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Re: Difficult decision
I feel the anxiety you are going through at this time. After having 21 lymph nodes removed from my left side during a double mastectomy, I had a terrible fear of developing lympadema. This was made worse by the fact that I have very limited use of my right are because I had Polio as an infant and my upper right arm muscles have atrophied.
When I went for my first visit with my radiation oncologist, the first thing out of her resident's mouth was, "Radiation can increase your chance of developing lymphadema by 30%."
I almost made the decision to forego the radiation treatment, but after doing extensive research, asking the radiologist a long list of questions, and praying a whole lot, I decided that with 21 positive nodes and decreasing the recurrance rate to the local region by 50%, I could not NOT have it.
I did have some swelling, but that has been contained with massages the PT taught my husband and a compression sleeve. Now, two years out, I am NED and my arm is fine.
I know this decision is hard. However, the others who have posted have urged you to think about the best decision for the cancer management. I am glad that I did.
Sandra
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Diagnosed: 7/25/08 ~ age 63, no family history
Surgery: 8/14/08 Bilateral mastectomy; tumor left breast, node dissection; right prophylactic with expanders: 1/12/10 latisimuss dorsi flap on left side: 9/22/10 implants in
Pathology Report: ER/PR-; HER2+ (3+); Grade 3, StageIII; 3cm tumor plus 21/21 lymph nodes positive; 5cm DCIS
Chemo: A/C; Taxol/Herceptin/Tykerb; phase II study at Mayo adding Tykerb for early stage
Radiation: 25 rads
Vaccine: Walter Reed GP2/AE37 vaccine study ~ last booster 9/17/2012
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