 cycles of chemo with CT was recommended. BC is such as complicated issue and everyone's treatment is different. I opted for the chemo because I don't want to regret not doing anything while I can and I just competed my final treatment two days before. Your treatment team should be able to recommend what is best for you, or you may also consider seeking a second opinion before making any decision.
Hope you have some good news from your treatment team.
Another note, talk to your treatment team about exercise, when you can start, it's very important that you get your range of motion back. It's been four months since my surgery, while I'm have most of my range of motion back, the surgical areas can still feel tight and I'm still doing stretching exercise everyday.
Sending you lots of love! Take care
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Wow @lovemoon that's good to know re exercises...my surgeon just gave me a handful of exercises to do and was never seen by physio. Have been doing my own thing... obviously I'm only coming up to 4weeks so still really tight but can do most things. Have found quite a good post mastectomy yoga woman on YouTube (treeing yoga) so been doing that every couple days. Also been using some silicone scar ointment (derma scar)on my scars to hopefully minimise the appearance. Seem to have really itchy skin in area underneath scars and particularly under drain sites...just been using sorbolene cream to keep the skin hydrated.
I didn't need any chemotherapy btw...which I'm so happy about.
Will be booking in for my actual prosthetics fitting in a couple weeks time...my knitted knockers have been great...I've put them in the wash today as thought they might be getting a bit smelly...god knows wot they'll come out like 🤣...luckily I got another pair from Be uplifted Inc (charity) free💗 just had to pay postage.
This place is great to get others experience and feedback. Thank you for your help xxx
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Hi @Haiz
I am not sure where you are located ( you can add to your profile) but I am in Sydney and was introduced to a physiotherapist who specialises in breast cancer patients through the Wellness Centre at The Kinghorn Centre and she really helped me with scar tissue and range of movement.
If you have a breast care nurse they should be able to recommend someone .3 -
Ok thanks for that. I'm in Brisbane. My friend knows a BC physio too so might give her a call👍0
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@Haiz - here is a link to a BC Physio online ..... that may be able to help you too.
https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBreastCancerPhysio/videos
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@Haiz
Click on this link from the BCNA website - it will give you a program to follow
Strengthen your recovery (bcna.org.au)
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Ooh thank you both I'll give them a go👍💕1
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Hi @Haiz It's wonderful to know that you don't have to do chemo! Now, you can truly be on your way to recovery. Yes, I like the treeing yoga post mastectomy yoga practice too
Just keep up with the stretching and exercise and you'll be good very soon. For the scar treatment, I'm using Bio oil but heard that silicone treatment is good too. Good luck with your recovery 1 -
@Haiz - I was recommended by the surgeon to use Kelocote Gel on my scars and I have very little scarring showing - my Oncs are always amazed when they check me out.
It is only a 15g tube - but a little bit goes a LONG way & I didn't need a 2nd tube (altho my surgery area was small compared to some.). You can get it on ebay, delivered free for about $15. It was about double that for me 5 years ago.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/403037993504?
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Arpie....thanks I'll give that a try just about to run out of my current tube1
