The “journey” begins.

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  • arpie
    arpie Member Posts: 7,624 ✭
    edited January 30
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    Try & keep as busy as you can, relative to your recovery, following your first surgery, @MrsMorrisey xx. The time will fly, I reckon.   ....

    That is great that you are seeing your Onc too ... so is this the Medical Onc?  Have they mentioned Rads as a possibility as well?  

    take care & all the best for the surgery xx
  • MrsMorrisey
    MrsMorrisey Member Posts: 78 ✭
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    Yes a med onco. 
    No talk of rad onco yet but was told definitely need rads. 
    I suppose that’ll be a while after healing from the second surgery. 

    My recovery is good except for a pulling sensation when my arm is lifted, can be quite sore. Will do some exercise they’ve recommended. 
  • GorgyS
    GorgyS Member Posts: 66 ✭
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    I had my re-excision six weeks after the lumpectomy. I spent a total of 5 hours in the hospital, even though the operation itself took between 30 and 45 minutes. I recovered well, experiencing only some seroma and antibiotics that resolved after a few weeks. The surgeon used the same incision, and I couldn't see any difference in breast size from the lumpectomy to the re-excision. I almost hugged my surgeon when he informed me, 'All clear, no more surgeries.'

    I will begin chemotherapy tomorrow after completing all the necessary scans, which came back clear. I am feeling very nervous, but it has to be done, and I look forward to putting this behind me. I've purchased some nice wigs, and in two months, I plan to return to working from home. This is the plan, but I have no idea how I am going to react to chemo. So far, I've taken four months of sick leave, which was much needed to go through and process this unexpected journey.

  • MrsMorrisey
    MrsMorrisey Member Posts: 78 ✭
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    Oh @GorgyS thank you for your response. 
    Good to hear the margins were clear and that feeling of wanting to hug the surgeon 😊

    Im really hoping your chemo isn’t too hard, pretty horrible thing to go through, just remember how much everyone here is right with you every step of the way. Bless you xx
  • MrsMorrisey
    MrsMorrisey Member Posts: 78 ✭
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    Hi to anyone following this thread. 
    I had my med onco appt today
    Grade 2 Stage 2 IDC no lymph node activity. 
    Basically I’m still a grey area for chemo. 
     The thing that is causing uncertainty is the Ki67, she is saying it’s unusual to have a grade 2 with high Ki67!

    According to her my benefit to having chemo is 3%. 
    If I was to go ahead  would only get 4 cycles. 

    I’m going to do the oncotype test. 

    Another 3 weeks of waiting and still another surgery to be had in just under 3 weeks. 
  • iserbrown
    iserbrown Member Posts: 5,554 ✭
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    @MrsMorrisey

    I was offered 4 rounds of Chemo with a 3% benefit.   The decision was mine and I said No!  Oncologist had said if it was 7% he would've talked me around.  I am now 8 plus years and counting down to the 10 year mark.

    The alternative offering was Zoladex injections x 26 plus AI.

    Take care

    MrsMorrisey said:

    Basically I’m still a grey area for chemo. 
     The thing that is causing uncertainty is the Ki67, she is saying it’s unusual to have a grade 2 with high Ki67!

    According to her my benefit to having chemo is 3%. 
    If I was to go ahead  would only get 4 cycles. 

    I’m going to do the oncotype test. 



  • MrsMorrisey
    MrsMorrisey Member Posts: 78 ✭
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    Oh and a cyst was found on my ovary when I had my CT scan  a month ago and she told me at this appt. 
    Apparently there was an issue with reports getting out. I had it on 5th Jan. 

    Now I need to get a scan on my pelvis. 
    She reassured me it’s just a cyst. 
    Heard that before. Anyone else had a cyst that is supposedly harmless? 
  • MrsMorrisey
    MrsMorrisey Member Posts: 78 ✭
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    How old were you @iserbrown? 
  • iserbrown
    iserbrown Member Posts: 5,554 ✭
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    I was in my 50s.  I was also referred to  Gynaecology Oncologist 
  • MrsMorrisey
    MrsMorrisey Member Posts: 78 ✭
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    Why was that @iserbrown? 
    I just looked at my request for US. It says US for bulky uterine disease and ovarian cyst. 
    This is getting really annoying now. 
    I am finding it very hard to decide what to do about anything. 
    I hope this US shows nothing abnormal, It’s all about these hormones now. 
    The dr said it’s a cyst but I’ve heard that before. 
  • Tri
    Tri Member Posts: 63 ✭
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    @MrsMorrisey it sounds like a tough roller coaster for you. 
    Yes I had an ovarian cyst, picked up on ultrasound during one of my pregnancies. It was removed later, was not malignant and I think they called it a dermoid ovarian cyst. 
  • Katie46
    Katie46 Member Posts: 91 ✭
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    Hi @MrsMorrisey they found a cyst on my ovary too, they were fairly unconcerned about it, but because I have fibroids and mirena they sent me off to a gynaecologist to get that all checked out, and have the mirena removed for treatment. All came back fine, and the cyst had disappeared when I had a pelvic scan. I was told it was probably a functional cyst, which apparently come and go, and fairly common. 
  • Katie46
    Katie46 Member Posts: 91 ✭
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    I have heard the term 'bulky uterus' far more times than I'd like recently.
  • MrsMorrisey
    MrsMorrisey Member Posts: 78 ✭
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    Apologues to anyone that finds this insensitive relating to their own experience. 

    I’ve always been very uncertain about chemo and the long term effects. 
    The dr gave me no certainty but the oncotype will. 
    To be honest I’m scared the test will come back positive and I’ll have to do it anyway after spending $5000

    i am really struggling with my decision. 
    Not sure anyone can help but it helps to write it down. 
  • AllyJay
    AllyJay Member Posts: 946 ✭
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    It's the questions of statistics and the fact that we don't know on which side we will be. The 97%...or the 3%....and there's no "Stop" "Rewind" button. Very often, the oncotype test puts you in the same position as $5000.00 before...a number, a percentage...a statistic. If I passed a shop advertising 3% off all handbags, I probably wouldn't even bother, but that same statistic in a different scenario seems a lot larger. Remember, these statistics for breast cancer relate to hundreds of thousands, even millions, not just the individual, their cousin and the other ladies in their book group. The MCG holds 100 000 spectators. If a fire was to break out, causing a stampede for the exits, and 3% were crushed to death...that would be 3000 dead people. I doubt that their family and friends would not be content if they were told "Well 97% were fine". For myself, I asked the question that if I declined the chemo, and it did return as stage 4...would I still be happy with my choice or would I wonder if I might have been one of those small percentages?

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