Operation next week

Hi Penny

Welcome and sorry to hear that you have been diagnosed with Breast Cancer in both breasts. The best advice I can give you is to take things a day at a time and to do the things that you love to help keep your mind off things.

 Set of luck your surgery next week.

Best wishes

Daisy53

Hi Penny

I had the wire fitted for my lumpectomy back in March. I was told they do the wire as tumour was less than 2 cm so they could identify it when operating. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. They did the wire fitting under ultra sound but the area is numbed so it doesn’t hurt.  Then they do a mammogram to check in the right place. Then I had an isotope injection before the surgery again this didn’t hurt as the breast was still numb from the wire being fitted. When they operated they put in blue dye so they could take the sentinel node. I had no cancer cells in lymph nodes from biopsy but they still take a few nodes to ensure.  The recover from lumpectomy was good and i was more sore from the lymph node but again this was not a major problem. I ended up having to have another op as they didn’t get clear enough margins the first time and again recovered well. They give you exercises to do after which help. So 5 months on (I’m going through chemo now as my cancer was her2  positive) ) but the lumpectomy scars have healed well. Hope that reassures you in some way. I know how scary it all is and the waiting is the worst bit. If you have any other questions about it I’m  happy to answer them. Hope it all goes well. X

I've had the same procedure in the left breast, there was very little pain, I took a couple of paracetamol on two occasions, that was it.  I was told the result appointment in my area would be 6 weeks, looking more like 8.    I'm so glad your results will be in quickly that is such a great thing as many find the waiting awful. The operation and recovery were really painless. 

Oh thankyou . That’s been really helpful . 5 months for you? How have you been coping? What’s your day to day looking like ?

I’m just coming up to my last chemo so that is good feeling.  I find That for about 7 days after chemo im tired but then I start to feel like my old self again.  After 5 months im a lot more tired than in the beginning so chemo is obviously doing what it’s meant to. A friend who had breast cancer about 15 years ago said it would feel like im on a hamster wheel once it all starts going from one appointment to the next and before you know it you are doing it- and that is so true. It is all doable. At the moment, Day to day, I’m very careful because of covid so I’ve not been to the shops etc which I miss. However I still go out and I have been out going for walks with friends, going to cafes and pubs etc  - mainly sitting outside if I can and even been off to the beach for the day etc. I am very careful  to avoid crowds though. Day to day I guess I’m just slower than before chemo but overall I’m making the most of being able to watch whatever I want on tv and not feeling guilty for relaxing!