Hi, how is everyone doing? Haven't heard from you all in a little while, hope you're all doing OK.

I had my appointment with the surgeon today, which went really well. I will be having a mastectomy and diep flap reconstruction at the same time. All my results have been good from my recent ultrasound and mri. They are pleased with how well the chemo worked and the surgeon could no longer feel the lumps. As the lymph node area responded so well, she no longer needs to do a full clearance. She is going to remove about half a dozen nodes, just up to the muscle, which is good news. Apparently the operation will take about 8 hours and I'll be in hospital for about 5 days. I'm having photos of my boobs taken at the hospital tomorrow, as the plastic surgeon needs them. Next step is an appointment with the plastic surgeon, who works alongside the breast surgeon. She removes the cancer and he does the reconstruction during the same surgery. She said it will be in a few weeks and it's quite likely that I can have my holiday first. Came out feeling really positive.xx

Hi everyone 

sorry for radio silence !! 
have been in hospital past 5 days following my surgery 

I’ve had double mastectomy and the start of reconstruction with enhancers. 
wow.  Long surgery and got to say after 3 surgeries now in last 7 months plus chemo my body feels battered 

Its hard right now as have 4 drains and 2 pumps in until my appointment on 1 st August 

recovery won’t really start until then to be fair 

I’m just so grateful I’m now completely cancer free.  All Breast tissue is removed. 

I start letrazole in 4 weeks and continue with bone infusions every 6 months plus daily Adcal ( vit D and calcium) 

oncologist also prescribed amitryptaline for neuropathy in arms following chemo

My hair is growing at a rate of knots 

I do feel this has been the final hurdle albeit the highest and I hope in the coming weeks I can now start to repair and recover 

 do laugh and say these 20 year olds fake boobs better be worth it   lol 

hope everyone is doing well and your surgery can be soon too Pippin 

xx 

Hi NGS, great to hear that you are now through surgery and cancer free. That truly is amazing and must be such a good feeling. I've been told I will definitely be having a mastectomy and have opted for reconstruction at the same time, using tissue from my stomach. My next step is an appointment with the plastic surgeon, had my photos done for this last Friday. As both surgeons need to be available I was told surgery won't be until at least September. I mentioned we have got a holiday booked for September (which we were going to cancel), and she told me I'll probably be ok to go before the surgery. Will see what schedule plastic surgeon comes up with. I did start to worry a bit about time frames as I know you mentioned you have to have the surgery within 6 weeks of chemo finishing. I was worried the cancer could start growing again while waiting. I spoke to the breast care nurse about my concerns and she told me the phesgo injections would prevent this, so feel a bit happier about it now. Hope you're not in too much discomfort and I wish you a speedy recovery. Please keep in touch and let me know how things go. I have to say I'm quite nervous about the surgery. Xx

Hi @NGS that's great news re your surgery and so glad you're starting to feel better.  I know what you mean regarding hair, mine started to come back really quickly after chemo ended, I even had to have it trimmed last week!  My eyebrows are starting to thicken up, so had those tweezed at the weekend, but you can really see them now.  That's great news that you're no completely cancer free.  Woohoo!!

Hi @Pippin  That's good news you have some idea of dates and that you can go on your holiday in September.  They will quite often work around you unless it's urgent.  

We are all doing amazingly! 

Radiotherapy starts for me today.  Hoping that will go ok.  They've advised me not to wear a bra throughout the duration of treatment whenever possible  to prevent friction and it feels really weird!! 

We are totally smashing this! 

xx

Hi Carol, good luck with your radiotherapy today, hope all goes well. Great that your hair and eyebrows are growing well. My hair has also started to grow, which is great. Xx

Hi everyone!

Glad you all seem to be doing well!

NGS Fab news you are now cancer free...wishing you a super speedy recovery from your double masectomy,that must have been a long op..hope you get the drains removed on the 1st so that you can then concentrate on recovery. Hope the letrozole goes ok too and no horrid side effects to that.

 Pippin24  Fingers crossed you get to go on your holiday before your op. Keep us posted, I"m sorry you're feeling anxious about it... it will all go amazingly and you'll be out the other side in full recovery mode before you know it. Are you having radiotherapy? I'm assuming not if they're doing a masectomy? Once the op is done you'll be able to concentrate on getting back to your new normal and hopefully cracking on with living life to the max! (in between more jabs, pills and appts which i guess is our new normal!!)

