I just found out I have breast cancer

['lizbeth]

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.