Another newbie here - going through the process! and travel plans??

@Traynota  - Welcome to the Club (sort of!!)

We've all been thru the mind boggling journey that BC is - and many of us are still only part way thru it ..... it sounds like you are coping pretty well so far. xx  It really is an emotional roller coaster - it is FINE to be weepy, angry, upset .....  all sorts of emotions will 'take over' at any point in time.  This is TOTALLY NORMAL.

You've had your follow up surgery now - so I hope you are recovering well, not in pain & that the margins are clear. 

I am 64 & was diagnosed with invasive lobular BC in early Jan & had my surgery in mid Jan as a Private Patient in Sydney.  

I've just finished my 4 weeks of radiation last Wed.  The Radiation clinic at Port Macquarie was terrific - the nurses and staff were just fantastic.  I did the radiation as a public patient for no cost.

I stayed at the Rotary Lodge there for the radiation treatment & just walked to the clinic every day, 200m away, coming home at weekends (over 100k away.)  It was brilliant.  IPTASS covers petrol expenses & most of the accomodation cost for out of towners.

Try & keep yourself 'busy & active' with your 'usual pursuits' between now & the start of your radiation (and afterwards!) Your new wound will need to heal before that can start - it may be 2-3 months.  I found that continuing with my hobbies at every opportunity helped keep my mind off things (I run a ukulele group & go kayak fishing a lot) and also kept me sane, which is good!   

Some of your family & friends may be confused because you don't necessarily 'look or even feel ill' once the surgery pain has passed!!   I think they thought I'd be bedridden!!   They'll get used to it.

Lean on your family & friends & don't feel that you have to tell EVERYBODY about it, if you don't want to.  If friends want to cook you some meals - LET THEM!  One of my uke buddies did that for me, each weekend we were home during rads - and it was just wonderful not having to go out & buy stuff to make for dinner!

I used a few different creams during Rads, 3 times a day - Epaderm, Renu28 (a lovely gel by ASEA) and Aloe Vera Gel - then Calendula cream & after Rads finished, I peeled a bit - so now using BOZ Ointment.

Sleep can be very hit & miss during this journey .... there is a thread here on it with some good info on trying to 'beat it'!   Usually, keeping active will work the best!  Just make yourself tired!

I'll be seeing an Onc Dr in coming weeks about ongoing hormone treatment - I had a shocking time going thru menopause 20 years ago - so not looking forward to the tablets bringing those symptoms back!  :(  

In the mean time - I am going to Norfolk Island next weekend for 10 days with some ukulele friends (planned late last year) - so I hope you enjoy your trip to NZ!!  (I lived in Auckland for 15 years - and it holds a special place in my heart.)

You'll make a bunch of 'new friends' here on the forum - ask away ANY question - and it will be answered by those who have gone thru it!  

One step at a time - onwards & upwards - all the best xxxx

Thanks everyone. I’ve never written on a forum before - usually an active “reader”. I had the follow up surgery on Friday. While waiting to go in couldn’t believe 4 weeks prior hadn’t had the mammogram or ultrasound as yet. Would come later in the day and wham - a massive roller coaster. 

A bit more painful, bruised and battered this time around. Not missing lymph node pain but just been resting last 2 days as nights are shocking. At least it’s out now and another follow up this week. 

Feeling more confident about NZ - looking forward to the break. 

Really apprecite responses xx

Well done @Traynota. Glad NZ is still happening. Good on you! K xox

Well done, @Traynota

Take it easy from now til you travel .... take the pain killers as needed .... 

Enjoy NZ

Where do you live?  Are you in one of our major cities, or will you need to travel for your radiation treatment?  It is Mon-Fri for at least 4 weeks - so it helps to be close to the centre .... !

Hi @Traynota I was diagnosed with invasive lobular in both breasts - extensive on left, minimal on right - in January but was allowed to wait until these school holidays to have surgery. It’s a really difficult carcinoma to detect and turns out I may have even had it for more than a year! I had a double mastectomy into air expanders on Saturday. One sentinel node was positive on the left side so I had a full axilla clearance on the left. No nodes on the right. 
Still waiting on pathology and will more than likely need chemo and radio but will take each step one at a time. Truthfully the absolute worst part was waiting for the staging scan results. Whatever the outcome, knowing is so much better than not knowing. 
This forum has been incredible for information and support! All the best with everything. 

Hi there @Traynota sounds like you've alredy had a heap of great advice from the gang on here. remember to be kind to yourself its ok to be selfish at the moment. just remember to put yourself first and listen to your body.. keep us posted how you go. big hug Margie. x

It feels so good to have a forum where you can share experiences with others going through the same process.thank you all for sharing. I had never heard of lobular cancer and always thought cancer was nice rounded tumours. You learn a lot very quickly. Wishing you all well. 
 I’ve had my second operation, still bruised &battered and looking OK. Feeling fortunate live in Sydney and between 2 major hospitals in western Sydney. Looks like I will be at Liverpool as Surgeon has relationships there.