Forum Discussion

Mares's avatar
Mares
Member
11 years ago

Treatment for mastectomy

Met with the oncology team on Thursday. The rest of the year will be taken up with chemo, readiotherapy and hormone treatment. They got all the cancer in the breast area. The treatment is as a result of 2 of the 5 nodes having cancer even though it was contained within them.

I am coming off methotrexate which I have been taking since January when I was diagnosed with autoimmune disease. I will still stay on steroids (20mg). The risk of infection is high for me and I am a little worried.

I am having a bone and chest scan, at my request, on Tuesday to make sure all is clear. Are there any other tests that I need to have to clear the worry of having it in the rest of the body?

I am sad and overwhelmed at the moment. More than I was when I was diagnosed or before the op. Is this a normal feeling to have before treatment?

My 16 year old daughter is not coping with this latest news. Hearing that I had cancer caused her great grief and now the idea of chemo is freaking her out. So she has gone to stay with a friend for a week to get some head space. I am a sole provider so I am hoping this will give her some relief.

Are there things I can do to prepare for this scary part of the journey?

16 Replies

Show More
  • Mares's avatar
    Mares
    Member
    11 years ago

    Hi Sarah, It is so good to hear from you and knowing that you are a sole provider and surviving. I too have taken the year off work and I miss the people so much even if I catch up with them as much as is possible. I am so glad that I have taken the time as I wouldn't be able to keep up with the pace. The only information I have is from this site and I belong to an American FB group who are the same as here. I also have an autoimmune disease which I was diagnosed with in January and which is triggered by cancer. So I have had to come off some of the drugs for that to do chemo and I am on 20mg prednisone...good old steroids hey!!! I am so sorry to hear about your depression and accident back in Oct..it never rains but it pours!!! That would have been terrible to cope with and then cancer. I wish you well with your mastectomy. I must say the op and recovery is not that bad. There is little or no pain after. It's just putting up with the drain and that is not that bad! I am on FECD chemo and I am not sure what hormone drug they are putting me on. I am meeting with the Breast Care Nurse on Wed. I am loosing my hair so I have been told so I am to Big W and the hairdresser. Thanks again for your encouragement. Healing hugs back to youx Mary

  • Mares's avatar
    Mares
    Member
    11 years ago

    Hi Sarah, It is so good to hear from you and knowing that you are a sole provider and surviving. I too have taken the year off work and I miss the people so much even if I catch up with them as much as is possible. I am so glad that I have taken the time as I wouldn't be able to keep up with the pace. The only information I have is from this site and I belong to an American FB group who are the same as here. I also have an autoimmune disease which I was diagnosed with in January and which is triggered by cancer. So I have had to come off some of the drugs for that to do chemo and I am on 20mg prednisone...good old steroids hey!!! I am so sorry to hear about your depression and accident back in Oct..it never rains but it pours!!! That would have been terrible to cope with and then cancer. I wish you well with your mastectomy. I must say the op and recovery is not that bad. There is little or no pain after. It's just putting up with the drain and that is not that bad! I am on FECD chemo and I am not sure what hormone drug they are putting me on. I am meeting with the Breast Care Nurse on Wed. I am loosing my hair so I have been told so I am to Big W and the hairdresser. Thanks again for your encouragement. Healing hugs back to youx Mary

  • kerrilee's avatar
    kerrilee
    Member
    11 years ago
    Get in contact with CanTeen in your state or ask the hospital social worker about your daughter joining CanTeen. I have 6 daughters 19,18,17,13,12 and 10 four of them have joined they hav been on a few camps now and they loved it cause its for kids who hav or had and family that hav or hav had cancer. They get to talk to trained councillors and hav made heaps of new friends who hav dealt with cancer in some way. It gets them away from living with it everyday with me and they can talk about how it affects them without upsetting me. It realy does help them to deal with it. Kerri
  • kerrilee's avatar
    kerrilee
    Member
    11 years ago
    Get in contact with CanTeen in your state or ask the hospital social worker about your daughter joining CanTeen. I have 6 daughters 19,18,17,13,12 and 10 four of them have joined they hav been on a few camps now and they loved it cause its for kids who hav or had and family that hav or hav had cancer. They get to talk to trained councillors and hav made heaps of new friends who hav dealt with cancer in some way. It gets them away from living with it everyday with me and they can talk about how it affects them without upsetting me. It realy does help them to deal with it. Kerri
  • Jo_L_'s avatar
    Jo_L_
    Member
    11 years ago

    Hi Mares canteen offer a great book for 12-24 year olds  http://www.canteen.org.au/cancer-in-my-family/mum-or-dad-has-cancer/ 

    get her to have a look. There is also a book from cancer council about talking to kids.

    http://www.cancervic.org.au/downloads/brochures/CISS_brochures/Talking-Kids-cancer.pdf ;

    She will be worried about you . My kids were 8,10 & 12 when I went through treatment ( 10 years ago) and they helped set rules for the house! I did contact their school and the teachers kept their eyes open. If she needs help you could get a referral through your gp for a mental health plan. Dont be afraid to get her some one of her own to talk to. Even if it is another adult, family friend that she is close too. Good luck with everything. Hugs Jo

     

  • Jo_L_'s avatar
    Jo_L_
    Member
    11 years ago

    Hi Mares canteen offer a great book for 12-24 year olds  http://www.canteen.org.au/cancer-in-my-family/mum-or-dad-has-cancer/ 

    get her to have a look. There is also a book from cancer council about talking to kids.

    http://www.cancervic.org.au/downloads/brochures/CISS_brochures/Talking-Kids-cancer.pdf ;

    She will be worried about you . My kids were 8,10 & 12 when I went through treatment ( 10 years ago) and they helped set rules for the house! I did contact their school and the teachers kept their eyes open. If she needs help you could get a referral through your gp for a mental health plan. Dont be afraid to get her some one of her own to talk to. Even if it is another adult, family friend that she is close too. Good luck with everything. Hugs Jo