Had my pre-op check with a nurse on the plastics team which highlighted a few issues such as my weight, my asthma and the increased risks of surgery due to my hypermobility disorder. I felt quite down but worse, I was told my reconstruction might need to be delayed due to bed shortages in the hospital. It’s been all over the news how Covid, staff sickness and winter viruses have put the hospital under ridiculous pressure. I just had to hope it didn’t affect my surgery. Just in case the breast care nurses gave me information on simple mastectomy performed as a day case. At least there is that advantage - I’d get to sleep in my own bed while.
The day before my mastectomy I received the following official diagnosis:
Left side (treated with WLE and lymph node biopsy): 19mm grade 2 invasive carcinoma NST, ER/PR+ HER2- clear margins. Intermediate grade DCIS, nodes negative (0/3)
Right side (WLE and EB, mastectomy tomorrow): Intermediate DCIS at inked margins. 17mm high grade DCIS with 6mm grade 2 invasive carcinoma NST ER/PR+ HER2- close margins 7mm further. Invasive pleomorphic lobular carcinoma ER/PR+ HER2- on shave
i understand that’s generally this means I have bilateral grade 2 invasive breast cancer that is oestrogen sensitive and negative for HER2 growth factors. The left breast is sorted but for the radiotherapy and tamoxifen, and the right breast needs to be gone ASAP. Just as well surgery is tomorrow as I now have the classic orange peal skin and an inverted nipple!
