Hi everyone, I was diagnosed on 13th April with grade 3 invasive breast cancer, had a Mastectomy and lymph node removal/biopsy on the 9th May, on the 25th May I was told that they seem to of got the cancer in the breast with the mastectomy, but it has spread to the lymph nodes so have to have another op on the 6th June to remove them, tomorrow I have to have a whole body CT scan and a radioactive bone scan to see if it has spread anywhere else, I have also been told I will have to have a course of chemo and go onto hormone therapy. Is anyone able to tell me how long a course of chemo is, how often will i have to have it, how long after i finish chemo should i wait to travel, had plans to go to Bali at the end of July. Sorry for the essay lol, any advice etc will be very much appreciated..... Thank you in advance...

@Schwen if your veins are already crap, get a portocath. It's a monster idea, having a creepy little box under your skin, but it works. Well, they usually work. No stabbing or jabbing and you have both hands free during treatment. This stuff sucks, but some technology can help. Marg xx

The things I've used are: anti-bacterial wipes (large & small) for fingers, trolleys, public toilet seats, etc..., hand sanitiser, coloxyl with senna (constipation), gastrostop (diarrhoea), paracetamol, Mylanta double-strength, little kids really soft toothbrush, Biotene mouthwash, sorbolene (for dry skin). The Maxalon they give you may not be strong enough. I have been prescribed Ativan for nausea throughout and Somac and Nexium for reflux.Try to get yourself on a Look Good Feel Better session. If nothing else you get free make-up and maybe to try on some wigs. Regardless, make sure you have a good eyebrow pencil (the lack of hair I can live with - lack of eyebrows, I can't). And if you see some pretty scarves around in the op shops, go for it. I'm not sure what Bunbury has, but many places have wig libraries - they can be hard to find, though. Try asking at the local hospital. The wigs are so expensive and you only need one for a few months - maybe someone else from WA may be able to help, here. I mix it up a lot - I wear beanies and scarves for the most part when I'm out and about, but wigs when I want to look a bit more "normal". At home and at exercise class, I don't bother unless my head is cold (or earlier in the year to protect from the sun). Oh, and when your hair starts falling out, you may want to go for a No. 1 or 2 (or straight for a shave) as it's not only messy but can hurt. The hair is the one thing you can have some fun with!

Hi @Schwen, Firstly, welcome to this site - you'll get lots of info and support here. Treatment isn't a one size fits all and your oncologist will tell you more when you have your first appointment. For me, chemo didn't begin until the surgeon cleared me as recovering from ops which was approximately 1 month from second surgery. I had grade 2 lobular carcinoma, a partial with sentinel node biopsy, then a mastectomy with axillary dissection ( 3 out of 8 nodes positive) - OR/ER+, HER-. I am currently going through chemo 4 X AC 3 weekly, then 12 X paclitaxol weekly, then it will be rads and hormone therapy. Your treatment might be similar or might be different. Talk to your doctor's about your planned holiday. It may be that you can fit it in between.

Hello and welcome! I am sorry that you find yourself here. I hope you find it as helpful and supportive as I have. You never have to apologise for any question, length or otherwise. Yours wasn't that long anyway!Your chemotherapy will probably be about six months long. As @Sister says there's no one size fits all, so we can't be definitive. Some people have some types of chemo once every three weeks or every two weeks. Other types are weekly. Your oncologist is the doctor in charge of this though your breast surgeon should be able to give you a good idea.My chemo commenced about five weeks after my lumpectomy, though it was somewhat delayed by Christmas. Mostly they like to crack on with it, especially if you're in reasonably good health otherwise.Let us know how you get on. Hang in there, K xox

@Zoffiel I totally agree! Best thing I ever did was have the portacath inserted. After having an axillary clearance as well in my left arm and then a cellulitis infection which meant four days in hospital on an IV drip, I had four cannulas inserted in four days. It was so very painful as the veins kept collapsing. The portacath makes blood tests so much easier too @Schwen. Good luck. M

Nervous about next step | BCNA Online Network

63 Replies

kezmusc
Member
8 years ago
Hi @Schwen,

Welcome to the forum. Plenty of warmth and advice always available on here. It's all so scary and horrible at the start, Once you have a plan you will feel a little more in control. Everybody is different with their treatment plan and the way they respond to it.

I had a lumpectomy. re excision for better margins and full lymph node clearance. There were 5 out of the 24 with cancer in them so got the works as well. Highly ER and PR positive so am on Tamoxifen.
I began chemo 6 weeks after surgery. Same chemo regime as @Sister. 4 weeks after that 30 x radiation. All told from surgery to the end of rads it was about 8 1/2 months. I did alright with the treatment and most likely would have been able to travel straight away. It just depends on how you get through and unfortunately nobody can tell until you start.

No question is too long or too trivial. There is no judgement on here so keep asking, keep talking we all understand how you feel.

All the best
xoxoxox
kmakm
Member
8 years ago
Hello and welcome! I am sorry that you find yourself here. I hope you find it as helpful and supportive as I have. You never have to apologise for any question, length or otherwise. Yours wasn't that long anyway!

Your chemotherapy will probably be about six months long. As @Sister says there's no one size fits all, so we can't be definitive. Some people have some types of chemo once every three weeks or every two weeks. Other types are weekly. Your oncologist is the doctor in charge of this though your breast surgeon should be able to give you a good idea.

My chemo commenced about five weeks after my lumpectomy, though it was somewhat delayed by Christmas. Mostly they like to crack on with it, especially if you're in reasonably good health otherwise.

Let us know how you get on. Hang in there, K xox
Sister
Member
8 years ago
Hi @Schwen, Firstly, welcome to this site - you'll get lots of info and support here. Treatment isn't a one size fits all and your oncologist will tell you more when you have your first appointment. For me, chemo didn't begin until the surgeon cleared me as recovering from ops which was approximately 1 month from second surgery. I had grade 2 lobular carcinoma, a partial with sentinel node biopsy, then a mastectomy with axillary dissection ( 3 out of 8 nodes positive) - OR/ER+, HER-. I am currently going through chemo 4 X AC 3 weekly, then 12 X paclitaxol weekly, then it will be rads and hormone therapy. Your treatment might be similar or might be different. Talk to your doctor's about your planned holiday. It may be that you can fit it in between.

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Nervous about next step

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