Shall I say that I'm scared, that's a given

Hello and Welcome @Michelle49 .......... What a crazy place to you find yourself right - posting on this site....well that is what I initially thought a few weeks ago - but I am so very glad that I did, as it has been such a wonderful support and comfort to be able to share my worries, fears, ups and downs with other strong women who truly understand the scariness that is breast cancer.....such a safe place here xxxAfter turning 40 in Jan I thought I would focus on my health this year and get a few things in order after spending 18 months trying to manage chronic lower back pain.....So as I headed off for my mammogram I really didn't have a care in the world!!!fast forward 2 weeks and things quickly changed.....more scans, ultrasounds, biopsies, and a whole lot of people touching my boobs......I will never forget the look on the Gp's face on the day of diagnosis, Friday 31st March- she wasn't my usual GP, but it was a Friday and I didn't want to wait over the weekend not knowing the results.......She was very professional - but as she came out to the waiting room my stomach churned - the look on her face said it all........breast cancer in my left breast.Then the craziness began - so many appts, further tests etc including a 6 hour round trip for further biopsies that couldn't be done in my local area. One lump turned into 3- so a change of diagnosis to multi-focal BC....... My surgeon advised that a mastectomy was my only option, and highly recommended a double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction with implants. I agreed to this and had surgery on Friday 21st April....just shy of 2 weeks ago. they were able to reconstruct my nipples too - but they are still under wraps and dressings (which is fine by me as I am not ready to see that just yet!!)I came home after 5 nights in hospital - and to be honest the recovery has so much better than I had expected it to be...I really got myself into a tizz before surgery and was soooooo freaked out about the pain factor. I had a 7 am admission to hospital and was first on the surgery list....I cried myself to sleep that night and all the way to hospital that day!!! I was up using the loo that night at 10.30pm (despite my grumbles) showered the next morning by 9am - with the help of a lovely nurse mind you.I came home with drains in, one came out quickly, but I am still carting the other one around with me as I type...but both surgeons have said it will come out tomorrow thank god!! I got my pathology results today which were great - things are starting to look up for me and my family!!Yes I am stiff, sore, swollen and bruised, but I am alive and grateful that I feel well enough to be able to share my experience with you and others.The last 5 weeks of my life feels so surreal - like I have been starring in some strange and badly made tv show...but each day post surgery gets better and better - that period of the unknown and waiting prior to surgery was absolutely the worst time in my life.......With a good medical team, and strong support from your nearest and dearest you will get through this and one day be able to share your story with a newly diagnosed woman and help allay her fears.I wish you all the very best for the next steps and I hope that you stay connected here - it really does help to talk and share. Be kind to yourself, embrace the tears when they hit, ask lots of questions and know that it is ok to totally loose your shit about this every now and then xxxx We are all here to support and we understand xxxxwarmest wishes and positive thoughts xxSally xx

Update : back home after mastectomy, had to go back to theatre the next day for another op cleaning out haematoma in my chest. Nursing staff at Nepean private were wonderful and my beautiful husband brought me a diamond ring and is calling it " my journey ring" as he said every time I look at it will remind me that I am strong like the diamonds in the ring, God I love that man <3 Feeling good just have to wait for my results on Thursday . My surgeon Dr Linn Trinh even gave me her personal cell number in case I wanted to talk about anything

:D Ok so final finished AC chemo last Thursday but my weight has been dropping as I have no appetite my oncologist told me to keep up with protein shakes and Gatorade as well as eating what I felt like but my weight has dropped around 4 kg every AC treatment last weight was 56.7 kg when I started I was 67.9 kg so today I've had a protein shake and toast with peanut butter & a ham cheese tomato and onion omelette ,toast and banana sustagen 70% protein milk and icecream smoothie, I've gotta say I'm full I hope it works . Now I just have to get a good blender or NutriBullet to make the smoothies smooth and not lumpy

