Last Chemo!

Hi Lisa great to finish chemo it is a long trip, you will make the choice that is right for you. I had chemo and mastectomy with immediate reconstruction last year. I finished herceptin in May and the last of my treatment will be my nipple tatoo in July. I honestley cant beleive I'm coming to the end, there will always be that nagging in my head about cancer returning. Now life is pretty good I'm 53 and have perky boobs and I'm trying to get back into a normal life without all the visits to doctors. Look after yourself

Thanks Lisa,

All the best with your surgery, in whatever decision you make.   

I must admit to be getting nervous about chemo, but hoping fears will subside a little once I've seen the nurses in the oncology clinic for pre-chemo orientation/education session today. I feel like it's an orientation day for first day at school. The oncologist was very realistic that it's all doable and acknowledged that it won't be pleasant.   

Thanks and all the best,

Karen xx

Hi Karen

Thanks very much for your reply- it really does help to hear what others have done. It sounds like you made the very best decision re your mastectomy especially as they found more tumours hiding in there. My surgeon found another tiny satellite next to the other tumour and 4cm of pre cancer. She got rid of it all and got clear margins but she has thought since that it may be best for me to consider a mastectomy. I need to do  that now as it will alter the treatment plan. I am not sure about reconstruction as I don't really want any further surgery. So that's something I still have to think about.

Re AC- I found it to be a fairly tough chemo. I ended up in hospital neutropenic before they got my white blood cells back with neulasta injections. At one time I had virtually no immune system as the AC really attacked by wbc levels. It was do-able though and my experience most probably won't be yours!  Apart from that episode I wasn't sick from the chemo as the Drs have lots of meds to keep nausea away. I found it mainly tiring, it did wipe me out a bit! Everyone is different though and some people seem to get through the AC without too many issues at all. Hopefully that will be your experience!

Good luck with the AC it will over before you know it.

all the best

Lisax

Hi Lisa,

I'm in a very different position to you, not sure whether it'll help.  I had a lumpectomy initially in late April, which was followed by a re-excision as there was DCIS in the tissue margins.  What was thought to be a small tumour on biopsy, turned out to be an irregular mucinous 40mm tumour.  The re-excision was still unsuccessful with more dreaded cells in margins.  In my case, I was still given a choice for a further re-excision or a mastectomy.  Considering my breasts were so small to start with, and after discussion with my surgeon, I decided on a mastectomy.  It proved to be the best decision for me as there was another 12mm mucinous tumour hiding elsewhere. Hormone positive, grade 2.

I'd seen mastectomy scars before but I was still devastated that it's me.  Immediate reconstruction was not really appropriate for me as I was so inflamed from previous surgeries and I didn't want any post-op complications to delay the onset of chemo and it still wasn't confirmed whether radiotherapy was still happening. So far so good, everything is healing well and I start chemo (AC) next Tues, 4 weeks post-op.

Helping me in the decision were my family and friends.  One friend said.."Just get it off".  In a few weeks, I'm planning to go to a specialty shop for a new prosthesis (looks like a small chicken fillet with a nipple) and some retail therapy with the girls.  Laughter has been my best medicine.  But will admit in the early weeks, I had some really dark days.

Long term plan will be a reconstruction with a tattoo.

All the best with your decision and further surgery.  I'm about to start 4 rounds of AC next week.  I read you had the same initially. How did it effect you?

Karen xx