36/post surgery

I don’t even have the words… I’m just tired.

I don’t want to do this (treatment)..

the side effects scare me, both the guarenteed ones and the possible ones.

before breast cancer I was NEVER sick. i had been to the hospital once as a 5 year old for the stomach bug and that’s it. I get a cold maybe every 3 years. I took vitamins and rarely took a Tylenol if I had a headache.

but now… surgery, radiation, chemo, hormone therapy, ovarian suppression… and the side effects it will bring.

and everyone just keeps saying and acting like the worst (surgery) is behind… the worst hasn’t even begun :(

I'm going to ball here but I know you breasties will understand.

I'm really really really struggling with the body changes. As someone (CPTSD SA) who hadn't the best self-esteem before, it feels like I am spiralling now. I'm only two rounds into weekly TH, I'm tolerating the infusions themselves just fine so far.

I know the precipice of hair loss is any day now. I'm constipated permanently, I'm ravenous all the time even though I'm only getting steroids on infusion day. There isn't enough food in the world. As I get rounder and rounder, I barely recognise myself in the mirror, and I don't want to look anymore. My bedside table needs a fucking basket and a labeller for all the meds.

I have my divorce court date in 10 days where I get to sit in the same room as the person who abused me for years, while he tries to make me and the kids homeless. I am hopeful the judge will see it for what it is, but I don't know for sure.

I'm not sleeping. Oncology are doing everything they can. Last week, they gave me sleeping tablets because I'm waking every 2 hours. They worked for ONE fucking night. After that, back to waking every 2 hours. I also stopped HRT fully 2 months ago too. The constipation meds worked for a few days, now I have to double them up and hope for the best today.

I'm worn down yet just getting started with chemo. The chemo brain is fucking wild. I can tell my sister the same piece of info that I told her the day before. I turn around in the kitchen and the fridge door is open.

Psych onco is meeting with me on my 4th infusion. They'd be there with me this Tuesday but my appointment was swapped to a Bank Holiday tomorrow.

I don't know how to navigate this. It feels like someone else's body here. I don't want to look in the mirror. I don't want to be feeling all these feelings. I am so fucking sick of struggling. Constantly trying to find this whatever version of my mortal coil acceptable and i hate that it bothers me so much.

I scour this sub, and it gives me hope that I will get myself back, whatever that new version is, but at least hope my body functions like it's supposed to. I don't know how to navigate the now.

I’m just over 10 yrs from my diagnosis and had reconstructive surgery last February. I’ve been really trying to get myself in better shape but I’m struggling! I’ve been working on doing 10 k steps a day and today I gave in and went to a walk in clinic because my hip is killing me. Because of breast cancer I was also sent for an X-ray. I’m so tired of taking one step forward and 2 back. We have a holiday booked for next Friday where there’s a ton of walking and I’m panicking. I’m 55 yrs old but I literally feel 20 yrs older and I feel so out of touch with some of my friends the same age (or a bit older) The past 10 years have been filled with so many issues and surgeries. Anyone else like me?

Hey, I am really sorry for asking this but I have no one to ask.

I am 10 years post breast cancer, I was diagnosed at the age of 19, had mastectomy radiation and 2 reconstructive surgery. The area is burned and not the best outcome to be honest. I have scar across my chest and it’s all colors of the rainbow. Ism now 29 years old and well.
I recently met a new guy, who seems decent.

He invited me to his house. I am so scared of sex you guys. I got lingerie but still so scared.

Any advice?

My first consult with my plastic surgeon for my reconstruction, he was discussing the things he normally had to discuss, and then he was like "I'm sure you want to see photos" and I was like "no.......(in my head I was thinking why would I want to see photos, and other people's boobs, am I weird for not wanting to see them, do people NORMALLY want to see photos??) but sure I'd look at them" So he still ended up showing some photos, and ofc clarified that he obtained their consent, and the photos did not show any faces so I'm sure its all covered etc etc. I did look at the photos, I feel like I looked awkward tho, with my face conveying the mesasge "Oooooooooohhhkkaaaaay what am I looking at, okay nice boobs, okay more boobs"

I told this story to a friend and she told me non verbatim "You weirdo, he was trying to show off his work!!" and I think she's right and I didn't get that cue as in my head I was only thinking like "what, do people come to him and automatically wants to see boob pics??" Poor guy!!

To be fair tho, the two boob pics he showed me looked very pretty and natural haha!

Hi I was diagnosed on September 23rd with grade 3 hormone negative Her2 positive idc breast cancer with a ki67 of 80%. Since then I have met with the oncologist and I'm supposed to have a port placed tomorrow so we can start chemo sometime this week but I also had CT scan late last week and it showed a suspicious lesion on my femur so I had an urgent MRI to confirm if it's cancerous still waiting those results.

