Another bad start to the year

@Julesjourney good luck with your rads.  Hmmm mine will be about a 2hr trip each way .... and am debating on staying there the first week to see how I go, then maybe try driving the next week and see which I prefer.  I may be able to convince myself it is a mini holiday!!  (As if!)

 .... I’ve been chatting with ladies on the lumpectomy & radiation thread a fair bit too ... great info for me there on use of deodorants, etc. The underarm pain could be ‘cording’ .... seems I should have been doing exercises but wasn’t given any!  Not REALLY bad pain ... just persistent and annoying.  I seem to have a VERY Dry armpit sort of rub/pain thing happening. Will chat with Dr about it.  Luckily it eases when I am in bed. 

I have a small log shaped pillow with one flat side that I used for shoulder surgery some years back and it was a GODSEND for my boob!!  The pillow either propped the boob up so it wasn’t ‘hanging loose’ when facing left and stopped it from being squashed when facing Right ... thank goodness I kept it.  They really are an essential bit of kit!! 

All the the best for Monday, Roberta

@julesjourney  All the best for your Rads on Monday .....  

My surgeon says that just having the lumpectomy (not mastectomy) required the radiation to mop up the randoms that may have got out .... as the cancer I have is a 'nasty one' that sends out legs (a bit like the advert on TV) ..... so I guess I go with his recommendations when I see him & the team on Monday.

Apparently there is a 20% chance my tumour could come back - reducing to 5% in 5 years after the rads.

On a brighter note I managed to sleep on my tummy for the first time last night & it just felt SO much more comfy, even tho the sleep was still not a quality one.

Still Feeling a bit sleep deprived .... up til now, I've been dropping off at about 3am and getting up about 9am!! 

Who's underarm ended up being sorer than the actual breast??  The last couple of days, it has been quite painful.  No obvious swelling or infection. Just sore - more of a burning sensation!  

Happy Australia Day!  I've just spent the day with my husband and a few of my uke group buddies at Club Forster for their Aussie Day Celebrations & Sausage Sizzle!  All good fun.

My fingers & toes are crossed for good results with my appointment with my surgeon on Monday .... 

Hello Arpie Glad your appointment has been bought forward for you. That is the day I start Radium. When I went to see the Radium Dr first up, she was telling me the difference between having Radium and not, I told her my Surgeon wants me to have it, so pleased I said that to her, as my Surgeon wasn't impressed she I said didn't have to have it if I didn't want to, as Surgeon said she would of taken my Boob off otherwise, as that was her plan to have Radium, to make sure it didn't come back. The Radium gives you every chance of it not coming back in our case. I don't wear Bra at home and only wear soft Bras, definitely no underwire. Good Luck and catch up soon.

Thanks Jules. So sorry for the stuff up at radiation .... i would have been bawling too. Well done on having the treatment time lessened!!   Hope that happens to me as am 65 this year. Was hoping not to need radiation .... but it is better than having chemo, I guess.    Hehe I was thinking he could have taken some fat from MY belly too .....I have more than enough to spread around - wouldn’t mind donating it to o5er worthy causes if needed!  LOL!  It DOES look a little like a pancake just now. Tho Probably sit better when the dressing is off.

I am rural as well and we had similar happen with my husbands cancer treatment back in 2010 ... went to Sydney for 1st appointment of the day CAT scan, arrived and told we had no appointment!  Grrr the entire week/surgery depended on that one scan ... I spat the dummy big time and said we were not leaving until it was done. In tears to our diagnostician in Taree who then rang them .... 5pm - we got the scan.  I can be very stubborn, even a pain in the Axxx when needed!!  LOL

Hi Arpie. Yes We just to realise to accept what comes along especially missing your Husband carrying the torch. I lost it yesterday when I went to get my Radium as it is 2 hours from home. Made sure I was there before time, and waited for my turn and waited then they told me it couldn't be done till 2 or 2.30pm which was 2 hours later. I just started to cry as this was the straw that broke me, very silly I know something so ordinary but I have been so stressed with other things last couple of days and thought this would go to plan, but no things don't, so hopefully, I save you getting disappointed missing things but, by always expect things to go wrong, in back of your head. I know need to be more positive and that is my problem, I am so positive and so well organised, and hate things going wrong and having no control, but hey that's life, we just have to realise to go with the flow of whatever happens, happens, and to accept it.  At the end of the Treatment planning day, I was told I only need 3 and a half weeks Treatment as I am over 50, small cancer and it was contained, so at end of day happy about that. Smaller Boobs are better don't hang down anymore lol, still getting used to them as have to lose weight now to make waist better, should of asked Surgeon to suck out some fat from there while there, Lol. anyway hope all goes to plan and will keep in touch with you on our Journey together. Ps If you have any parts that aren't healing properly, my Surgeon told me to get Stratamed as it has healed wound part that wouldn't seal, as Radium wont begain treatment until all healed . Have a great weekend. Jules

oh @arpie
 
what a croc that you cant be there to see your hubby carrying the commonwealth games torch. 

@Julesjourney Thanks for that Jules ..... I am at brothers place before heading home on the weekend following surgery yesterday. Follow up appt should have been next Friday but as it is a public holiday ... now Feb 2.  Shame. My husband is carrying the Commonwealth Games Torch that day, so looks like I will miss it. :(
Feeling remarkably ‘good’ tho a little tender under the arm and boob area.
Yes, mine is a little ‘flatter’ was than it was but not concerned about that. Still got to wait for the pathology tho ...
He took more than he originally planned around the tumour (plum size+ I am guessing) and the 1 node, which he felt was soft - and was hopeful of a good pathology result there too.
Good luck with your radiation ... I hope all goes well with it.  Mine will probably be in March.

Hi Arpie. Yes I am a newey also, my surgeon did a reconstruction at same time so both Boobs look the same, bit smaller but pleased not having floppy Boobs Lol. Having a group of friends around you will make things go better, I couldn't do without my support group of Friends. Take one day at a time and just go with the flow of what Drs want you to do. My Radium is starting next couple weeks. Hope everything goes ok for you.