New to the forum, so thought I'd say hello!

Hi Daisy24

Welcome to the forum and I am sorry to hear that you were diagnosed with breast cancer.  While I haven't the experience you are looking for I noticed that you haven't had any answers yet so I thought I'd reply to you to welcome you to the community.  This reply will move you to the top of the discussion.  Hopefully someone will be along shortly to give you the benefit of their experience.

Wishing you the best of luck with your surgery.

Best wishes

Daisy53

Hi Daisy53, thank you so much, it is very kind of you. Xx

Hi, 

I haven’t been thru this surgery so can’t offer any advice but I just wanted to message and say I am also having a mastectomy with a diep flap reconstruction at the beginning of Oct so I will follow your replies with interest. I’m trying not to think about it yet as I’m really scared about the whole thing - the preparation, the actual op, the recovery and the effect on me personally afterwards. 

Hi Miffysmum, sorry to hear that you are going through this too, it certainly is a scary time. I'm hoping that going away for a couple of weeks will be a bit of a distraction. My surgery will be a week after I get back. Will be happy to chat with you and compare notes, as we go through this journey. Did you have to have chemo before your surgery?

I have just finished my chemo this week. I had 4 rounds of EC with a week of injections in between. Then moved onto Paclitaxel which was was supposed to be weekly for 12 wks. By wk 6 I had missed 3 due to my liver function being too high and 2 reactions to it. So I got moved onto Abraxane which was only once every 3 wks so I had to go back onto the injections in between. I am now finished with chemo. Such a relief as I’ve had all sorts of issues which I’m hoping will go soon. I’m in a lot of pain in my stomach, which I’ve had ever since I started Paclitaxel, and my legs, back and everywhere else hurts from the injections. 
I know my lump has shrunk a bit so the chemo has worked but they haven’t said how much by. I have a lump in my breast that is approx 8cm and also I know it is in some nodes which will need to come out as well. Thankfully it hadn’t spread anywhere else from my initial scan. I know I will also need radiotherapy after the op. 

Hi Miffysmum, well done for getting through all your chemo treatment, it sounds like you had a bit of a rough time. I had raised liver function after my first EC, after that I started drinking loads of water, which seemed to solve the problem. Good to hear that your lump has shrunk and that chemo did it's job. What date in October is your surgery? My chemo also did shrink the two tumours that I have. Also there is now no evidence of cancer in lymph node, which had been there before. So now they're only taking half the nodes in surgery, rather than full clearance, which was originally planned. Going to the hospital for my first zoledronic bone infusion, which I'll be having every 6 months fopr 3 years. Another new thing that could cause side effects. Also having another phesgo injection, which I need every 3 weeks for a year. My husband has been training to give them to me, so from next month can do them at home, which will save so many hospital trips. Have my mri next week to see if blood vessels in my tummy are good enough for the surgery  hopefully they will be. Take care and keep in touch. Will be good to talk with someone going through the surgery at the same time. Xx

It’s fascinating to see how everyone’s treatment is so different. 
What are the phesgo injections? Never heard of those. I’m just on the end of filgrastim injections (one a day for a week) which I’m doing myself. They’re to make your bone marrow produce more white blood cells to ward off infection. They make you really ache! 
I’ve had a scan of my abdomen wall to check all is ok for the reconstruction and I’m assuming it is as no one has told me any different. 
I’ve got a pre op at the beg of Sept and I’m going to ask what my actual op date is as I haven’t been given it yet. 

Hi Miffysmum, Phesgo injections are a targeted therapy. It is a combination drug which includes herceptin  to help stop cancer recurrence. I need them due to being HER2 positive. I have to have a total of 18, one every 3 weeks. They're given into the thigh, over a 5 minute duration. I too was on the filgrastim injections after each chemo, my husband did those too. Luckily I didn't suffer any side effects from them. I must get in contact with breat care nurse about pre op, I didn't realise they did them so early, assumed it would be the week before  surgery. We are off to Gran Canaria in the middle of September, for a nice break before surgery. Will need to let them know I won't be available for a couple weeks. Hopefully won't be too long until you get a surgery date. Xx

Those injections sound horrible. You’re lucky you had no side effects from the others. As I said, it’s fascinating how everyone is affected differently from the same drugs. 
I’m going to also ring and double check my pre op - just to make sure it’s not too early! 

Hello, Daisy,

I can't help you with answers to your questions, but I can send you support in this difficult time. I so hope you manage to both get away and enjoy and draw strength from your time away.

With all my best wishes, Simon