stop the madness

I’m so sorry you’re alone. Maybe you can call the pastor’s office of a nearby church? They could direct you to some help? Or perhaps the hospital where you’re having/had surgery has a pastoral office? I wish I could be of more help/suggestions. When my mother was ill finding help was very difficult. No one ever called me back. 🙏

New to Anastrozole (8 weeks in) and I am lucky to have no serious side effects. I take it at night which may help. Also my oncologist said Prozac sometimes helps. I was already on it.

Hi @fightcancer1000 it’s so hard to hear that news, that the cancer is back. Getting through it the first time is hard enough. It sounds like you had an especially hard time with chemo the first time around. It is likely that you will be getting a different chemo drug or mixture of drugs, so you may not have the same reaction or side effects this time around. Be sure to let your team know about your previous experience.

Fightcancer, you may wish to join other members in this discussion. Just click the link to join in.
- Breast Cancer Recurrence https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/breast-cancer-recurrence/

Thank you jay nep...I have a priest living two houses away so will call...my pastor. Today was to be lymph node dissection but was uneasy about it so saw surgeon yesterday and she changed date to September 29th...and agreed to lesser surgery. Relieved...

Thank you so much!!!

Thank you so much!!! Do you know anything about dissection? How bad? Or not? I am just so sorry I didn't do everything I was supposed to so this did not recur....but did what I could at the time.

I can only comment on my own experience. At the time of my right breast mastectomy 2 sentinel nodes ( positive) and 5 ( negative) above it were removed. It caused numbing under the arm and a bit down the underside of my arm because nerves are severed. Over months a good bit of feeling has returned and is still returning. I did not experience lymphedema but I understand that can happen even years after dissections. There are lymphatic massages that trained physical therapists can perform and also ones that one can do oneself.

I did have two drains installed at the time of the surgery and one was there for two and the other three weeks. I always assumed it was for the mastectomy verses the dissection but perhaps it was for both.

Looking back will not serve your needs right now. We do the best we can with the information we have at any given time. Save your energy for the decisions that you need to make right now.
Blessings. 🌸

I’m glad you are feeling some relief. Prays for you to not feel so alone. 🙏

I am recovering from bc recurrence (local) and axillary dissection...you ask about the dissection, well to be honest not an easy recovery...this is 7 weeks post op and still very numb underarm and still nerve pain, but is getting better so I am hopeful this continues. The drain was annoying that I had to manually work for 10 days, but once that was out things were better. I also didn't do 'everything' to avoid recurrence (did not even start the AI, but did radiation) but no guarantee that putting up with the AI would have avoided this, so may be your case as well that the bc would have still recurred. Wishing you well, somehow we get through these hard times and I like to think it makes us stronger and more empathetic towards others in this predicament.

Thank you Cashimire....surgeon told me she wouldn't touch nerves or muscles but work around them....doing limited dissection at my request as am 86 and afraid of lymphedema. Nurse said everyone gets it!!?..how long before you can resume normal life?? Is numbing painful?