My Warrant of Fitness Check

Saw my breast cancer surgeon today for my 6 months-post-surgery checkup: 6 months gone already;-doesn't time fly?

I was relieved to learn that the pudginess around my scar is nothing to worry about, it's (blush) just fat, some of the 6kg I put on during chemo. When I get down to 62kg, it should be gone.

I was a bit concerned about the two internal mammary lymph nodes behind ribs near my sternum. Lymph fluid flows from near the tumour and into a network of lymph nodes, which can also become cancerous. Once surgeons used to cut out all the nodes under the armpit, and also often round the collar bone and near the sternum, to check for cancer in them. This often caused lymphoma in the arm, a relative calls hers her "elephant arm" which stops chemo getting properly into the area, and limits mobility and causes pain and is often permanent. Now they generally figure which one or two are first in the system and check them, and only take more if those first ones, the Sentinel Nodes, are visibly cancerous. Generally these are in the axilla, i.e. under the armpit. When the dye went in to identify my sentinel node, the flow began to move slowly toward my sternum first. Then it swung abound and surged off into my armpit, and the technican marked the spot and the sentinel node was cancer free, which was really good news. I mentioned the flow issue to the surgeon, who told me afterwards he'd checked the internal ones out and they were fine. 

Today I asked him exactly what he'd done and what he'd found. He said he had used his radioactive probe, put it close to the two internal nodes and did not get a reading from either,while the identified Sentinel node was hot and full of blue dye so he was confident there was no problem with the internal ones. 

I was also mildly worried because I have learnt that Fine Needle Bioplies, and Core Needle Biepsies leave a trail of cancer cells behind them up the needle track. These usually die, but in a very very small percentage of cases, they actually find a good nest to grow in and seed a local recurrence of the cancer. I wanted to know if the needle track had been removed during the surgery. It most definitely had. So two minor worries were laid to rest. And he did a thorough check to make sure there were no new lumps or thickenings where there didn't ought to be.

He told me I am doing well, have a good attitude and to return for an ultrasound and mammogram in 6 months time.

Phew!! What a relief!