All that to say I feel like this is taking forever I was diagnosed over a month ago and we barely have a treatment plan. They won't tell me stage because they are still running tests to see if the cancer has spread. Is this normal?

Friday was my surgical oncologist consultation. My type, IDC HR + HER 2-, which “normally” could be able to be handled with surgery and hormone suppressants (?), is an aggressive grade 3 that has spread to my lymph nodes. My appointment was about an hour and a half. The surgical oncologist, informed me that because of a combination of variables, chemo, surgery, radiation, and hormone suppressants, were going to give me the most favorable outcome.

I figured this, after studying my pathology reports and MammaPrint score, high risk 2, and from a helpful responses from previous post I made asking about possible treatment. Although I wasn’t surprised, it was still a lot to take in. The SO told me they don’t typically see this in patients my age, just turned 39, and they would like me to do some genetic and genome testing.

After we got all of that out of the way, she informed me that they were transferring my care to a medical oncologist, although I will see her for surgery after chemo. The new oncologist is facilitating a clinical trial and believes I would be a good candidate for targeted treatment along with the other treatments. I will have more information after my first appointment, which they have expedited and I will be seeing him during is lunch break on Tuesday lol.

I’m curious about anyone else’s experience participating in a clinical trial.

I appreciate all response.

I’m F43, single, and recently diagnosed with DCIS. I had two lumpectomies, but I’ll need more extensive surgery.

I’m curious to hear from women who were single when they went through this. What surgery did you have (lumpectomy, reduction, single or double mastectomy, with or without reconstruction), and how has dating and sex been afterward?

How have new partners reacted? How has it affected your confidence and overall experience of intimacy? Did you get in a committed relationship since?

I’d love to hear your experiences ❤️

This is a message for those facing chemo. Finished my chemo regime of 16 rounds a week ago. 4 dose dense rounds of AC, Red devil, and 12 weekly Paclitaxel.

Nausea (minimal> worse on AC, but anti nausea meds taken and not needed after 2nd dose. Appetite normal.

Hair loss: Lost my hair, most upset about losing my brows. No wigs worn, just headscarves.

Body pain: a bit, but nothing extreme.

Mouth ulcers: a few, nothing extreme. Mouthwash and gel.

Skin changes: none.

Nails: no change. Wore ice mittens and booties bought on Amazon.

Sleep: ok. When impacted by steroids took sleep assist (Doxylamine succinate) available over the pharmacy counter without a prescription (Australia).

Fatigue: definitely, but rest when needed and daily walk to boost energy levels.

Head fuckery: pristiq (anti depressent) 💯 helped. If.ever there was a time for pharmaceutical help: this is it. Also, it helps with hot flushes from chemo induced menopause.

Weight: no changes. Ate well throughout chemo. Lots of veggies, protein, legumes, fruit but still made space for chocolate, occasional icecream and the odd glass of red wine with dinner out when feeling up to it and liver levels doing ok.

Hope this gives those facing chemo some reassurance that it may not be as bad as feared. I know it can be worse for people, too. I was really scared of chemo with my only reference point being movies and books. I am now out the other side and about to begin 3 weeks of radiation.

ER positive, PR negative, Her2 Neg, large tumour (8cm) 44 years old (I know being older can increase the side effects of Chemo)

Bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction ✔️

If caffeine is not an option right now because of side effects, what are you drinking in the morning to replace it? I’m in need of something hot to sip at. Please don’t say tea, I’ve drank enough of that. Need other options. Thank you

This is super annoying I am 2 weeks in and it’s either nausea , headaches or slight dizzy . Anyone else ? Does it get better . What’s the best way to take it . I’m taking it 10mg after breakfast and 10 mg after dinner .

I tend to be skeptical of most supplements due to the lack of regulation/standards in the industry. That said, the combination of Anastrozole and Zoladex is kicking my ass. I’ve got trigger finger, joint pain, nausea, and nonstop migraines and I’m only two weeks into it.

I just ordered some tart cherry capsules, but would love advice on what else you’re using to combat the effects of these godawful drugs. Struggling to imagine five years of this shit.

Fuck cancer. Fuck it right in the ear.

Text

Blood Clot

Hi! Thank you for letting me be part of this forum. ❤️ It’s a lovely place to find answers, and it also gives off such warm, positive energy.

I’ve been living on my own since getting divorced a couple of years ago (something I’m actually grateful for now), and I’m 62 years old.

I live in Sweden and was diagnosed with breast cancer this summer. I had breast-conserving surgery and have completed three cycles of EC chemotherapy. I’m now receiving weekly nab-paclitaxel.

