Tamoxifen bus shelter -42

[Gigondas]

Dragging trolley onto new thread.

Morning topsy, weren't the biscuit towers fab !

yikes picture !! !
hugs for you really
Had a nice birthday- bit odd as was on my own all day until T home and then we went swimming. Nice takeaway and prosecco, GBBO and my presents from dh and T (had opened ones from parents and friends earlier) Very lovely messages from lots of pals,so felt very loved.
Hope everyone has a good day...secondary group for me later.

foo - not sure how many expansions I will have but it is going very well so far as surgeon is managing to put in 100ml each time (max he wants to do). So far I have 300ml and the implant size is 400cc - I asked last night and he said he would aim to over fill it - so maybe 2 more sessions?
I am B cup on the other size but I think when I have the reconstruction done I will increase that a bit if we manage to expand the new side enough (very nice surgeon has offered to do a lift and implant in the other side if I want ).

Picture - you sound very calm about it( I went loopy when there was a dropped back of blood from transfusion as hate blood. Think mas has had bad transfusion experience too).

Kitkat glad you had good night aafter expansion.

Reallyworried- crying is normal and I think helps. Psychologist told me that there is something scientific in feeling at your lowest at night - ESP in early hours of morning. To me that seems obvious and a why study that idea.

Mas glad you had a good day

Haven't seen bake off yet as was out for dinner. it was nice tho gave me indigestion so woke in early hours. Luckily have some nice reflexology later to help be restful.

Malt shopping sounds good - as I haven't been going into the office I have needed more casual clothes (or so I tell myself) and def need warmer things - I tried on a parka in White Stuff yesterday that I liked and got a 20% off email today so might order that on line later.

Hi all,
Can I come and talk to you? I'm currently going through the hell of investigations and diagnosis having had a call back just over week ago on a routine mammogram. I've already been told I will need a mastectomy but unclear yet about chemotherapy.
I feel absolutely floored and scared. Still.can't believe it and every appointment seems to bring more difficult things to get my head around. Don't know what to do with myself

Morning all,

Eek picture I hope that has calmed down now. I had similar but with blood transfusion and in my arm, so far less worrying, sorted itself out quickly but ended up with blood all over the place which was quite comical!

gigs glad you enjoyed meal out, hope reflexology helps.

MAS happy belated birthday, sounds like a nice day :)

really I'm sure that's completely normal, probably just as you've been holding it in all day then night is a sort of release. Plus no company etc at night so all is more scary.

kitkat glad the expansion has been more comfortable this time :)

trice how long are you likely to have to wait? Sounds horrible but a necessary evil :(

Waving to everyone x

Hello and welcome marshy make yourself comfortable, but sorry you've found yourself needing to be here. I'm not here for breast cancer but lots of others are so will be able to give more specific info. However have a big hug from me :) the waiting for results and a treatment plan seems to be the hardest prt going by everyone's experiences on this thread xxx

Welcome Marshy though sorry you have to be here
What do you know so far ?
This is the worst bit, once you have your treatment plan you will start to get your head around things, honestly
Put the kettle on have a cuppa x

Hello from me and sorry to see a few new people had to join us but welcome.

Things very shit here. Crisis ( financial ) and I am pretty broken and not dealing with things well. Pretty rubbish physically too and a week to go still.

I honestly feel like nothing is going to go right for us. Sorry to be to miserable I am going to step away from posting until I have something better to say.

Hi malteserzz,
2 biopsies have shown non invasive DCIS so was quite encouraged by that but saw breast surgeon yesterday and she was quite gloomy, saying it was very widespread and really giving the impression that she thought ir was worse than DSIS.
I am awaiting results from a biopsy on a lymph gland in my armpit which they have noticed is.thickened although this was the case on routine mammogram 3 years ago and they weren't concerned about it then. There was so much to take in yesterday that I don't know what to think. Am seeing the breast care nurse on Friday hopefully for result and a bit more clarification. Feeling ghastly whilst I'm though. Will go and make a cuppa.
Sorry you are feeling so awful NJ

HI Marshy - welcome to the board. Have you got an appointment booked to get more info or are you still waiting for that to be arranged?
Once you have a plan you will find it is much easier to deal with - remember breast cancer is very treatable now and you will get loads of support through the treatment.

Oh thanks kitkat, I just feel so frightened and alone at the moment.

Next appointment is Friday with the nurse and 2 weeks with the surgeon as she is on leave next week.

Marshy sounds like you have caught it early which is good, try not to google as you will convince yourself that it's far worse than it is !

NotJ sorry things are rubbish but personally I think that's when you should post, hugs

Hi Marshy - DCIS (often called pre-cancerous) can only be treated by surgery - so if widespread a mx is required. If they do not find anything else then it is possible that you won't require chemo or rads. If you do have something in the nodes or they find some cancerous areas within the DCIS then that may change but all still treatable.
I had non-invasive DCIS (Mx 2 weeks ago) with a number of cancerous areas within it but originally we thought the whole area was cancerous - since the DCIS was confirmed my treatment plan has been reduced and eveyone is much less concerned.
When will you get your biopsy results for the lymph node - will the BCN have that for you on Friday?

kitkat yes hopefully the BCN will have the result on Friday though maybe not. Are you having any treatment other than the mx?

