Morning love,

Thanks for replying. Hey i totally get what youre saying. However we are early stages and this can all be cleared up and put behind us. Positive energy is a powerful thing. Im having a total massectomy . I could have a lumpectomy but i want it out asap..i dont want to have to worry about margins and wotnot. We will probably hear this week about op appointment. Sooner the better.See where we go with lymph biopsy etc. 

Fear and negative thought change absolutely nothing. They dont change facts and they dont change outcomes. Fear fills your body with stress hormones and they do harm. Your husband is right. 

IM here whenever you need to talk

xxxx

Hi

I think I will have to have chemo, the consultant mentioned it as a possibility after surgery, but from what I've read if you are triple positive you do need chemo. Then if you are HER2 positive you need herceptin afterwards I think. 
 

I hope you day is going ok! 
 

xx

Hi 

Well, just spoke to the hospital and I am going in for my lumpectomy and sentinal node biopsy on Thursday.

In the current covid19 climate I feel very fortunate that I can have the surgery in a hospital 30 mins from home so quickly.

Still no HER2 results, these are due back this afternoon and I think I am more nervous of these than anything!

Hope you are all OK

xx

That's so good you are going in so quickly abd because it's this week, it doesn't give you long to think about it and start dwelling over it! 
Good luck getting the results back this afternoon, if it is HER+, remember they can treat this with herceptin. 
 

Easier said than done but try not to worry!

Take care xx

Hi

Just wondering how you are all doing?

I had my surgery on Thursday and it was absolutely fine, nothing to worry about at all :)

I went into hospital at 10.30am and had my radio active tracer injected at 11.30am, in theatre at 3pm out by 4.30 and awake and back on the ward at 5.30pm.

Home at 8pm, I felt a bit tired and woosy for a day ( but i think that was the co codamol which I stopped taking on Friday and switched to paracetamol) the pain is very minor and I am healing well.

Now need to wait until next week for the pathology results of the lump and the nodes - fingers crossed it all comes out as clear margins with clear lymph nodes too!

I am trying not to worry too much about it but it is tricky.

I have now convinced myself over the weekend that despite all inferences from the hospital being postive so far and that no lynph node involvement is suspected I am far too unlucky for it not to have spread and the sore lower back I have had for about 5 years is infact the cancer spreading.

This is probably not helped by the fact that I had to have my Mirena coil removed during surgery ( sorri if TMI!) so that is making me feel a bit grotty too ( I had forgotten what real periods were like!)

My husband keeps trying to tell me I'm being daft but it is hard not to let your imagination run away with you.

Hope you are doing OK

xx

Hi 

I'm glad the surgery went well, I was wondering how you were getting on! 

I think the anxiety is the worst bit in many ways and your mind goes into overdrive- the amount of times I have sat on my sofa these past few weeks and self diagnosed myself and like you convinced it has spread. Someone said to me hold on to the positives that the consultants are telling you, which is true,  but sometimes it's easier said than done. It's horrible waiting (I'm dreading that part more then the surgery) but hopefully you have things to keep yourself busy in the meantime! Did you find out if it was HER positive?

Take care and keep in touch xx
 

Hi

It's so true about self diagnosis ( probably fuelled by clicking on threads on here that I shouldn't!) , rather than take the calm and positive words of the consultants and nurses I am letting my mind go into overdrive.

My next MDT will be 28th or 29th April when the pathology should be in, seems like an age away.

Still no HER2 results, I of course am taking that as bad but my nurse assures me it sometimes takes a bit longer particularly at the moment.

However, if it is HER2 positive I have now reconciled myself to the fact that it isn't the end of the world and perhaps it will be reassuring to actually have chemo and annihilate any nasties that might be floating around unnoticed!

I'll just have to see what happens :)

xx

Hi

How are you? I hope you are making a good recovery and time is going quickly for you!  Xx

Hi

i am diagnosed with invasive duct carcinoma grade 2 and the tumour is 8mm.  My specialist has put me on letrozole as my receptors are ER+ PR+ and HER2 awaited.  He says as the tumour is of a non aggressive variety it will be treated with letrozole while covid.19  is going on and they will review in 3 months time when they will do surgery lumpectomy.   How can he say that the tumour is non aggressive variety if the HER2 result is still awaited.

Hi Jojo 

i hope you're doing ok after your surgery.

I had my biopsy results back this week and I have a 15mm grade 2 invasive cancer in the lower/inner quadrant.

Theyre asking me to consider;

- a lumpectomy; I am told in uncertain terms I will be butchered because of where the tumour is, it's in the most awkward place esthetics-wise

- a lumpectomy therapeutic mammoplasty (removal of rumour/breast reduction) where they try to reshape the breast into a smaller breast during the op. It will be next to nothing in volume as I have small breasts to start with.

- a mastectomy (which they say I don't need)

My understanding is lumpectomy automatically means radiotherapy. My surgeon tells me there is no way I can have an implant after radiotherapy, but I'm waiting for a second opinion as I've read different things (including NICE guidelines).

It seems to me that I will be disfigured without a reconstruction (implant or flap) because, tough luck, I'm slim, with small breasts and the tumour is in the wrong place.

so it seems my only chance of a reconstruction is to demand a node biopsy before I can decide on the type of op I want. As if I am lucky and I'm node negative and there's no nasty surprise during surgery, I will not need radiotherapy after mastectomy and therefore may be able to have an implant.

its a lot of ifs but I don't want to discard my only chance.

i am so lost as the surgeon wasn't very honest in that he told me they only node biopsy at the same time as the surgery, therefore I have to make a decision without having the info that I need.

ive since found out they would, pre covid, do things in this way- node biopsy first, then surgery as a separate op (then more nodes if required). I'm angry as I asked him specifically if things would be different under covid and he said no, and this way would be my only chance to end up with something that vaguely looks like a boob

im waiting to hear back from him regarding a node biopsy first. It's against the new covid guidelines so I have a fight on my hands.

ive also spoken to my GP for a referral to another trust, and also to investigate private and overseas treatment.