Breast Cancer Never Ending Journey

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Hello,

I’m struggling. I was diagnosed a year ago and am still in the middle of treatment. A lot of this is because I keep freaking out and changing my mind about how to move forward. I had a double lumpectomy in the right breast last December, but the margins were not clear and a mastectomy was recommended. I didn’t feel I could cope with that, and so a re-incision with follow up chemo and radiotherapy and later reconstruction with liposuction was offered. I denied the chemo, and freaked out on the same day as the re-incision appointment, which resulted in it not happening and the decision being made to cut to radiotherapy. Now, I’m doubting that choice and wonder if mastectomy would be a better decision. I’m so overwhelmed. I really don’t know what to do for the best. If I had a mastectomy, I would have an implant reconstruction - can anyone that has had the same offer any insight? Pray

  • Last year I had a right sided mastectomy with immediate reconstruction with expander implant. 3 weeks ago I had a left sided mastectomy with immediate reconstruction with expander implant. I had my nipples removed. The healing isn’t too bad. You have a drain in for about a week. I took pain medication for the first few days….. after a few weeks you get tingling as the nerves start to heal. I’m so happy I had these mastectomy’s as it reduces the chance of getting breast cancer again. 

  • Last year I also had 12 x rounds of chemotherapy. It’s not pleasant but it wasn’t as bad as I thought. I found the hardest part losing my hair…. But 11 months on my hair is growing and I’m really loving life. 

  • Sorry to jump in but did you have radiotherapy at all? I’ve been told I’ll need radiotherapy but the surgeon said I can’t have implants with radiotherapy but I believe you can with the tissue expander.