Upcoming Surgery- so nervous
Hi everyone I have been booked in for an urgent full mastectomy of the right breast and clearing of the nodes ( i think that's the right terminology). I am unable to have any reconstruction at thi...
Forum Discussion
Dear @Kelkel89
So sorry your chemo didn’t work as expected, but surgery is important to stop your cancer so you need to think about it in small doses, otherwise it becomes overwhelming. A mastectomy is usually not painful physically but can be emotionally difficult. I was much older than you when I had my mastectomy and axillary clearance, but I imagine I would have been much more affected if I was younger. An important step
is to try thinking forward as much as you can, not back. It’s tempting to wish everything was the way it was and to feel sad or distressed about the current reality but none of us, cancer or no cancer, can go back in time, we are all moving forward. Think about recovery, think about a future. You may also want to think about reconstruction. Not necessarily now, while you are dealing with so many emotions, but there will be plenty of time to do so. I remain mono-boobed - I too am quite large breasted but have preferred to not go through surgery again. I use a fake boob and it works really well for me. Others here can direct you to a special thread on reconstruction - many have done it with successful outcomes. Depending on how many lymph nodes are removed, you may have some discomfort in the armpit and limited movement for a while. Exercise is the answer - you’ll be given special exercises to help restore mobility and success lies in doing them religiously - not hard, and something you can do to speed up recovery. Remember most of all that your body is still a wonderful and amazing thing - a mastectomy isn’t the end of your attractiveness or sexuality - it’s an honourable battle scar. Your body will recover and holding fast to your sense of your strength and flexibility will help you cope emotionally. Take care.
So sorry your chemo didn’t work as expected, but surgery is important to stop your cancer so you need to think about it in small doses, otherwise it becomes overwhelming. A mastectomy is usually not painful physically but can be emotionally difficult. I was much older than you when I had my mastectomy and axillary clearance, but I imagine I would have been much more affected if I was younger. An important step
is to try thinking forward as much as you can, not back. It’s tempting to wish everything was the way it was and to feel sad or distressed about the current reality but none of us, cancer or no cancer, can go back in time, we are all moving forward. Think about recovery, think about a future. You may also want to think about reconstruction. Not necessarily now, while you are dealing with so many emotions, but there will be plenty of time to do so. I remain mono-boobed - I too am quite large breasted but have preferred to not go through surgery again. I use a fake boob and it works really well for me. Others here can direct you to a special thread on reconstruction - many have done it with successful outcomes. Depending on how many lymph nodes are removed, you may have some discomfort in the armpit and limited movement for a while. Exercise is the answer - you’ll be given special exercises to help restore mobility and success lies in doing them religiously - not hard, and something you can do to speed up recovery. Remember most of all that your body is still a wonderful and amazing thing - a mastectomy isn’t the end of your attractiveness or sexuality - it’s an honourable battle scar. Your body will recover and holding fast to your sense of your strength and flexibility will help you cope emotionally. Take care.