Surgery

Hi there @Deboralla...I'm so sorry you've had to join the club that nobody wants to join. I was diagnosed with multifocal (more than one lump) cancer in my left breast and one lymph node on the left definitely affected in 2016. The status of the lymph nodes is often not known for sure until the sentinel node is removed and examined by a pathologist. If you imagine a bunch of grapes, that is more or less how the group of them in the axilla or armpit,looks. The sentinel node would be the one in the group that if first in line to be affected by cancer in the breast spreading to them. Before surgery, dye will probably be injected to see which one "lights" up, and that one will be removed and tested. Much will depend on this and the results from the removed lumps. I had chemo first for six months, followed by bilateral mastectomy with all the nodes on the left and sentinel node on the right. I was not able to have radiotherapy due to an existing medical condition. My cancer was hormone driven, so now I'm on hormone blockers and will be for at least ten years. I'm still NED (No Evidence of Disease). Hang in there...if this old chook could come out the other side of the shitfest that is breast cancer, so will you too. Remember, we all know just how you are feeling and we will be here on the sidelines cheering you on. This is also a great place to dump your shit as we all get that too.