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LeahM · 06-14-2012, 04:01 AM

Hi Alecia,

My surgery went well. 2 weeks post op today. Feeling better each day and cutting back on pain meds. I had no idea how immobile I would be. I am still sleeping in a recliner because I can't get comfy in bed. My daughter is doing well. She spent the majority of the past 2 weeks with my parents. I am so lucky they are local! She has been home since Sunday but goes to day camp daily 9 to 4 all this week. So next week life will get back to being "real". Today I meet with Med. Onc. and I believe chemo will start somewhere around July 1.

I asked about the rads b/c my final path came back with a 0.35mm cancerous spot in my sentinel lymph node. Rads is now on the table but to be honest I don't know if I want to do it. Will meet with rad onc, then get 2nd opinion, then 3rd. My biggest fear is they will want "proof" that there is more nodal involvement and I really don't want to lose more nodes.

I know I should also throw the kitchen sink at this cancer but I really just want to be done.

And if I didn't have rads i could be "done" by the end of the year.

I know, I know, that is a whiney way to look at it. But someone recently told me "feelings aren't wrong, they just are". And that is how I feel today. Could feel different tomorrow.

Hope you make the right decision for you re: reconstruction. I think the DIEP is a good idea. It wasn't an option for me, had it been I would have done it.

06-14-2012, 04:01 AM	#15
LeahM Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Bethlehem PA Posts: 395	Re: reconstruction questions Hi Alecia, My surgery went well. 2 weeks post op today. Feeling better each day and cutting back on pain meds. I had no idea how immobile I would be. I am still sleeping in a recliner because I can't get comfy in bed. My daughter is doing well. She spent the majority of the past 2 weeks with my parents. I am so lucky they are local! She has been home since Sunday but goes to day camp daily 9 to 4 all this week. So next week life will get back to being "real". Today I meet with Med. Onc. and I believe chemo will start somewhere around July 1. I asked about the rads b/c my final path came back with a 0.35mm cancerous spot in my sentinel lymph node. Rads is now on the table but to be honest I don't know if I want to do it. Will meet with rad onc, then get 2nd opinion, then 3rd. My biggest fear is they will want "proof" that there is more nodal involvement and I really don't want to lose more nodes. I know I should also throw the kitchen sink at this cancer but I really just want to be done. And if I didn't have rads i could be "done" by the end of the year. I know, I know, that is a whiney way to look at it. But someone recently told me "feelings aren't wrong, they just are". And that is how I feel today. Could feel different tomorrow. Hope you make the right decision for you re: reconstruction. I think the DIEP is a good idea. It wasn't an option for me, had it been I would have done it. __________________ 39 year old wife, mother of one and nurse. April 20, 2012: Dx Invasive Ductal Carcinoma April 25, 2012: ER+(5%), PR-, HER2+++ May 10, 2012: BRCA 1,2 Negative May 23, 2012: MUGA Scan EF 70% May 31, 2012: B/L Mastectomy. 2/2 nodes removed and CLEAR!! Power Port placed. 2 Drains. 2 Expanders placed June 5, 2012: Drains OUT! Ahhhh.. June 12, 2012: Final Pathology Report, .8x.3cm tumor. Micromets to 1 node .35mm under cytokeratin staining. Stage 2A. Onc says "you are lucky to have found this early" July 10, 2012: Started 6 rounds of TCH with weekly H Sept 5, 2012: MUGA 65% Sept 20, 2012: CAT scan of brain clear! Oct 23, 2012: LAST TC! AMEN! Continue Herceptin every three weeks until July 2013. Nov 19, 2012: Port out! Dec 5, 2012: Started radiation Dec. 10, 2012: MUGA 65% Dec. 13, 2012: Turned 40. BEST BIRTHDAY EVER! Jan 23, 2013: Last radiation. Told I am NED. Continue Herceptin every three weeks till July 2013. Jan 29, 2013: Begin 5 years of Tamoxifen. Feb 28, 2013: CT Scan with Contrast of lungs. 5mm and 4mm nodules of unknown origin. Rescan in 3 months. Mar 6, 2013: EF 60% May 8, 2013: Exanders out, implants implanted...abd. lipo and fat moved up. Girls are looking good! June 3, 2013: CT Scan with Contrast of lungs. Previous nodules gone. New nodules (2mm and 3mm) found. Rescan in 3 months. So sorry I opened this can of worms... June 11, 2013: EF 60% June 25, 2013: Last Herceptin. wow... Aug 20, 2013: Tumor markers within normal limits. Xray to sore left ribs shows no disease or fractures. Sept 9, 2013: CT of lungs shows no disease. Closing this can of worms and moving on. Nov 20, 2013: Tumor markers within normal limits. Severe Vit D deficiency, started on prescription Vit. D. Blaming chemo for this. Feb 2014: Tumor markers within normal limits. May 2014: Tumor markers within normal limits. Graduated to twice yearly onc appts. Oct 2014: Tumor markers within normal limits. May 2015: Tumor markers WNL. Bone density scan fine. Bone scan and xray of ribs shows "something" 4th right rib. Could be healed fracture but if it is healed why does it hurt? Nov 2015: Tumor markers WNL. Follow up bone scan clear. Feb 2016: Syncope! WTF? Dizzy too. Brain scan clear, ECHO EF 60%, Halter Monitor shows heart is fine. Viral? I will never know. June 2016: Tumor markers WNL. Oct 2016: Stabbing pain right eye. Long story short, trigeminal neuralgia. Nov 2016 Brain MRI clear. Jan 2017: Tumor markers WNL, still getting weird pain right rib area, and sometimes right upper chest. Xray x2, Bone Scan, Breast MRI all clear. Scar tissue? Rads. I may never know. www.onmywaytosurvivorhood.blogspot.com www.thechemobag.com www.facebook.com/thechemobag