New at this

Hi Cruiser, I am in Canberra too. Best of luck with your surgery. I had a stage 2 grade three tumour and had a lumpectomy last year followed by chemo and radiation. I also still have six months of herceptin infusions to go. II took six months off work, due to the amount of treatment I had and I am now back working four days a week.  I didn't require drains after my lumpectomy, and it did not really hurt. The sentinel node biopsy under my arm was a bit painful and made it hard to raise my arm for a couple of weeks. The main advice I have for anyone going through any treatment for breast cancer is to look after yourself, take as much time as you need to heal, accept help from friends (as you have) and if you need it, seek counselling. The first couple of weeks after diagnosis were the most difficult for me personally as I had to come to terms with having cancer, as I got used to it I found it easier to deal with, although I do still have challenging days. It is great talking to other people on this forum who understand