View Single Post
Old 09-22-2012, 08:12 PM   #16
evergreen
Senior Member
 
evergreen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 62
Re: I just found out I have breast cancer

I had a drain for lumpectomy and it was no big deal. Nurses checked and cleaned it regularly, and it comes out when drainage slows.
Re lymphedema, I had lymph nodes out, and it is a risk. I bought a book that helps me prevent it happening...Lymphedema, by J Burt and G White, pub. 2005. I'm sure there are many books around. Some basic principles of do's and do nots, help with prevention. I also go for lymphatic massages about every other month, to a registered massage therapist recommended by my oncologist. She measured my arm in regular intervals, as a baseline should I develop any problems. A lot of these things sound scarier when you are trying to learn all this stuff. So far I have been OK.
Best of luck, and try to take it a day at a time!
__________________
Dx Nov 2010 at age 65 - 3.5 cm invasive ductal, 8 of 15 nodes. ER-,PR-, HER+++. Lumpectomy, chemo, 6 weeks rads, 52 weeks herceptin finished April 2012.
CAT,PET, bone scan, ultrasound and mammogram in Spring 2012 - NED.
Cherishing every day, but realistically "watching my back" (or should I say "front"?
Eating foods thought to fight cancer, exercising every other day,using my garden as my mecca of peace, and loving my supportive husband more than ever.
evergreen is offline   Reply With Quote