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Care-ee's avatar
Care-ee
Member
12 years ago

Not What we wanted to hear

Hi all,

It's been a while since I last posted. I started 6 months of chemo on April 30. I am about to have a mastectomy Tuesday Oct 22, 2013. After cycles of FEC and Docetaxel, it appears they didn't do what we expected. Minimal change to the tumour - but it also spread to the liver. Oh dear!

I started the monthly injection of Zoladex last Friday. I am told this will happen for 2 years. After the mastectomy on Tuesday, I start Tamoxifen. This is to be monitored, but my oncologist is already using words/sentences like hysterectomy and liver surgery and I'm thinking whoa...hang on, I'm still getting over chemo and prepping myself for the mastectomy .

Strange as it sounds, I was actually quite blessed during chemo. It wasn;t nearly as harsh as I had anticpated. Up and down times as expected, loss of hair, eyelashes, fingernails and toenails, weight gain, body aches and pains, night sweats and at times some emotional moments. But not brutal.

So I find myself feeling overwhelmed again - just like I was when I was first diagnosed. Is there anything I need to do to prepare myself for surgery and pain management for recovery.

How do we recover from surgery and try to fit in treatment for secondary and then start 6 weeks of radiation therapy for the original tumour? How do we keep it normal?

Kerry x

 

anxiety
chemotherapy
mastectomy
surgery
  • Care-ee's avatar
    Care-ee
    Member
    12 years ago

    Hi 'sillysam',

    Many thanks for your reply. I am doing well, although I developed a chest infection so surgery has been postoned to Nov 12. 

    Thanks also for your suggestion about the advanced cancer group and also your love and support. 

    Sending you love & light also.

    Kerry xx

  • Deb_F's avatar
    Deb_F
    Member
    12 years ago
    I had my mastectomy 1 week ago. It wasn't as bad as I thought. Radiotherapy is a walk in the park after everything else. Just try to breathe (I am) and focus on today. It's hard and it's most definitely a work in practice for me but I'm trying. Let go of what you can't control, I'm working on that to. And may we live long and prosperous lives!