Best Of

I hope the antibiotics work fast for you @Love4All That sounds awful. I hope it’s not lymphedema!

{{{HUGS}}} @missannabele. The first chemo was my worst for sure. I DREADED going back. I still do each time. I am tired, and I am weary. They say it compounds, but I haven’t had that because I’ve learned how to get ahead of the worse side effects. Maybe your doc can help you explore your options. There might be ways to manage the side effects better, or alternative treatments to consider. You’re not alone in this. Sending you lots of strength and support to find the path that’s right for you 💕

I met my reconstruction surgeon today. It was an ok visit, but not the amazing one I went in expecting. I did so much research on this doc, and she comes highly recommended by the community, my main oncologist (who said, if I had to have reconstruction, I’d want nobody but her to touch me), and people I know, both neighbors who don’t have breast cancer and breast cancer support group members. But she just didn’t seem excited, and she wasn’t willing to talk size, other than saying I’d have to go smaller. She said, if anything goes wrong and the expanders or implants get infected or skin splits, she doesn’t retry; I’d have to go somewhere else to handle that because implants wouldn’t be an option for me in that case, and she doesn’t do DIEP flap anymore. She doesn’t have availability until Oct 8 for my DMX, so my main oncologist scheduled my surgery for Oct 8, after previously telling me my window after chemo would be Sep 23 to Oct 1 at the latest date. Now I’m stressing and processing, and my husband is in a funk mourning my DD/DDD. (I’ve always been lopsided. He was really wanting me to go bigger, which I wouldn’t have done anyway, because that would be ridiculous!) Oh! And it’s a YEAR of expanders after radiation before I can get implants. A year! I was expecting 6-8 months. Today was just a reality check all around.

@Love4All Hang in there and do what you need to do in the meantime. The specialist will be able to help you!

@missannabele Happy to have another cat lover here.😻 My first chemo wasn't bad at all. I've had intestinal issues off and on, and sometimes I feel like I'm shaky on the inside, but thankfully that's it. Do they give you pre-meds to ward off evil spirits (side effects)? I've wondered why they don't just inject the chemo into the tumor and leave the rest of my body alone. But logically, cancer cells can and will escape the confines of the breast and the chemo can catch them. I hope the doctor can help you be better able to tolerate the chemo. If not, I would go to a different doctor.