Treatment Plan

I'm now 9 days post my mastectomy and feeling better every day. I have been very tired and lethargic but today was the first time I didn't feel the need to take anything for the pain during the day. I even went with my Dad to go and pick two of the kids up from school. I also visited Medicare! I have a box full of invoices and receipts already - why does everyone do it differently?

I saw my surgeon on Tuesday and had my drain removed - boy that was ouchie - seems it was next to my nerve so irritated it when removed. I am still getting very weird sensations in my arm, shoulder blade, armpit area - a sort of hypersensitivity - I jump 10 feet high if lightly touched on my arm or back. My surgeon spent more than an hour going through the pathology report and our next steps - looking at my prognosis based on treatment options etc... So we came out with a plan and a referral to see the Oncologist.

(My pathology results were 2/14 positive nodes, 3 tumors within breast - largest 2.2cm. her2+ve, Hormone receptor -ve, grade3. I also had a 9cm wide area of DCIS. All of the tissue has been removed clearly. So we did the right thing upfront with the mastectomy)

We met my oncologist on Thursday - she was lovely, informative and I felt comfortable with her. I am going to commence chemotherapy on the 29th of March so long as my wounds are fully healed. (I see my surgeon again in a fortnight and also have some fluid injected into my expander at the same time). I am having three rounds of FEC 100, then move onto Taxotere with herceptin (we didn't receive much info about this yet as she didn't want to overload us) and then will continue the herceptin every three weeks for a 12month period.

I will be an inpatient overnight with the first three chemo at least - my oncologist likes to give IV fluids to ensure that the drugs are well flushed. I am happy with this and think it may be easier on the family. We went through the possible side effects but won't know until I experience it what it is like for me. I have friends who have continued to work through chemo so we'll just wait and see what happens.

On the home front things are OK - there is some sort of normality in the abnormality of the moment. My 6yo is struggling the most. She is usually my one that nothing bothers but she is teary and scared. She apparently had a very fragile day at school and is just finding it all a bit hard. Tonight the three kids all fought over who would sit next to me at dinner which ended up in dinner on the floor and broken plates and of course tears... My husband is doing OK - I thought he was fine until we saw the oncologist and he broke down again - he is finding it very hard but being so very supportive and caring. At least tonight he managed a night out at the football. My folks will head home interstate next week when I am up to driving again and then will come back when I start chemo. I am OK with it all but starting to resent the lack of control I have over our life at the moment. I do snap back into form though and say "just focus" on getting this thing beat and it will be better on the other side.

Bed is calling again - I'm not sure about this lethargy - I'm usually such a nightowl. I hope everyone has a lovely long weekend.

13 Replies

TonyaM
Member
15 years ago
Sorry to hear you had cancer but glad you made it onto this site. Fluid build up is kinda normal,either under arm or under chest scar. I had to get drained twice a week for 5 weeks after my mastectomy.It then settled down.

Tonya xx
Christine_Denni
Member
15 years ago
Welcome. This is the best place to vent. Let it all hang out so to speak.

Fluid build up is very normal and it will settle down soon. Your body will start taking it up by itself.

It's good news nothing has spread to your nodes. Do you have a McGrath Breast Care Nurse? If so has she ordered MY journey Kit and free soft form bra? Its so full of information but you can also find the information on this wedbsite if you search through all the menu's.

This is a great place if you have questions or just what to make contact with other members going through the same as you. I hope all goes well with your oncologist tomorrorw. Take someone with you so they can take notes because you probably wont remember a word they say.

Will be thinking of you and try not to worry....my moto is "What will be will be".

HUGS

Chrissy D:) xoxo
Paulene
Member
15 years ago
Hi, Just logged on for 1st time and felt I needed to be part of this network. I was diagnosed with DCIS on 24 Feb and had surgery on 8 March (3 wks ago) . I had a mastectomy and 2 lymph nodes removed. So far everything clear in lymph nodes but one carcinoma had escaped in breast and was high grade! Am healing quite well but having a lot of trouble with fluid build up around underarm area, having it drained once a week. Is this normal?

Off to Oncologist tomorrow to see what happens next. It is all a bit surreal, like everyone else all happens so quickly and can't believe it. But I have been positive all through it and will get there. Have great support with family and friends which I am so grateful for. Really just needed to be able to say all this. Thanks.

Paulene
Paulene
Member
15 years ago
Hi, Just logged on for 1st time and felt I needed to be part of this network. I was diagnosed with DCIS on 24 Feb and had surgery on 8 March (3 wks ago) . I had a mastectomy and 2 lymph nodes removed. So far everything clear in lymph nodes but one carcinoma had escaped in breast and was high grade! Am healing quite well but having a lot of trouble with fluid build up around underarm area, having it drained once a week. Is this normal?

Off to Oncologist tomorrow to see what happens next. It is all a bit surreal, like everyone else all happens so quickly and can't believe it. But I have been positive all through it and will get there. Have great support with family and friends which I am so grateful for. Really just needed to be able to say all this. Thanks.

