Forum Discussion

Sue_Townsend's avatar
Sue_Townsend
Member
13 years ago

Sue

I am only new to this, so please bear with me.  I was first diagnosed with grade 3 breast cancer in February 2012.  I had a 2cm tumor, for which I underwent a lumpectomy.  It all started on the day of my operation when I was sent off for the usual imaging etc of the area and a hook wire insertion.  And thats where it all went wrong!  The radioligist said it would be like having the biopsy and should be over in about 20 minutes.  After 2 1/2 hours of excruciating pain, 9 lots of needles, and telling him I couldn't breathe, he managed to puncture my lung (to which I was oblivious)  I knew something was wrong, but just thought it was the pain from the hook wire.  He covered it up on his report and I underwent the lumpectomy with a punctured lung!  I woke to not being able to breathe etc, and a surgeon who was so worried about me and sent me straight to another hospital that had an intensive care unit.  I was transfered by ambulance.  From there it just got worse.  It went from bad enough, having just found out I had breast cancer and having the tumor removed, to now in another hospital with a tube in my chest to reinflate my lung.  That didn't work after 3 days, so then I had lung surgery.  If I thought everything else I had was painful, then this was out of this world as far as pain goes!   Not to mention what it put all my family and husband through.  I was out of hospital after 8 days and very uncomfortable for quite a while at home.  But while I was in hospital, the pathology came back on my breast cancer to say that there was a futher 5.5 cm of tumor in the milk duct and I would need a mastectomy.  So after all this, it has meant that my treatment has been back to front.  They couldn't do a major surgery after everything that had happened, so went on to have my chemo for the next 6 months.  Half way through my weekly treatments I started to have bone and joint pain.  And it has continued.  I don't think it is getting any better.  I had my mastectomy 9 weeks ago and also a reconstruction.  Which I am only half way through, because I wanted to have the tram flap version, but it was just too risky for me, yet again. (problem patient, I now am).  So my problem is I am trying to lose weight, I gained about 13 kgs.  I am on Arimidex and my joint pain etc is just not going away.  I am at my wits end.  I am trying to excercise, which I do 1km, 1/2 an hour it takes me, but it is not making any impact on my pain, my weight or anything that it should.  It is a real effort to do that much.  Do others have these same effects from the drugs and is it worth being on these drugs.  I have just been so emotional and hard to get along with, I think everyone will bail on me soon!  It is just not what I am like, nor do I want to be this way.  I feel if I could just lose some weight I might feel lighter, therfore easier on my joints and easier to get around.  I have been going to weight watchers, tracking everything, and I am the only one there with a consistent weight gain every week, haha.  When will it all get better.  I just want to be normal again.  Just wondering if other ladies have felt the same way, as I feel like I'm fast turning into a whinger.  Which I don't want to happen.  It impacts on everyone around me.

11 Replies

Sort By
Show More
  • Sue_Townsend's avatar
    Sue_Townsend
    Member
    13 years ago

    Thank you so much Tonya, I needed to hear that.  You just get so caught up in it all and its a long time of drs appointments, tests, operations etc that now that the actual treatment is finished, its not that I miss it, but I sort of feel like I don't know what I'm supposed to feel and feel at a loss, because I don't feel the same way I used to.  Everyone asks everyday, how are you feeling today and I just want to scream.  I know they only want me to get better, but I have to live it and I want it all to get better too.  So I do just try to keep everything to myself so as not to be a burden on my family.  I have the best husband, but he also just likes fo fix things, where I want to just have a winge, lol.  He has been so supportive though, and couldn't have done it without him.  The dr said I am limited with which tablets to take, because during my treatment, I developed blood clots.  Just another in my comedy of treatment.  So some of the different medications can have that affect.  But it has put me thru early menopause and have really bad hot flushes etc, and emotional.  I have never ever been this emotional!  I want to shut me up, let alone those around me.  I just wonder what the statistics are if you don't take these medications.  I want to ask the dr next time if it makes a recurrence of breast cancer alot more acute.  I will give the Arimidex another 3 months to see if I could get better.  I can't believe you had breast cancer twice.  You poor thing, to endure all this twice.  I can only imagine.  You sound like you are very positive though, and I think thats what does get us thru this awful disease.  In all honesty, I really try not to complain to anyone, this is my first time, as I don't want people around me to feel sorry for me.  I want to have a positive outlook, and other peoples sympathy can sometimes hinder that.  But thats human nature.  We all want whats best for others.

    As for the radioligist, I am taking legal action against him.  It should wind up fairly soon.  He was negligent in all his dealings with me.  He even rang me while recovering from the lung operation in hospital and then again a month after discharge.  And he has never said sorry for it, just blamed everyone else, even me for it happening.  So thats when I made the decision to sue him.  If he had only said sorry, I wouldn't have gone down that path, as it has been time consuming and and extra burden at this time.  But you at least had success after your botched operation.  How negligent.  You deserve to be compensated for it.  They need to be held accountable for what they do.  I could have been none the wiser.  Just never woken up from my op.  I'm lucky!

    Im pleased you also told me it took you 2 years to feel healthy and confident again.  There is hope for me yet.  We do get impatient though.  Thats mothers I think.  We are the ones that does everything for everyone else, so why aren't I better!  I guess I just have to take time.  Thank you again for your support and kind words Tonya.  Sue xx

  • TonyaM's avatar
    TonyaM
    Member
    13 years ago

    Welcome to this network where you can vent and not be judged.You have had a terrible time of it (more than you bargained for) and you need to debrief and time to get over it.Don't blame yourself about the weight because I've known the thinnest people complain about joint pain on Arimadex.Is it possible to try another med?I'm on Tamoxifen and that's not too bad apart from hot flushes. I read somewhere that when your eostrogen drops right down it causes an enzyme (can't remember it's name) that makes you accummulate fat,increase. No wonder it's hard to lose weight.It's also hard to exercise when you have joint pains and hot flushes.Just do what you can do.

    I've had 2 bouts of breast cancer(7 yearsapart in the same breast) and inbetween them I broke my ankle. I had a specialist operate on me who put the wrong screw in and I had 5 months of agony and on crutches.When he realized his mistake he quickly put me in for more surgery(no apology) to remove the plate and screws.Well he stuffed up again and left a screw floating in a muscle.I endured another 9mths of pain and hobbling about until a ct scan showed the problem.Needless to say,I didn't go back to him and I successfully won my claim of medical negligence.It wasn't much but I sent him a clear message and got some closure on 18mths of suffering. At the very least,you deserve an apology from that radiologist.

    With each bout of bc it took me about 2 years to feel confident in my health again and feel somewhat normal(that's if you ever do).It's only been a year for you and you went through alot -be patient,be kind to yourself.Would water exercise be better on your joints?Have a holiday from wwatchers if you are cringing about getting on their scales.I'm sure you are loved for who you are.We are too hard on ourselves.I'm just gradually chipping away at the extra 6 klios I put on -mostly through diet but am not fanatical.

    Blog back here again for support or to vent - we all understand.

                                               Tonya xx