Secondary breast cancer

Hi Amy

I saw you post to the Canadian lady and as I live in Canberra was going to reply but thought she might get responses from people more in her situation and age, so held off for a few hours (although I will also respond today).  So I saw your post and when you mentioned mastectomy I read your earlier posts.  I am in a very similar situation, although fortunately didn't have the long and difficult journey you had to get to diagnosis.  I found a lump in my breast on new years day  and within 3 weeks found it had spread to my bones, throughout my spine and pelvis and was HER2+.

I am having my last chemo today, hooray, and then move onto Zometa and Herceptin only.  The chemo has worked well and the lump has reduced considerably and can't be seen by a CT scan.  However, my breast surgeon has recommended a mastectomy and as i asked about the possibility of lumpectomy, he sent me for an ultrasound which showed a very small tumour was still there.  My oncologist doesn't think surgery is necessary though.

With all the information out there, or rather lack of definitive information, it is still really a toss of the coin as to whether to do it not.  I am veering towards doing it, and would like to have a reconstruction at the same time, and i would be really grateful if you would let me know how you came to your decision, how the reconstrution went, what your doctor said etc.

I am going to get a second opinion here in Canberra, because it was the summer hols when i found the lump, no one was around in Canberra so I found a breast surgeon in Sydney, the worst thing is not knowing and waiting.  Like you, I have days when I am very down and weepy, and others when i feel almost normal.  I'm in the fortunate situation of having no pain, and my daughter is 20 in a few months, and I really feel for all the young mothers out there.  But of course, there are still so many things I was looking forward to and to some degree i feel they have been ripped away from me.

I hope you are doing well and hope to hear from you

All the best

Jane