Third time lucky?
Hi everyone, I have just had my breast cancer come back in the same breast for the third time. I discovered the lump myself, after trying to decide if it was actually there or not, but eventually dec...
Forum Discussion
Hi @luckyme
your pen name resonates with me.
I think everyone here has had a mixture of good and bad luck in their breast cancer “journey “ ( or as some would say , “ shitfest”).
I was unlucky that despite having regular mammograms every 2 years I discovered a lump in my breast that turned out to be a 5.5 cm lobular cancer requiring a mastectomy.
I was lucky to have a great GP who referred me to a great breast cancer surgeon who in turn referred me to a great plastic surgeon.
I was lucky that I had the money to go as a private patient which went some way to addressing my heightened anxiety after feeling very let down by the free public BreastScreen mammograms.
I was also lucky to be in Sydney Australia in a medical system not overrun with Covid 19 patients.
also lucky no cancer in my lymph nodes so didn’t need chemo only radiotherapy.
Lucky that although the surgery caused me a lot of pain for a period of about 6 weeks ( requiring me to take Endone when I don’t normally even take a Panadol), after that time things settled down.
Lucky that I managed to have DIEP flap reconstructive surgery 4 weeks ago just before they put a halt to non urgent elective surgery ( which mine was) .
And lucky that my recovery from that is progressing well and I am not even needing so much as a Panadol now.
BUT there is still a part of me that says how unlucky was I to be the first in my huge extended Irish family to get breast cancer and how unlucky was I that it was picked up so late I was denied the chance to keep the breast.
However in the end it’s not healthy dwell on the “ what if” and “ why me” and it’s better to look forward not back.
I too was in a complete state prior to my mastectomy even though I knew I had a great medical team .
Everyone is different and some people sail through it , I had a tissue expander inserted as I was going to have delayed reconstruction after radiotherapy and I think that was the thing that made my pain so bad.
I was also terrified of becoming addicted to the Endone and in hindsight should not have stressed about just taking it instead of trying to get off it too early.
So it’s natural to be anxious about the surgery, but we have great Doctors ( and nurses) in Australia , everyone handles it differently , my advice is if you get bad pain, just take the meds and realise it is only a short term thing.
Also I found acupuncture helped me ( I came to it late) and also seeing a physiotherapist who specialised in Breast cancer patients was helpful.
All the best and there are lots of ladies on here who can give you lots of good advice and support.
your pen name resonates with me.
I think everyone here has had a mixture of good and bad luck in their breast cancer “journey “ ( or as some would say , “ shitfest”).
I was unlucky that despite having regular mammograms every 2 years I discovered a lump in my breast that turned out to be a 5.5 cm lobular cancer requiring a mastectomy.
I was lucky to have a great GP who referred me to a great breast cancer surgeon who in turn referred me to a great plastic surgeon.
I was lucky that I had the money to go as a private patient which went some way to addressing my heightened anxiety after feeling very let down by the free public BreastScreen mammograms.
I was also lucky to be in Sydney Australia in a medical system not overrun with Covid 19 patients.
also lucky no cancer in my lymph nodes so didn’t need chemo only radiotherapy.
Lucky that although the surgery caused me a lot of pain for a period of about 6 weeks ( requiring me to take Endone when I don’t normally even take a Panadol), after that time things settled down.
Lucky that I managed to have DIEP flap reconstructive surgery 4 weeks ago just before they put a halt to non urgent elective surgery ( which mine was) .
And lucky that my recovery from that is progressing well and I am not even needing so much as a Panadol now.
BUT there is still a part of me that says how unlucky was I to be the first in my huge extended Irish family to get breast cancer and how unlucky was I that it was picked up so late I was denied the chance to keep the breast.
However in the end it’s not healthy dwell on the “ what if” and “ why me” and it’s better to look forward not back.
I too was in a complete state prior to my mastectomy even though I knew I had a great medical team .
Everyone is different and some people sail through it , I had a tissue expander inserted as I was going to have delayed reconstruction after radiotherapy and I think that was the thing that made my pain so bad.
I was also terrified of becoming addicted to the Endone and in hindsight should not have stressed about just taking it instead of trying to get off it too early.
So it’s natural to be anxious about the surgery, but we have great Doctors ( and nurses) in Australia , everyone handles it differently , my advice is if you get bad pain, just take the meds and realise it is only a short term thing.
Also I found acupuncture helped me ( I came to it late) and also seeing a physiotherapist who specialised in Breast cancer patients was helpful.
All the best and there are lots of ladies on here who can give you lots of good advice and support.