Marshy - yes - i had 2 lymph nodes removed when doing the sentinal Node biopsy (no need to remove any others) and have had 3 cycles of FEC chemo. Then I had the mx and have temporary reconstruction with a tissue expander in place. Starting in 2 weeks I am going to have some more chemo (I only had half a course before the op) and then I may have Rads but with the new diagnosis I may avoid that.

Between us on this board we have lots of experience of mxs - either without reconstruction and with a variety of different reconstruction methods so feel free to ask any questions you might have about the Op.

Okay thanks that's helpful kitkat

From what i can remember from the haze with the surgeon yesterday the sequence of events if the biopsy comes back showing something will be MX with clearance followed by chemo.

Can I ask why you had chemo before your operation? Also is the surgeon a different person to the dr directing the chemo?

Sorry if I'm being too nosy. Sounds as of you are doimg really well

Hi Marshy
Sorry you're having to join us, but welcome from me too.
If it helps, DCIS by itself isn't lifethreatening. Those with just DCIS have the same survival odds as someone with no cancer. So the mastectomy is eek...but it stops it. So...on what you know so far from your results, you have more chance of being killed by a random golf ball bouncing off the number 29 bus. If that helps.
The biopsy results will tell you more, of course. If any of it has become cancer, then as KitKat says, you will find out what fine things they can treat it with.
If it's proper cancer, only 1 in 10 lumps is a really rude one that they can't sort out swiftly and effectively. So even then, the odds are very good now.
But none of that takes away from the shock and questions and uncertainty and surgery etc. And coming to terms with a body that is changed for a while.
Lots here who have had mastectomies and can guide you. Mine was a lumpectomy so different, though I had the full chemotherapy and radiotherapy etc with it.
for you I think. And one for everyone else.

Marshy sorry your here but it really is a very comforting port in a very emotional maelstrom where you will find many words of reassuring wisdom when needed as we are all at different stages and some are out the other side.
Topsy I won't lie, I may sound calm but I was totally shitting myself when it happened. I had visions of permanent disfigurement, although I'm not quite sure why that worried me in view of the fact I've only got one boob! It is much improved today, almost all the swelling has gone down, redness has reduced and my skin still looks lovely and healthy no black areas. It feels sore and stiff though so I'm taking regular pain relief, applying steroid cream and hot compresses every 4 hours. The literature I've read says after 48 hours things should be almost back to normal.....here's hoping.

NJ sorry things are feeling so shit at the moment, you're entitled to feel miserable, just don't step too far away hey.

notJ :( sorry things aren't going well, massive hugs for you. Please don't feel you can't post negative things here! We are here to support each other, especially through the bad stuff x

Marshy - I had chemo first as the view was to shrink the tumour and take it out as a lump. But they was virtually no change so onc suspected that it may be mainly DCIS so stoppped chemo and had mx so they could find out for sure - he was correct and my 6cm tumour turned to be a number of small tumours (largest 1.3cm) within an area of DCIS (chemo has no effect on DCIS). I have been given the option to complete the chemo, which I am taking, but it is no longer considered essential.
And yes - I have a surgeon who did the diagnosis and then the Op but see the onc for chemo and then for rads and hormone treatment (Tamoxifen). As far as I can tell (with my limited experience) each surgeon has a specific onc that they work with. My treatment is all private but I would see the same surgeon and onc if I was NHS.

Hello Marshy - and welcome to the thread (but of course sorry you find yourself here) - waiting for results is ghastly and scary, - it is a bit easier to get your head round once you know what is what, and can focus on what you know is going on, at the moment I expect you are running all sorts of possibilities through your head, - which is very normal but emotionally exhausting!

My DSIL had widespread DCIS, - she had a mastectomy, - they found some cancer cells in what they removed but no spread to nodes. She was offered chemo as precautionary measure, and decided to have it along with radiotherapy. I think advice may vary between hospitals but these are things you will be able to talk through with your onc. once they have your results.

I had MX, node clearance,chemo, rads, herceptin and tamoxifen - diagnosed five years ago - so if there's anything you think I can help with about the op or whatever please do just ask, - plus there are lots of other women on here who are probably far more up to date than me with current treatment - so hopefully you'll feel supported, - it often helps just to talk things through with folk who have been through similar xx

Kitkat -sounds a bit of a traumatic day yesterday - hope you are feeling OK today.

NJ - massive hugs, I'm so sorry you are feeling so lousy and have other problems too, - so hard for you to have to deal with 'life stuff' when the lack thyroid meds must be making you feel totally shattered and fragile. Don't worry about posting when you are down - that's what we're here for. Take care xx

Waving to everyone - apologies to people I've missed - my post was getting a bit epic again! Good luck for any upcoming appts. I was supposed to be at yoga this morning but I overslept and missed the bus - mainly due to old lady dog wanting to get up and go to the loo about three times in the night!

welcome marshy - I see that everyone is offering wise advice so I'll just pass you some brownies.
Am feeling really a bit poo today- sick and not quite right, maybe have overdone swimming ?

Oh dear poor MAS -maybe you have done a bit too much, - hope you feel better soon - the traybakes on GBBO were nice last night!