Paulene
Christine_Denni
Member
15 years ago
Hi Amanda,

I am on the same treatment as you. 3 x FEC, 3 x Doc + Herceptin (12 months) + tamoxifen (5 years). I am just about to have my second last chemo (docetaxel+ Herceptin). I cant wait to finish the chemo and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have been going back to work for 6 days (4hrs) in between chemo. The first 10 days i do nothing but rest and sleep. on the 11th day I start to feel like a human again and by the 12th I am ready to face the world again and return to work for a few hours before the next chemo. All my kids have left home and in the big world. I dont know how i would cope with children still at home. My hubby still has his crying moments and I can see the pain of not knowing how to help me in his eyes. But we are holding up and both looking forward to no more chemo.

I had a right mastectomy on 29th October 2010. I had two tumors measuring more than 5cm in total. Stage 2 HER2+, HOrmone receptive ER+PR+. 2 in 17 nodes positive. I also had a portacath put in as they told me each time the use a vein in your arm the chemo kills that vein and they will have trouble accessing veins in the future after all the chemo. So decided on a Portacath. But its up to you, some people have a PICC line put in.

Make sure you listen to you body and rest when it says too. Also cry when you want too. You are going through a greiving process and it does help to release those tears. You have a right to cry.

Take care and stay in touch we all like to keep an eye on newbies and make sure they are ok. Add me as a contact if you like.

Chrissy D :) x0x0x
Tanya
Member
15 years ago
Hi Mandymoo

Glad you have a plan, chemo sux but it is doable. Juggling kids and chemo is not fun, but again doable. I tried to still do most things during chemo to keep some normality. I took the kids to school, did the shopping, went out for dinner and had birthday parties for the kids. Mine were 2 and 4 and probably were too young to digest what was happening, other than the medicine to get rid of the cancer was gonna make mum sick and tired, but it was gonna be all good when finished. I was pretty crap for the first week, but then the next two weeks were fine, just tired and needed a nanna nap. I am 3 and a bit years out and have only gone back to work full time this year when my youngest started school and I still need a nap on weekends to keep recharged.

I have to say that whilst it is a scary and strange journey at the beginning, life after cancer can still be great. It is hard on our loved ones, especially husbands cause there is not a god damn thing they can do to ease our pain (not only the physical but the emotional pain too).

Enjoy your freedom before chemo and rest up.

Take care,

Tanya xx
Loretta_d
Member
15 years ago
Hi Amanda, Good to hear that you are feeling better & now have a treatment plan. I am on a similar plan, 3 x FEC followed by 3 x docetaxel but no herceptin. I start my chemo on the 17th March. So we will kinda be chemo buddies. I can so relate to your thoughts on all of this, I too hate the lack of control! It must be harder for you having young children, my 2 sons are in there 20's & only one still lives at home. He doesn't really say to much about it but that is just the way he is.

Hope you continue to feel better & keep up that resting.

Loretta xx
Loretta_d
Member
15 years ago
Hi Amanda, Good to hear that you are feeling better & now have a treatment plan. I am on a similar plan, 3 x FEC followed by 3 x docetaxel but no herceptin. I start my chemo on the 17th March. So we will kinda be chemo buddies. I can so relate to your thoughts on all of this, I too hate the lack of control! It must be harder for you having young children, my 2 sons are in there 20's & only one still lives at home. He doesn't really say to much about it but that is just the way he is.

Hope you continue to feel better & keep up that resting.

Loretta xx
Loretta_d
Member
15 years ago
Hi Amanda, Good to hear that you are feeling better & now have a treatment plan. I am on a similar plan, 3 x FEC followed by 3 x docetaxel but no herceptin. I start my chemo on the 17th March. So we will kinda be chemo buddies. I can so relate to your thoughts on all of this, I too hate the lack of control! It must be harder for you having young children, my 2 sons are in there 20's & only one still lives at home. He doesn't really say to much about it but that is just the way he is.

Hope you continue to feel better & keep up that resting.

Loretta xx
TonyaM
Member
15 years ago
Hi Amanda,

You've stepped into the cancer world which is like some weird parallel universe.So if you have early breast cancer(and nowhere else)then you are in the lucky group -luckier still if no node involvement.Nowhere in the real world would anyone link cancer and luck together.Right now you are in fighter mode and maybe putting on a brave front for kids and elderly parents so as not to alarm them too much.That's what I did anyway and my poor husband saw the scared me.At some point you will crack and have a meltdown and maybe when you least expect it.Mine came just after I signed the chemo consent form.I burst into tears and couldn't stop and told my husband to get me to the car quickly.It's a big load on your husband but then we'd do the same for them. Your strange surgery sensations will eventually settle but you will always be numb under the armpit. Your arm might ache from time to time but hopefully improve over time. I try to remember to do lymph massage each day-that helps.

When my hair fell out I ordered good head stuff from www.headcover.org. I bought an expensive wig but hardly wore it cos it was hot and irritated my scalp.I also felt fake in it.I mostly wore caps and cotton bandanas.But you'll work it out as you go along.

Tonya xx