Ok so here I am back after a while of not posting , I know I know slack on my behalf. Update: finished radiation with not a single problem,skin was a little tight but by putting sorbolene cream on every morning,night and after every treatment saved my skin from the dreaded burn .i'm now waiting for my op date of 31st October to get my reconstruction done and I'm going to the extra step on having a skin and nipple saving mastectomy on my left side and having it rebuilt at the same time as I was told that I have as much chance of having cancer in that side as I had in the right. Sleep is being a bugger on tamoxifen taking ages to get to sleep and waking up 2 or 3 times during the night , other than that I'm going great , my hair is growing so much I had my first haircut a month ago and everyone keeps asking me if I'm going to keep it short as I look younger but I tell them no as I hate my hair short lol

Yeah diep reconstruction , I had a right side mastectomy 17th may last year then chemo and radiation. I am in a good place and have been since chemo, I'm a positive person lol, I'll definitely check out night owls thanks for that K

Told today mastectomy of my right breast

73 Replies

primek
Member
9 years ago
I think for many of us it's before hand is worse i found though after treatment for me the realisation and grief set in. But I've picked myself up and just keep working on it.
socoda
Member
9 years ago
@Michelle49 big hug. Xx
Michelle49
Member
9 years ago
Right then , I had my appointment with my doctor to get the final results, turns out that I'm stage 2 , only just, 25mm lump from my nipple downwards and minute trace in the first node that didn't show up in any tests before the operation and barely showed up in the biopsy from the operation. So Dr Trinh has organised for me to have chemo, under Dr Fox, at daffodil cottage ,Bathurst, she thinks about 3 weeks and 5 weeks of radiation , under Dr Tiver, at cancer care, Nepean hospital .
Its strange but I'm not upset after losing my right breast, I'm relieved that I'm only stage 2 and that treatments are moving forward fast.
I had a biopsy on my left breast several years ago when the doctors found floating particles in a cyst and had to make a decision to remove that breast if it came back malignant so I think that I was some what prepared this time. The nurse removed the bindings before I left the hospital and was amazed how I handled it when I looked in the mirror, I didn't cry lol and only said " shit I am bruised " , mainly from the haematoma , so here I am feeling good, happy and with my wonderful hubby waiting on me hand and foot, which gets annoying at times as I am capable lol, and only cried a little when visiting some friend and he remarked how proud he was of me in the strength I have shown and that he was amazed at my outlook on the whole thing as he doesn't think he could be as together as I am being.
Thank you all for listening to me and you kind words, I think that they have helped to get me to this place in time xxxx
socoda
Member
9 years ago
@Michelle49, how brilliant. Excellent that you're home with your lovely hubby and what a beautiful sentiment. Xx Cath
primek
Member
9 years ago
Great surgeon. Hubby is a keeper. Glad you are home. X
fairydust
Member
9 years ago
@Michelle49 what a journey. Its great to hear of a beautiful supportive man. Some ladies are not as lucky and partners may leave or behave badly. I was also touched by the compassion my breast surgeon displayed to me. Great your home and ready for the next stage. One day dont ask me when you will wake up and treatment will be all over. Maybe an eternity ring?
mum2jj
Member
9 years ago
Great news @Michelle49 Rest up now. Great Dr, and great hubby too.
Paula xx
mum2jj
Member
9 years ago
Great news @Michelle49 Rest up now. Great Dr, and great hubby too.
Paula xx
melclarity
Member
9 years ago
@Michelle49 Oh that's wonderful to hear you are home now and on the road to recovery. Also that you have such great support, what a love your Husband is, very thoughtful! Rest up and nurture you x Melinda
nikkid
Member
9 years ago
Great that you're home @Michelle49 - now onto your recovery! What a lovely thought from your husband...and what a wonderful doctor too. My GP gave me her mobile number 12 months ago...a gesture of trust and respect. Wishing you a steady recovery. Thinking of you Nikki xxx

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Told today mastectomy of my right breast

73 Replies

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