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Vicky · 11-03-2011, 01:31 PM

I'm so sorry to hear Tracy- what an ordeal to go through! I'm sending lots of healing vibes your way!

I don't know if this will help or not as my situation is a little different. I had a mastectomy in August, while still on chemo. (I will more than likely always be on some kind of chemo and initially surgery was not recommended.) But my tumor was coming through my skin so it had to come out. While I have not had infection, I have had a really hard time in keeping my incision closed and having the tissue underneath heal completely. I just went to my surgeon again today and was referred to a wound clinic for ongoing care. I've had two surgeries to clean out the wound, re-stitch it, and yet it reopens. My immune system is just too compromised from chemo apparently.

My doctor also said this is exactly why he hesitated when I asked about reconstruction... he too talked about the implant as a "foreign body" and said it may have made my situation all that more difficult to deal with. But he always left the final decision with me.

Its a really personal decision and I just wish you well no matter what you decide!

11-03-2011, 01:31 PM	#5
Vicky Senior Member Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 137	Re: In the hospital and need advice I'm so sorry to hear Tracy- what an ordeal to go through! I'm sending lots of healing vibes your way! I don't know if this will help or not as my situation is a little different. I had a mastectomy in August, while still on chemo. (I will more than likely always be on some kind of chemo and initially surgery was not recommended.) But my tumor was coming through my skin so it had to come out. While I have not had infection, I have had a really hard time in keeping my incision closed and having the tissue underneath heal completely. I just went to my surgeon again today and was referred to a wound clinic for ongoing care. I've had two surgeries to clean out the wound, re-stitch it, and yet it reopens. My immune system is just too compromised from chemo apparently. My doctor also said this is exactly why he hesitated when I asked about reconstruction... he too talked about the implant as a "foreign body" and said it may have made my situation all that more difficult to deal with. But he always left the final decision with me. Its a really personal decision and I just wish you well no matter what you decide! __________________ 3-16-11 dx IDC 4.4 cm tumor, right breast,HER-2 neu 3+++, Stage III 3-25-11 PET scan shows 3 mets to liver and 1 to spine, Stage IV 4-12-11 start clinical trial of TDM1 infusion 1x every 3 weeks. 6-14-11 CT scan after 3 cycles shows NO liver spots, reduced spinal met from 18mm to 13mm and right breast mass from 4.4 to 4.2 cm. 8-12-11 Mastectomy rt. breast. 10-11 scans reflect stable cancer 12-11 MRI reveals area of concern in brain, CT scan reveals 3mm spot on lung. Watch and wait and rescan in a few weeks. Round 13 TDM1 complete. 2-21-12 Scans reveal progression in lungs with 4 new small mets. Officially off tdm1. Start halaven and radiation for single brain met, 1 spot in spine. 3-13 stereotactic radiosurgery for single brain met. 5-31-12 Halaven stopped due to low blood counts. Start tamoxifen and cont. Herceptin 1x3 weeks. 7-11-12- brain mri shows shrinking brain met and no new lesions. Cont. Herceptin and Tamoxifen 10-2-12 Stable tumor markers. Continue Herceptin and Tamoxifen 4-9-13 progression in lymph node under arm and new lung spots. Stop Tamoxifen. Add Xeloda to Herceptin. 6-10-13 Stereotactic radiosurgery to two new brain mets. Stop Xeloda due to lung mets progression. begin Tykerb 7-2-13. 10-29-13 Begin radiation to my lungs and one lymph node under my arm. Stop Tykerb until completion and then recommence. 1-31-14 Progression in lungs. Oophorectomy performed. 2-18-14 Begin Arimidex and continue Herceptin 7-7-15 progression with spots on colon, in pelvic region, and in lungs. Begin Taxotere, Perjeta and Herceptin. 11-15 Switch to weekly Taxol, and continue with Perjeta and Herceptin. 12-23-16 PET scan shows Complete Response with no new spots. Continue on with TPH indefinitely. 3-16-16 Still no evidence of disease, break from Taxol. Continue on with Perjeta and Herceptin.