Hi I have just recently been diagnosed with breast cancer - had my lumpectomy last week and recovering. I have read some of the posts and think whoa! I will admit I am scared but reading those posts and the strength you all have is remarkable.
It's scary at first. If your like me, you just kind of get used to the idea. Once you have the pathology results & know where you're going, it may help. You're not alone
Also had lumpectomy and lymph nodes removed nearly two weeks ago. It's all very surreal, I'm taking it all in my stride. Having a bit of an anxious moment as I wait to see surgeon on weds to see if I need chemo before radiotherapy and if it's herceptin. I hv to hv tamoxifen too. Sounds worse when I write it down! Lol..... I think we are all stronger than we realise, and I believe everything happens for a reason. For instance my being ill has bought my girls closer together. The thing I am struggling with is that I don't feel or look ill and it's the treatment that will make me feel ill and that's the hardest thing for me to get my head around ATM. I've changed my diet and cut out sugar, take vits for immune system and anti oxidants, I am doing what I can to help... wish you well,stay positive and keep strong xxx
Good luck. Mine was removed, but I did need chemo (which I'm about to finish, rather early due to side effects) and will be starting herceptin in 4-5 weeks, alongside radiotherapy. If all your cancer was removed and you are HER-2 positive, it might be worth asking if you can have just FEC, rather than FEC-T. My oncologist was happy with that and Ive been fairly OK with it, thanks to the seroids (which we halved after cycle2) and omdansetron (Emend disn't suit me). I was only sick once and mainly just slept a LOT. The side effects that stopped it were an erratic pulse and the beginning of palmar-plantar syndrome despite all my precautions. It sounds terrible, but neither have caused me any real discomfort yet, because I spotted it as soon as it started and they altered the dose &, as I say, am stopping early (most of the benefit is from the first 4 cycles, so there's not problem because its adjuvant). So, if you do need to have it, don' worry too much. It's not great, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be.
