Treatment options for recurrence

Hi Bep,

I am so sorry to hear that after all your pain and efforts to achieve a good result that things are not good.  Is there any further treatment that you can have to help you? It is such a cruel thing to have gone through cancer and it's treatment and then not have things work out well. 

I read so many stories that appear to have good outcomes and also at times women who seem to have so many options open to them but I wonder how many we don't hear about. The options I have to choose from are quite limited compared to some.  I also am hesitant to try for some treatments as it seems that I have had so many complications that others don't appear to have had.  I try to be very positive but I also think I have to look at my track record and perhaps just accept that if I have the mastectomy I have to be prepared to accept that in my case having no reconstruction may in the long run be the best outcome I can achieve.

If I go that way, both of the plastic surgeons I have seen have recommended that I have a reduction on the right side - to help me manage better and be more comfortable physically.  My breast surgeon told me last week that a lot of women don't want to touch the other breast if they have a mastectomy as it can mean loss of sensation in the breast that has reduction.  Neither of the PSs said anything about that even though they told me that the reconstructed breast would not have feeling so I don't know if it is always the outcome.  Also I know someone who had reduction years ago and she said she had no loss of feeling.  And then - does it really matter - if I am more physical comfortable.

Anyway, I have the oncologist appointment on Wednesday and I am interested to hear what she has to say about things and what her opinion on the new little extra complication of the seroma is.

Thanks for sharing Bep and I hope with a little bit more times some things might improve for you.  Good thoughts going your way.  Cheers, Pauline xxx