@colleenyoung . Thanks so much for responding & tagging others. And thanks too for all you do in this board. Salt suggestions perfect for overall health & less retention although my understanding is no real correlation to ascites. Kidneys & liver not believed to be impacted but reduced alcohol also good, & I seldom drink. Expanders have come out so no swimming until stitches dissolve. I am sitting waiting for my PET, then MRI’s and upper/lower GI stuff. As they say - a hunting we will go. And that brings me to those differences in that common cancer journey. Early stage folks can hope to be cured, can ring a bell, and can hopefully move through their lives with a slight nagging thought. MBC folks like myself learn to live with our cancer and the ever present battle of keeping it at bay.