Hi
I have ER8 PRO HER2 3+ I was diagnosed last November after finding a lump in September 23.
I met my breast cancer surgeon today to discuss surgery and plan going forward.
This is the first time I have spoken to any professional since the brief meetings during chemotherapy which to be honest have been a waste of time. The Oncologist did not seem to be able to answer any of my questions, didn't seem to be able to offer any support and basically just box ticked to say she'd seen me. This left me in complete darkness as to what was going to happen next and how all the pieces of the cancer puzzle fitted together.
As I mentioned in another post, the Breast cancer nurse was non existent and as we were all on different regimes, I did not see the same ladies having cancer treatment twice to ask any questions.
The Surgeon told me today that a central wide excision (lumpectomy) followed by Radiotherapy was the decided course of action at the MDT. My nipple would more than likely be removed as the tumour runs under it. (I had suspected this but it was still a shock to hear it being said.)
The upshot is that my breast would be cut across the middle and I would have no nipple.
When I asked about the tattoos given at radiotherapy time, (that had been bugging me) and whether there was some other means of marking to show the zappers where to zap, I was told a flat no - that the permanent marks had to be done for radiotherapy to happen.
Blue dye would be injected before surgery so that she could see where to operate. Is that not the point of the titanium marker being inserted at biopsy time, can anyone help here?
I asked about reconstruction after the lumpectomy. She said there would be none and that the hole left from tumour removal would be filled by the body over time. The skin that was cut to get the tumour out, would be pulled together and stitched.
Due to removal of the tumour - now 17mm with a 5 mm safe margin to be taken, the breast would be a cup size less than my other non-affected breast.
The removed nipple would not be reconstructed but I could have a tattoo done by a medical tattooist at some point in the future if I wanted.
I had been led to believe at the start of this process, that anything removed would be reconstructed - now I find that is not the case.
So now if I go ahead, I will have my left breast with a central scar and no nipple and my right breast markedly bigger. There will be no symmetry.
She said that if I wanted reconstruction and for both breasts to look similar- she would have to refer me to one of 2 other surgeons. Both are male (due to personal trauma I do not want to have male medics touching me) and this referral would cause a delay.
I am hugely disappointed. I don't know what to do, I had my last chemo over 7 weeks ago so I have been waiting some time for this next step. She wants to meet me again next week to see what I have decided so no dates have been booked.
I feel I am going out of my head with worry. Having been told that this female surgeon at another hospital would be great for treating me, I am now no further forward and the cancer is still in my body. All I have had so far has been chemo (December 23 until May 24) and a few sessions of Phesgo. I have a pulling sensation in my affected breast but she has said this is not due to the tumour.
Any ideas/thoughts from anyone?
Has anyone else been in the same situation?
