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Old 09-22-2012, 08:16 PM   #17
'lizbeth
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Sunny San Diego
Posts: 2,214
Re: I just found out I have breast cancer

Hello Cricket,

The drain is easy to use. I was a bit squeamish about it. Make sure you wash your hands thoroughly before handling drains. I had my husband help and we didn't think about that. I ended up with a nasty infection.

I had 15 nodes taken out. I had lymphadema in the trunk and breast area, but it was mild. Every woman is different. I ended up with Axillary Web Syndrome where the lymph vessels back up with fluid. It popped out in the crook of my elbow. The lymphadema specialist showed me a technique called feathering to move the lymph. It got better, I rarely have a problem.

I did have numbness. I hardly notice it 4 1/2 years later.

Nerve damage is always a risk, but rare. You shouldn't have problems moving your arms.

There are different amounts of overexpression on Her2. Herceptin was approved for the her2+++ patient. The only targeted treatment I'm familiar with for women with a lower expression of her2 is a breast cancer vaccine trial combined with Herceptin.

You have great questions. Right them down and ask your doctors - they will give you the most accurate information.
__________________
Diagnosed 2007
Stage IIb Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, Pagets, 3 of 15 positive nodes

Traditional Treatment: Mastectomy and Axillary Node Dissection followed by Taxotere, 6 treatments and 1 year of Herceptin, no radiation
Former Chemo Ninja "Takizi Zukuchiri"

Additional treatments:
GP2 vaccine, San Antonio Med Ctr
Prescriptive Exercise for Cancer Patients
ENERGY Study, UCSD La Jolla

Reconstruction: TRAM flap, partial loss, Revision

The content of my posts are meant for informational purposes only. The medical information is intended for general information only and should not be used in any way to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease
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