Hello ladies
I have just finished my radiotherapy after having a lumpectomy and node removal in June, and I was just wondering how long my breast will feel hard / lumpy it seems to be getting more hard as time goes by ?
Hope everyone is having a good day today x
Hi Denise, I had a hardness after my lumpectomy - they did a biopsy just to rule out a recurrence and it came back it was fatty necrosis which I believe is scar tissue. I was told to massage the hard area and it is eventually softening. Hope this helps - please, please don't go away and worry about a recurrence as I'm sure you are still having lots of poking and prodding by your dr's.
Hi Ella
I am not being seen by anyone until November now but I think they took such a large chunk out of me it is still trying to repair itself as it is still tender in places, but I will bear in mind your comments, thanks for replying .
Hi Sandy sorry its taken me so long to reply, I personally found rads to be easy , slight sunburn and uncomfortable under my boob from where my bra rubbed but apart from that I am good. I do get tired easily but I am back at work on a phased return and that is working out fine. Still feel weepy tho but I have been assured that is normal. Have you started your rads yet ?
Let me know how you get on please its good to chat with someone who is going through the same thing x
Hi Denise Can I ask you if you feel like me as we both had lumpectomy SNB and radiotherapy but no chemotherapy. I felt very lucky at the time of diagnosis but am going back to work on Monday and feel should I have asked more questions as to why I did not have chemotherapy strangely it is now worrying me. I take Armidex because I got really ill on Tamoxifen but I do get very frightened it will reoccur somewhere especially as I had no chemotherapy. Denise x
I haven't started radiotherapy and that is worrying me - going to radiotherapy dept on Monday for first appt with them.
Hopefully start radiotherapy next week for 3 weeks.
Last night Dr told me I have osteopenia of the spine so something else to contend with.
But like Denise just said I now wonder why I did not have to have chemo as other people on here seem to have very similar cancer results as myself in fact the actual tumour size in the lumpectomy removed was in my case very large so I find it difficult to understand......... Obviously every time I get an ache or shooting pains somewhere you start to think the worst as it now seems ages since the beginning of July when I had my op.
I was only off work for 2 days as I had just started a new job and feel I can't show any sign of not being able to do my job or I might end up losing it. I am tired and feel a bit on a whirlwind of emotions, and unable to take a back step to analyse how I am or feel.
Unfortunately my mum is steadily getting worse with Dementia and I have had to organise her move into a care home in the last 8 weeks and she now doesn't know who I am. Its very sad.
The only time I feel I get to take a break is at night and then I just want to sleep but averaging about 2 or 3 hours sleep with my mind going over and over all the scary thoughts. I don't like getting up during the night as it disturbs my partner who has loads of personal problems going on also.
I wonder how long I can keep going at the pace I am without my mind disintegrating...............
I'm having one of my rare visitations to the the site (I try and come on at least once a week if I can manage it).
I spotted your thread and would like to say that I had tenderness and hardness of my breast after a lumpectomy and node removal.
I had radiotherapy which, despite really feeling scared about when I faced it for the first time, I managed to get through without a lot of trouble.
I could only wear a very old soft bra because my op scar is in an odd place under neath my breast right on the bra band line and then I only wore it when I went out anywhere special but usually I just put on a loose top and kept comfortable (working on the theory so long as I was managing and wasn't in pain blow what anyone else thought).
Re the hardness, I phoned my BCN and she arranged for me to go into the clinic for a check, then referred me to the Breast Cancer Team Physio.
The lovely Physio explained it was down to the lymph nodes not being there to do the draining fluid job they normally did so fluid was building up in my breast and arm.
She showed me how to gently but firmly stroke my arm up towards my shoulder (away from my hand) and take the stroke firmly across my breast / chest so that the fluid was moved away from the breast / arm.
I suggest that if you are struggling with hardening of your breast you either 1. contact your BCN or 2. contact the MacMillan Helpline (no on this site) on Monday when the offices open and ask for advice / referral to someone who can help or 3. go and see your GP and ask them to help you.
No way should you be worrying about any aspect of your treatment and how it is affecting your body - so work on the principle - if in doubt ASK !
Sandi - I am sorry to read of all your problems, especially your lovely Mum. I am slowly coming to the stage where my own Mum is becoming ill (89) and know that you feel you are facing a mountain which seems to be getting higher and you are still hanging around at first base.
In time, and bit by bit, you will deal with everything which you face so bravely. You will get there, chin up and smile.
If you feel the need to let off steam post your rant on the site and there will be someone to help you. Or - phone the MacMillan site office and just talk to them about everything which is happening - you will be surprised how much they can offer support with (not just cancer) and, apart from anything, it is good to talk.
Big cyber hugs to everybody, try not to worry, you are all doing fine xx
Thank you ladies for all the lovely responses, I have got to be honest I have never questioned why I didn't have chemo therapy I just thought how lucky I was not to have it, I think it was because my lump was hormone fed so the radio and hormone drugs should be enough to keep it at bay. I shall phone my nurse tomorrow and have this hardness checked out just incase so thank you Flower 24.
Sandi I cant begin to imagine how tired you must be dealing with everything and working as well, I was signed off work for a month following my op and have gone back on a phased return, I am sure your work would understand if you needed some time off.
Denise I'm taking Letzrole as I cant have tamoxifen but like you feel very scared in case it pops up somewhere else, I guess we all feel the same about that. Please stay in touch and let me know how you go on.
Love to you all strong ladies x
I have had 2 WLE's and am waiting to start Radiotherapy. My breast is very hard around the incision site and I have been told that it is "normal". I have also heard that Radiotherapy also hardens the breast sometimes. One thing that upsets me when I look down is the one D cup and now one B. Will I ever get used to that?. My Surgeon has offered re-construction at a later stage, but I don't think I can go through any more surgery. I found it very painful after the second one. I hope things improve for you. Take care. Caroline.x
me too had lumpectomy and lympe node removed 27th August, yet to organise radiotherapy with encologist.
did you manage to go to work during your radiotherapy at all?
Starting back tomorrow,a bit worried as I still get nerve pains,and tiredness ( although that coulb be my lupus) the gabapentine I take at night sees me through until about 5pm,loath to take another does and get so dopey.