Carol1964  Hope your first radiotherapy session went ok. I had my first one too! 1 down 14 to go! It was actually totally fine although lying naked in a freezing room with your boobs out is a little exposing but I have to say i'm pretty used to getting my boobs out these days!!!!!!....as i'm sure we all are! How many sessions have you got carol? Hoping side effects wiill be minimal and that radio will be a walk in the park compared to chemo!

I actually  just got back from Barcelona. We popped over there inbetween end of chemo and start of radio and obviously  i got covid whilst out there!...felt pretty horrendous which was a shame, chemo clearly wasn't enough, my body needed me to have covid too!!!!... but the kids had a fab time and Barcelona is an awesome city...i had my zoladex injection (which shuts my ovaries down) a week before and i thought my symptons were side effects of that so just cracked on with it but actually i think it was just covid which i'm happy about as dont' want to be feeling like that every month that's for sure!! I start my anastrozole on Thursday....slighty worried about side effects but hopefully they will be minimal...

Anyway, lovely to hear from you all, sounds like you're all doing amazingly. NGS  rest up post surgery, hope you're feeling ok mentally and physically and that you have a super speedy recovery.

Take care ladies xx

Hi everyone!

Glad you all seem to be doing well!

NGS Fab news you are now cancer free...wishing you a super speedy recovery from your double masectomy,that must have been a long op..hope you get the drains removed on the 1st so that you can then concentrate on recovery. Hope the letrozole goes ok too and no horrid side effects to that.

 Pippin24  Fingers crossed you get to go on your holiday before your op. Keep us posted, I"m sorry you're feeling anxious about it... it will all go amazingly and you'll be out the other side in full recovery mode before you know it. Are you having radiotherapy? I'm assuming not if they're doing a masectomy? Once the op is done you'll be able to concentrate on getting back to your new normal and hopefully cracking on with living life to the max! (in between more jabs, pills and appts which i guess is our new normal!!)

Carol1964  Hope your first radiotherapy session went ok. I had my first one too! 1 down 14 to go! It was actually totally fine although lying naked in a freezing room with your boobs out is a little exposing but I have to say i'm pretty used to getting my boobs out these days!!!!!!....as i'm sure we all are! How many sessions have you got carol? Hoping side effects wiill be minimal and that radio will be a walk in the park compared to chemo!

I actually  just got back from Barcelona. We popped over there inbetween end of chemo and start of radio and obviously  i got covid whilst out there!...felt pretty horrendous which was a shame, chemo clearly wasn't enough, my body needed me to have covid too!!!!... but the kids had a fab time and Barcelona is an awesome city...i had my zoladex injection (which shuts my ovaries down) a week before and i thought my symptons were side effects of that so just cracked on with it but actually i think it was just covid which i'm happy about as dont' want to be feeling like that every month that's for sure!! I start my anastrozole on Thursday....slighty worried about side effects but hopefully they will be minimal...

Anyway, lovely to hear from you all, sounds like you're all doing amazingly. NGS  rest up post surgery, hope you're feeling ok mentally and physically and that you have a super speedy recovery.

Take care ladies xx

Hi Greeny80, sorry to hear that you got covid while away. I hope you still managed to enjoy your holiday. I had heard that there is a lot of covid about, does make me worry about going away. Really don't need any extra delays with surgery. Not sure about radiotherapy yet, the surgeon said it will depend if there are any active cancer cells found in the tissue that's removed. Next step is to see the plastic surgeon. Having my next phesgo injection tomorrow. Hubby will be doing it as he's training, so I can have them at home. Also have dentist tomorrow, to get the ok to start zoledronic acid. What is the anastrozole treatment for and how long to you have to have it for? Glad to hear your first radiotherapy went well, hopefully you'll sail through it.  Xx

Hi all

First radiotherapy went well, except for the fire alarm going off just as I got into position!  It was so loud my ears felt like they were going to bleed.  No evacuation required as they said because it was intermittent, it was elsewhere in the hospital!!  But the poor radiotherapists had to shout at me through the intercom so I could hear the instructions of when to hold breath and breathe etc.  It could only happen to me lol.  I thought there's no way I'm evacuating with my boobs out and was definitely going to dress first!!  I have 9 sessions in total, so 1 down, 8 to go.  Second one is this afternoon. 

@Greeny80 so sorry to hear you were unwell while you were away.  Doesn't sound like it interfered too much though!  Glad you managed to get away just the same. Good luck with your next radio session.

xx

Hi Carol, good to hear that you 1st radiotherapy went well. Unfortunate that fire alarm was going off, it must have difficult listening to hear the instructions. Especially annoying as it happened on your first session. At least you didn't have to evacuate, that would have been awkward! Good luck with the rest of the treatments. Xx