I have IBC

Hello, I'm new here. I was diagnosed with IBC the week before my 47th Birthday last year.

I was diagnosed after a core biopsy (Never doing one of those again if I have to remain awake).

I had 6 rounds of chemo 3xfec, 3xtax.

My daughter was 7 last christmas, and wanted us to do the whole roast turkey, glazed ham - but I had chemo on christmas eve and my mouth had ulcerated so hopefully this year we will do the feast.

After the chemo I had 35 rounds of radiation with bolsts. I had all the ususal tests after this, and on the same day met with my surgeon to discuss what was happening next. Well I was blown away. I've gone from being told (by my first surgeon) that I would need a double mastectomy with no reconstruction. To being told I that the cancer was gone and there would be no surgery.

It was a very confusing time as my Dr was insisting on surgery and the surgeon was refusing. I've talked with the Dr this week and she says that If they operated on me it would be like opening a can of worms and I'd end up looking like a dogs breakfast. Such technical descriptions, ha ha.

My area of radiation is so large that they wouldn't have a hope of salvaging enough skin to join me back up again. I'd need a huge skin transplant. I am very small, so I don't have any stomach to transplant.

I've been taking Tamaxathan (can't remember the spelling), as I'm eostrogen positive, but I was waking every hour during the night with hot flushes, and I was very tired and cranky. they have switched me back to the monthly injection of Zoladex which while not perfect, is tollerable.

I worked through my chemo, but had to have three months off with the radiation, because as you can imagine, I was on Endone and Oxycontin and panandine and red raw and bleeding.

Anyway I'm back at work and doing physiotherapy to try and regain arm movement. Thank god for the berlie front opening bra my breast nurse ordered for me.

So I'm just going to have to play the waiting game.

Angela