Information Overload!
Hello lovelies, I was diagnosed just over a week ago with invasive breast cancer in my left breast, after finding a lump. I went for a mammogram 2.5 weeks ago where they took core biopsies. Sinc...
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Time for an update... hard to believe a month has gone by.
I went in for a mastectomy and sentinel node biopsy on the 17th April, then swiftly went back under to have more lymph nodes removed as the sentinel node showed spread. Strangely, that hit harder than having the initial surgery - the thought of a second surgery was not at all in my thinking.
Pathology found 13 individual tumours ranging from 2mm - 13mm, a mix of grade 2 & 3, a large mass of DCIS - making my cancer both multifocal and multicentric, and extensive lymphatic invasion in the breast. Happily, the extra lymph nodes taken we're all clear of cancer.
I went home 10 days after the first surgery - thankfully with drains out. I couldn't fault the team at Mater Private in Brisbane - everyone I came across was just wonderful.
I'm healing well, despite a seroma and preparing for the next stage. Due to the pathology, I'm going for 6 months of chemo - AT-C protocol which is 2 rounds of different drugs - then on to 3 weeks of radiotherapy of the chest wall including lymph nodes in the centre of the chest and throat, and finishing up with hormone blockers.
It's my daughter's birthday this week and she's having a party next weekend. It's my Mum's birthday next week. I'm getting my port-a-cath installed this week - the wonderful nurse who did my PET scan told me I should ask for one if I needed chemo as I have difficult veins. I have to tell work I need more time off.
It's a lot.
I'm trying hard to think short distance, the next couple of days rather than into the more distant future. There's so much to think about if I do that.
I went in for a mastectomy and sentinel node biopsy on the 17th April, then swiftly went back under to have more lymph nodes removed as the sentinel node showed spread. Strangely, that hit harder than having the initial surgery - the thought of a second surgery was not at all in my thinking.
Pathology found 13 individual tumours ranging from 2mm - 13mm, a mix of grade 2 & 3, a large mass of DCIS - making my cancer both multifocal and multicentric, and extensive lymphatic invasion in the breast. Happily, the extra lymph nodes taken we're all clear of cancer.
I went home 10 days after the first surgery - thankfully with drains out. I couldn't fault the team at Mater Private in Brisbane - everyone I came across was just wonderful.
I'm healing well, despite a seroma and preparing for the next stage. Due to the pathology, I'm going for 6 months of chemo - AT-C protocol which is 2 rounds of different drugs - then on to 3 weeks of radiotherapy of the chest wall including lymph nodes in the centre of the chest and throat, and finishing up with hormone blockers.
It's my daughter's birthday this week and she's having a party next weekend. It's my Mum's birthday next week. I'm getting my port-a-cath installed this week - the wonderful nurse who did my PET scan told me I should ask for one if I needed chemo as I have difficult veins. I have to tell work I need more time off.
It's a lot.
I'm trying hard to think short distance, the next couple of days rather than into the more distant future. There's so much to think about if I do that.