Early XMAS present

Thanks @melclarity, I just sent a big whooping text responding to all the ladies who commented and appears only to lines appeared addressed to you

@Dandelion  Big hugs to you! and there are alot of us here, ready to listen or help anyway we can support. xo Melinda 

Hi @melclarity it's not so bad when you get to meet all you lovely ladies

Hi @Dandelion, you have lots of similarities to my story - I had a single mastectomy and radiation treatment after 2 large lobular tumours (both estrogen positive) were found and one node tested positive so then had a axillary clearance. I also had a sneaky ductal tumour that was HER2 positive so my treatment also included chemotherapy and Herceptin and am now on Tamoxifen.

I am now 5years on from that diagnosis and doing well although I do have lymphodema and think this could have been helped by wearing a compression sleeve during radiation. Finding a good lymphodema therapist that will measure and monitor your arm and show you how to do self-massaging is really important. You may not get lymphodema, it is certainly not a given, but it is important that you make sure your skin is well moisturised, not only in the radiated areas but on your arm to try and maintain skin integrity. I found the radiation nurses really helpful and supportive throughout that time and their advice was to use the Moo Goo products, which I did and loved.   

I was also diagnosed with osteopenia, which felt like another blow, and so although I am now post-menopausal (was pre-menopausal before treatment) I am staying on Tamoxifen as it is better for bone strength. I also am having Allendrobell (once a week bone strengthening tablet) following a bad fracture to my wrist last year. I also have Vitamin D. I am due for another bone scan now to check how things are going.

Best of luck with your treatment, it is tough, especially as a single mum, so don't be afraid to ask for and accept any help offered, it was the best thing I could have done xx

So sorry for your diagnosis.  I wanted to reinforce what others have said, get your arm measured before you start radiation so you have a base point of reference.   I didn't, and physios have said how useful it would have been if I had.

Also good news you don't have to have chemo, in my experience radiation is easier.  It's not a walk in the park with tiredness and possibly burnt skin but nevertheless easier than chemotherapy.  Plus you don't lose your hair etc.

Wishing you you the best of luck.  Karen 

Hi @Dandelion, I had a left mastectomy last August with 3 positive nodes. I had 16 rounds of chemo, due to widespread lymphovascular invasion. I am currently having radiation, completed 8 out of 25. I developed lymphodema before radiation & my therapist thinks it was due to chemo even though I had 12 nodes removed. It is mild & I am wearing a sleeve. I had my arm measured very early just in case so it was a baseline. I haven't shaved since mastectomy as hair hasn't grown back & I still have a lot of numbness in my arm 8 months on. I am a side sleeper too & found it difficult at first but am now sleeping on my side. Don't worry too much about osteopenia, most people over a certain age have it. I do too & have just started Femara. One day at a time & try not to think about things that may not happen, best wishes!

@Dandelion sorry that you find yourself here, but you are in GREAT company :) so much wonderful support and experience amongst us all :) Thing is, it depends on your complete diagnosis such as Stage and Grade as well, Im ER+ only 2.5 cm Stage 2 but Grade 3 which determined Id have Chemo. BRCA Gene negative and no node involvement. I had rads in 2011 at first diagnosis, it does change the boob it became harder than the other and it does change the skin, dont know how it affects with an expander. Recurrence 2015. Ive just had a Mastectomy/Diep Flap recon as I had rads before so not a candidate for Expander or nipple sparing. Im 4.5 weeks and though a massive operation all at once, Im glad it was done all at once, plus I didnt want an implant so am happy with flap recon so far :) It is hard and you know, we are so strong doing and getting through what we have to at the time, but in those quiet moments when we stop,it hits!!! and it can be overwhelming and just a deep sadness. After 6yrs I still hit these moments, eventhough Im recovering and at the end of this ordeal and moving on. There are still aspects of my life I miss that will never be the same...the biggest thing Ive noticed is treatment has aged me dramatically and natural i suppose its traumatic, but frustrating too as BC didnt the treatment did. Big hugs!! You'll manage rads no worries. Melinda xo 

@primek got it :) 

PS ..I got help and just shaved my under arm...nothing too brilliant, but the expander and numbness made it smelly and difficult to shave as it encroached the area a bit. On hormone blockers don't need to now. 

@Dandelion. To tag someone put an @ prior their name. You will find their name will cone up in choices once you start typing.