Hello…

Hi and welcome. This group is so supportive, always here to chat and give advice. I hope you are feeling ok after your operation? 

What type of breast cancer did you have and what chemo and how many sessions did you have? Will you need radiotherapy?

Hello Malib 

I am glad you reached out. 

You are probably a lot further down the process than a lot of people on here, so I think your input and experience will be massively useful to help others. 

I was diagnosed with grade 3 invasive ductal BC a few weeks ago and have operation planned for Thursday unless the HER2 result comes back positive and then I will have chemo first. 

How did you find the chemo? How long did you have it for and how are you healing from the mastectomy?  What type of breast cancer do you have? 

I  am not looking forward to chemo. 

Andrea 

Hi ACharge80

I’m sorry to hear about your diagnosis.

I was diagnosed with grade 2 oestrogen receptor positive and HER2 positive cancers. Due to the HER2 positive cancer, I had a course of chemo before surgery.

I had 6 cycles, each cycle was every 21 days. Going through chemo hasn’t been particularly easy. The actual administration of the drugs was straightforward, the side effects were challenging. Eating has been difficult, taste and texture have been affected and I’ve ended up eating very bland food and I have had to make myself eat. I was fortunate that I didn’t suffer particularly with nausea and for the few times I did I took an anti-nausea tablet. I did suffer with constipation for the first few days following each cycle. I ended up taking senna tablets on the evening after each cycle just to assist! I have also suffered with fatigue. 

On the whole the side effects have been challenging, I’ve tried to stay as positive as possible, so far, and it has helped me get to this point.

One of the biggest challenges has been loosing my hair, that has been a very, very emotional experience. I did cold cap and I managed to wear it throughout the whole chemo process. Keeping everything crossed now that my hair will come back!

As part of my treatment I will also have to have a targeted drug for the HER2 positive cancer. This will follow the 21 day cycle and will carry on for the rest of the year.

I am 10 days on from surgery. Physical healing is going well and my drain was removed today.

Emotionally I have dealt with things one step at a time and not think too far ahead. Each cycle was one step and it would be a countdown, knowing that one down was closer to the end. It also helped me to have my cycles pencilled on the calendar and mark it off each time. This also helped in me being able to plan to meet friends for a little walk when I knew I would be feeling a bit brighter in between each cycle. Again, I know it’s a cliche, but trying to think about the positives that will come following the end of chemo, such as being able to eat food without wanting to spit it out was something to look forward to and eventually to out for a nice meal (that’s not happened yet), has helped. Don’t get me wrong it’s not always been positivity and smiles, there have been tantrums and lots of self pity and I’m sure there will be more to come.

I really struggled coming to terms with the mastectomy. I didn’t want to loose a part of me and I was really scared of how I would look and how I would react to how I looked. I cried on the day of surgery in the anaesthesia room just before they put me under.

When I did look at myself following surgery, I took it better than I thought I would. I can’t say I’m totally comfortable with it yet but I am hoping that reconstruction surgery will happen sooner rather than later. We have to wait for the results of the samples that were taken before reconstruction can be considered.

I don’t know if any of the above help you or make you feel a little bit more positive about things.

If you would like me to expand on anything I’ve said please let me know.

I wish you all the best and am sending lots of positivity your way.

Best wishes.

Hi Sparkle498uk

I was diagnosed with Oestrogen positive and HER2 positive cancer.

I had 6 cycles of chemo, TCarboPh. I will have to carry on with a targeted drug for the HER2+ cancer on the same 21 day cycle for the rest of the year.

Until we have the results from the samples taken during surgery we don’t yet know if I’ll need radiotherapy. I’m really hoping not as I would like reconstruction surgery sooner rather than later.

I’m doing okay following surgery, relieved to have had the drain removed today.

I’m glad you’ve had the drain removed today, I hated the drains, always such a relief when they get removed. 

Hopefully you won’t have radiotherapy. 

The good thing about HER2 positive is that you are eligible for herceptin injections. Herceptin is the only drug that kills stem cells, chemo does not kill stem cells. Stem cells are what cause cancers to return in other areas of the body.