Hi Diana and welcome to Cancer Chat.

Hopefully some of our members who only had only one incision during their SLNBs will be along soon to share their experience and advice but if you'd like to discuss this futher with one of our cancer nurses, they're just a phone call away on 0808 800 4040, Monday - Friday between 9a.m - 5p.m.

You may also be able to find others who have had this done on the Breast Cancer Now forum.

Kind regards,

Steph, Cancer Chat Moderator

Hello Diana,

I've had one small surgery to remove a cyst right at the edge of the breast where it meets the axilla. It turned out to be grade 2 invasive BC, so I had a second surgery on the 29th of September to remove the margins and a few sentinel lymph nodes - this was all done with one incision and using part of the first incision. I'm doing quite well after 5 weeks and went swimming a couple of times for the first time this week. Next step for me is radiotherapy.

All the best, 

Cx

That's really interesting and helps answer my question .

I'm so glad you're doing ok. I honestly didn't find the radiotherapy bad at all. ... only it was quite annoying to have to drive to the hospital every day for 3 weeks.  I didn't have any skin reaction or tiredness ...I did keep eating lots of veg, did exercise everyday which really helps apparently ...also drink lots of water. Good luck.

Diana 

Hi Diana

It's good you found my experience useful:) Thanks for sharing your RT tips! I'm a bit worried about it as I'll have it in  3 areas - left breast, axilla and collarbone... Just curious and a bit confused, did you have RT and now you will have the SLNB? I thought it would be surgery first then RT.

Cris x

Hi Chris

I had chemotherapy, complete response to the treatment luckily, then surgery which went disastrously wrong, then radiotherapy.

After my Surgery I I had a a gigantic seroma which had 400 ml of fluid drained from it every 3 days( which for my tiny surgery is completely unheard of) then it turned into a haematoma then  a capsule formed around it, then I had a life-threatening infection  in the surgical site. Then I had have a 7cm cavity removed containing blood infection necrosis and a capsole  leaving me deformed, horribly scarred with lymphedema in my breast and and potentially my arm caused by all the damage. . 

I'm trying to figure out why it happened !

Nobody at my hospital has seen a single incision made to get to the lymph nodes and humour. So we are unusual cases

I think with radiotherapy going in with a positive attitude is the best way. I had whole breast radiotherapy and armpit. And I really didn't have any side effects that i could notice apart from a sore throat for a week.

I thought that exercise particularly was the key to keeping well... when I arrived at radiotherapy I used to walk around the block a few times to get my blood going round after I've set on the car in order to drive there. I read about diet and blood flow being protective when you're going through radiotherapy or chemo and use this knowledge all the way through my treatment.

Good luck

Hi Diana,

What a horrendous experience!  I really do hope that you will find a solution for your surgery related issues, including lymphoedema!!!  Are you getting support for this, both physical and emotional? I hope you are. It's too hard to do it on our own. I've tried to talk to as many people as possible and have recently joined local group of ladies through someone I know. It's already been helpful. I also have a few friends who have had BC and they've been very supportive. Never be afraid to talk to people - at least that's what works for me. It helps me process my thoughts, but I know some people would prefer to keep things private.  It's just took me a while to join a BC chat. Breast cancer now have also been very helpful and they did put me in touch with someone through their service "Someone like me" - you might know this.

Thank you for the tips for RT! I'll make sure I' will keep moving and follow a really good diet:) especially now. I'll be very fit for Christmas :):):)

Sending you a virtual healing hug,

Crisx

Hi

I had one excision for my lumpectomy and SLNB, it healed quite well, but I had to have a second surgery for the margins. They went in the same way. 

My cancer was on quite high up between the nipple and the armpit, not sure if thats why they only needed to do one. 

As a result of the second surgey I now have what looks like a square breast.

HTH

MrsHill

Which hospital Trust are you with?

I'm not sure I'm allowed to share that information. 

I'm in Hertfordshire. 

Cris x

Unless you signed the official boobs secrecy  you can probably tell whoever you like where you got your treatment. I'm so sure they'll appreciate you spreading the good word about them, especially as you seem to be fairly happy with the treatment you received.

I had my treatment with xxxx, and my surgeon was called xxxx For me everything went on the whole pretty smoothly until the surgery. The nurses in chemotherapy I was particularly amazed by us a lot of them are so young and dealing with often terminal patients I felt that I would be incredibly proud of any one of them was my daughter. In fact I'd say throughout my treatment there have been many silverlinings,  perhaps surprisingly despite everything there may have been for me more positives than negatives