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twhi8749's avatar
twhi8749
Member
11 years ago

Visit to my local GP

5th January 2015

Well here I am, a week today I shall be under the knife - well having a lumpectomy (or is a wide incision?) to remove a cancerous growth from my breast. So how am I feeling - in one word "fantastic", fit and ready to face my coming procedure.

 

Saw my doctor yesterday for my bi-annual pap smear. As soon as I walked into her room she said "you look well". (Thanks no doubt to my Floridian suntan and the 5 x 600 ml bottles of water daily) She was pleased as I had gained two kilos in the last 3 weeks. I knew I had gained weight as my bra cup has increased to a 34D. Great for my forthcoming operation to have that extra cup size so that more breast tissue can be removed if I need a further operation (if the margins of the first operation are not clear of those nasty cells).

 

I have eaten above and below maintenance ranging from 1300 calories a day to around 2,000. My diet has hardly changed. An extra piece of fruit, an extra cup of low fat milk, an avocado, extra olive oil, a few more slices of full cream cheese, a slightly larger portion of meat and a glass of red wine - it had the desired affect - slightly larger breasts (they were last thing to shrink when I lost all my weight with Venus and the first to increase). I don't doubt I have gained weight around my middle though I am still wearing a size 8/10 although I notice that my clothing is slightly tighter. (I've decided not to measure myself until the end of my radiotherapy and this is all over).

 

It was certainly hard to allow myself to gain those extra two kilos (4 kilos over all since my Floridian holiday) especially since I desperately wanted to lose the 2 kilos I had gained but I saw sense in what everyone was telling me "do not lose any weight, stay as you are".  Also, I know that slightly larger breasts mean that if I need a second operation to take more tissue for clear margins then my breast will be large enough without hopefully ruining the look.

 

My doctor was also concerned that if I lost weight during 8 weeks of radiotherapy (which some people do), because I was slender (ha, ha is that really how I look now!), my body would suffer. (Apparently, radiotherapy can suppress the appetite, make one sick and affect the bones).  She did not want me to end up looking like a stick.  Yep, I know where she is comin from.  Its always better to be prepared for the unexpected 

 

Strangely, I do not look as if I have gained 8 lbs 8 oz. I still looked toned, thanks to the my exercise routine. This week it will be four days of circuits, 2 days of cardio (walking at incline) and one day of rest. Sunday, Monday will be circuits and on the day of my procedure, I plan to wake early and have a fast walk on the treadmill before heading off to the Women's Imaging in Hobart to have the hook wire insert at 8.30 am (for the surgeon's benefit in finding/removing the cancer cells) and then over to the hospital for my day procedure, hopefully at 11.30 am. I should be home late afternoon.

 

Three days of recuperation with perhaps some a slow walk or two along the beach with the dogs and then next Friday I will lift very, very light weights to see how I go and will attempt a circuit or two. Because I am fit, my breast nurse thinks that I will be back into working out and hiking easily within the week.

 

Everyone says I will do well because I am so positive and I am fit and not overweight (even with the additional 4 kilos). I really am lucky that I lost 25+ kilos last year and that I have continued on with the diet (maintaining) and working out.

 

I have so much to be grateful for my supportive husband, family and friends and of course Venus and its community of wonderful supportive ladies who are on and following this journey with me.  We all lost weight together now they are supporting me through this challenge in my life.

 

Just have to keep my positivity and good vibes going.  

2 Replies

  • JessicaV's avatar
    JessicaV
    Member
    11 years ago

    Welcome to the group. Good on you for starting to plan already to get/keep fit  after surgery etc. Be ready though for things to change though, because one thing you can count on in the cancer treatment is that just when you think you know what is coming next, it changes.It really is a roller coaster ride.

    So don't take it to heart if that happens or get frustrated or upset, just remember leave a little room for flexibility for plans to change, and to be ready for it. You may for instance find yourself fatigued during radiotherapy. Even so, if you push yourself you should be able to walk at least, and get a good halfhour to an hour each day.

    And on the other hand, don't underestimate how much even a small lumpectomy hurts when you stretch the tissue around it-  after a small, wide-excision biopsy my very fit daughter Miriam was walking with me an hour a day for about 3 weeks before she was able to do much exercise of any sort that stretched the wound/scar site.

    I gather they have explained to you that with a lumpectomy you will also need radiotherapy and you have prepared for that.. Have they also decided to remove your sentinel lymph node, with a plan to remove several or even all the lymph nodes in your armpit if it has cancer in it?

    Have you had a core or wide-excision biopsy yet to identify what Grade (ie how aggressive and fast growing  the tumor is, and if it is Estrogen Receptive Positive or Neg, or Progesterone Receptor Positive or Neg, and/or HER2+ Receptor Positive or Neg?

    (Many people don't have those sorts of biopsy, so don't  know this info at the pre-surgery stage.I had Fine Needle Aspiration biopsy that got enough cells to say it was malignant, but nothing more).

    So be prepared for the fact that the surgeon and oncologist etc probably won't have enough information until after surgery and after the pathologist has stained and studied the tumor  for a couple of weeks before they will know whether or not you will also  need:

    a) two to four months of chemotherapy and/or

    b)a year of targetted therapy and/or

    c)five years or more of hormone therapy. 

    d) more surgery

     The tumor tissue and sentinel and other node tissue will give them these answers

    At the moment you have to live with possibilities and probabilities, be learning an enormous amount of new information, and at the same time try to live with a rather scary life-threatening reality.

    You are doing well!

    best wishes

    Jessica

     

  • JessicaV's avatar
    JessicaV
    Member
    11 years ago

    Welcome to the group. Good on you for starting to plan already to get/keep fit  after surgery etc. Be ready though for things to change though, because one thing you can count on in the cancer treatment is that just when you think you know what is coming next, it changes.It really is a roller coaster ride.

    So don't take it to heart if that happens or get frustrated or upset, just remember leave a little room for flexibility for plans to change, and to be ready for it. You may for instance find yourself fatigued during radiotherapy. Even so, if you push yourself you should be able to walk at least, and get a good halfhour to an hour each day.

    And on the other hand, don't underestimate how much even a small lumpectomy hurts when you stretch the tissue around it-  after a small, wide-excision biopsy my very fit daughter Miriam was walking with me an hour a day for about 3 weeks before she was able to do much exercise of any sort that stretched the wound/scar site.

    I gather they have explained to you that with a lumpectomy you will also need radiotherapy and you have prepared for that.. Have they also decided to remove your sentinel lymph node, with a plan to remove several or even all the lymph nodes in your armpit if it has cancer in it?

    Have you had a core or wide-excision biopsy yet to identify what Grade (ie how aggressive and fast growing  the tumor is, and if it is Estrogen Receptive Positive or Neg, or Progesterone Receptor Positive or Neg, and/or HER2+ Receptor Positive or Neg?

    (Many people don't have those sorts of biopsy, so don't  know this info at the pre-surgery stage.I had Fine Needle Aspiration biopsy that got enough cells to say it was malignant, but nothing more).

    So be prepared for the fact that the surgeon and oncologist etc probably won't have enough information until after surgery and after the pathologist has stained and studied the tumor  for a couple of weeks before they will know whether or not you will also  need:

    a) two to four months of chemotherapy and/or

    b)a year of targetted therapy and/or

    c)five years or more of hormone therapy. 

    d) more surgery

     The tumor tissue and sentinel and other node tissue will give them these answers

    At the moment you have to live with possibilities and probabilities, be learning an enormous amount of new information, and at the same time try to live with a rather scary life-threatening reality.

    You are doing well!

    best wishes

    Jessica