Breast cancer

Hi! I hope you are feeling ok? I’m 41 and was diagnosed last Oct. Had mastectomy in Nov and everything removed successfully. 1 out of 3 sentinel nodes were cancerous so then had separate op to remove them all and none contained cancer. I’m currently having chemo to reduce the risk of it coming back as oncotype revealed high risk at a score of 26. 

What discomfort are you in? Is it in your armpit? I had severe cording so bcn referred me to physio and it’s made a big difference. They’ve also done cupping on my armpit and breast. If I don’t keep on with my exercises then it’s uncomfortable again so trying to keep moving. I would definitely get a physio referral. 

Can I just ask what reconstruction you had? I was told I couldn’t have reconstruction until after 12-15 months from the date of the end of treatment 

Hi Mashmish  I'm one of the champions in this group and I just wanted to welcome you to the club that no one wants to join. Glad to hear your surgery went well and hope your recovery continues to plan.

It's good that you’ve found this forum, you'll find a supportive group here, whether you have questions, want some advice or a chat or just want to rant!  Lots of experience here and everyone is willing to share.

It's very normal to be anxious about treatment, chemo in particular, and the side effects are scary but most people find a way to manage through it. Best wishes 

Hi, hope you are ok too. Yeah under my arm is more swollen than it was after surgery and feels so heavy, luckily I have an appointment with my surgeon today for the next steps on treatment so I can mention this. Regarding the reconstruction I have an implant. I was under for around 3 hours in total. How are you feeling with the chemo? And how many months have they advised you need it for? xx

Thank you x

2 weeks is a really short amount of time. I had a mastectomy and immediate diep reconstruction on the 4th December. At that point they told me not to drive or do anything too heavy for 6 weeks and I definitely needed that amount of time to feel normal. I had radiotherapy in February with minimal side effects but I still have occasional pain from the lymph node removals and all the wounds from the main operations. Be gentle with yourself and try not to push yourself too much. It will get better but it does take time.