Chemotherapy timeline post mastectomy and lymphactomy, breast cancer

Diagnosis August. Two lumpectomies for grade3 tumour and finally got clearance  (13.7 cm) with mastectomy just before Christmas. I’ve seen the oncologist and will probably start chemo at the beginning of March, around 3 months after mastectomy. My lymph nodes have gone (only 2/23 -ve) and I’ve been told the chaemo is preventive so I’m happy to wait. I’ve been told that radiotherapy wont add much advantage so I dont plan to have that. I got the impression that 2nd to surgery the chaemo would do most of the heavy lifting for me. He will recommend the hormone treatment that comes at the end, though. Shouldn’t be so bad for post-menopausal me. I agree that chaemovdoesnt sound much fun at all ️

Apart from that, our cases seem to have parallels. 

I am glad to be having the three  month break. It’s far too soon for you to be thinking of chaemo now if your mastectomy was clear and  your nodes gone. You will feel much stronger within a couple of weeks. Have you had a CT scan to check that you dont have spread to other organs? If not, ask for one. That should help clarify things.
You will feel better about the challenges  of chaemo in a few weeks, anyway.  It sounds as if you should get some sleep now and do some nice, ordinary things on your own or with the kids. There’s plenty of time to book a chat with a nurse on this site or from the hospital and plan a schedule for treatment that works for you. You have a say in this, or should have.

Facing all this with a young family is an extra challenge I cant comment on. There are young mums here who might be able to help. 

There appears to be a support group for people starting chaemo at the same time here or on the Breast Cancer Now site. I thought I d sign up to that when I have a date.

Good luck with everything 

Theresa

Hi

I’d take the advice from your oncologist on whether the chemo is time sensitive. I started my chemo 6 weeks after my lumpectomy - they need to give you time to heal - and maybe that is longer for a mastectomy? But I was keen to start it as soon as was recommended. Like all our treatments, the sooner you attack the cancer, the less time it has to spread

Good luck - you’ve clearly got an awful lot to deal with x

Many thanks for extensive reply. I did had CT scan and there was nothing found that it had spread to organ. I was also told that chemo is preventive to kill remaining cancer cells (circulating) which could not be picked and as half of the nodes were positive it was recommended.

lets see what oncologist say in few days time for appointment. 

how do I book chat with nurse on this site please? 

Actually it’s the support line team who offer advice here or may put you through to Macmillan nurse in your team. The people who offer a hotline to a nurse direct are BreastCancer now - the people who provide all the leadlets. I actually look at that site more, probably