Introduction

kittymc

Hi! I’m Kitty I was diagnosed over Christmas period with breast cancer after noticing a lump on my left breast near my armpit.  It is er&pr+ and her2 -.  So far all my other tests have been positive and it is just the lump, so looking to get a lumpectomy with sentinel node removed also then radiation ☢️  I am 37 and the genetic test was negative.  I am going well so far just looking forward to getting this lump out!  I am a bit nervous about the radiation and side affects and also the potential of being on tamoxifen reading the comments it seems to be quite a full on drug.

lrb_03

Hi @kittymc
Sorry you find yourself here. Over time you will find this a supportive community. The are lots around with helpful tips and information.
It's hard, but take it one step at a time. Everyone reacts differently to each step of their treatment.  Some get no to few side effects, some get a lot but it's unpredictable.  Listen to your team and take their advice. Is there a breast care nurse in your area? They can be a great resource for support and information. 

Tri

Hi @kittymc
I am sorry to hear about your diagnosis- must have been very unwelcome.
Although my breast cancer type was slightly different, the treatment included radiation therapy to the left breast.
The treatment (15 doses over a 3 week period) was very manageable, it’s only a short visit to the place where treatment is given and the technicians and nurses who looked after me were delightful and caring. Whilst my skin was a bit irritated into the third week I was given a sorbolene cream.
Sending lots of positive energy for your next weeks.

jennyss

Dear @kittymc,

from jennyss in Western NSW

cranky_granny

Hi @kittymc I had 25 rounds of Radiation after my breast conserving surgery with lymph node removal. 

Make sure you follow their instructions after your lumpectomy and lymph removal. There will be a set of exercises to do so that your arm gets full movement back after they have poked around in your armpit
I had to wait until my operation site was properly healed before rads started. The amount of radiation will depend on biopsy results from your lumpectomy its usually done to cleanup/ kill off any possible invisible cancer cells. 
Follow the advice of your specialist team my main side effect was tiredness, didn’t start straight away but lasted for a couple of weeks after finishing. A lot of factors will influence if you burn. There are several products available to use To help avoid the worst of that. StrataX cream and Mepitel film  i think they’re called. Check with the rads team when they do the staging (set up for where you get zapped) its very precise for each person.
I only used heaps of sorbolene  cream which  the nurses provided.  Soap free showering   You should be told what you can and cant do before the radiation starts 
i hope i haven’t overwhelmed you too much. 

Let us know how you go 
1 step at a time 1 day at a time try not to get too far ahead of yourself 
Some if us get no side effects some get a few each of us are individual in that respect. 

kittymc

Thanks for the advise and support, yep 1 step at a time it is.