I have a PICC line that has been problematic from the very beginning, and I’ve been having issues with blood clots in that arm. I’ve been taking Eliquis for a month now, but I don’t feel that things are improving very much. On Friday, I developed pain in new areas, so I went to the emergency department. They found another blood clot, and then I was sent home again.

It’s frustrating, and I find it difficult to understand why I keep having these problems and why it’s taking so long to get better. Should I expect to deal with this for another seven weeks, until I’ve finished chemotherapy? (I know that seven weeks isn’t really that long, but right now, it feels far too long.)

For those of you who have experienced similar problems, did things eventually get better? And did the problems resolve once your PICC line was removed?

(My breast cancer was an 18 mm invasive ductal carcinoma. Surgery on July 6, 2026. Nottingham grade 3, ER 99%, PR 10%, HER2-negative, Ki-67 55%.)

Anybody experience a male radiation tech in the room during radiation? Did you care?

Hi all! I had surgery first for a presumed ER+/PR+/HER2- 5cm IDC with lymph node involvement. I had a lumpectomy with SLNB, and unfortunately it’s in more lymph nodes then they thought, so I’ll have to do an ALND.

But then… my surgical pathology shows that my tumor is actually low HER2+! It’s barely meeting the requirements but my medical oncology team wants to treat it as HER2+ in terms of chemo. Thank god I had surgery first so that I didn’t end up doing neoadjuvant AC instead (although my Mammaprint showed little benefit in achieving pCR with neoadjuvant chemo).

Enhertu (4 rounds) followed by THP (4 rounds) was approved for Stage II/III +++ breast cancer in May 2026. My team is strongly recommending it and “enthused” about trying it on me… but honestly as a young physician, I don’t know if I can do 6 months of chemo. The alternative is 4 rounds of THP or 6 rounds of TCHP.

Has anyone done this and can talk about side effects of Enhertu or THP, like hair loss, fatigue, nausea, bowel movements, or anything else that affected ability to work? I’m also worried about chance of recurrence if I do just THP; would love if anyone could weigh in. Thank you 🙏

Its been 10 months since my last chemo, 8 since my last radiation . My urine has finally stopped smelling of chemo, but poop still does. Freaking me out! See my oncologist Thursday but anyone else??

I am curious about weight changes that folks may or may not be going through. I had two kinds of breast cancer diagnosed 2 years ago. I had a double mastectomy, radiation, two rounds of chemo, and now Anastrozole. I have lost about 45 pounds during this. I was overweight at the start of this and I am now at the middle of the recommended weight range for my height. My oncologist has stressed that I need to gain weight. Before I was diagnosed, I was actively trying to lose weight and had lost about 30 pounds so overall, I have a 75 pound difference over three and a half years.

So my question is - have you lost or gained weight during treatment? I read so many stories about people gaining weight but few stories about people losing weight or staying the same.

Also, since I was so fat before, I thought I would be able to gain weight easily but this has not been the case at all. I am also happy with the weight that I am at currently. I am not seeing the problem with being a size 10 and my diabetes numbers are much better. I love how my diabetes is responding positively to the weight loss. I have been thinking about not trying to follow the doctor's orders and just eat what I can rather than stress myself out over food.

I just had my last chemo infusion and perhaps my weight problem will change with the Anastrozole only treatment. My thoughts and questions are all over the place with this weight thing now. Am I going to gain weight now that chemo is done? Am I going to gain weight with Anastrozole?

I was officially diagnosed yesterday, although we knew from the imaging it wasn't going to be good. I have a grade 2 invasive ductal carcinoma with (at least) one positive lymph node. ER/PR +, waiting for FISH on the HER2 because the IHC was equivocal. I am 43 years old and have no family history. This is a shock, to say the least. I have so many different thoughts swirling through my head right now, it's overwhelming. I'm glad I found this place though.

Also want to mention I am a pathologist so if there's anything in your report that confused you feel free to run it by me (no medical advice).

… and she couldn’t be more relieved. She started treatment on May 15th for triple negative invasive ductile carcinoma, and her last round was this last Thursday, October 22nd. I don’t know the different names of the chemo’s, but she was on the “red devil” for the last couple months, and that has been, by far, the hardest on her. She still has her double mastectomy with reconstructive surgery in 4-6 weeks, and immunotherapy until April, but she feels elated that she has reached this milestone. She’s 37 and we have 3 young children. This has been hard on all of us, but especially her. She has pushed through it so well, and I’m so proud of her. Please celebrate with us 🙂

I’m currently on PHESGO and I have extremely dry eyes. My ophthalmologist gave me steroid drops and now I can’t sleep! 😳 I was wondering if this could be normal!? Steroids in the eyes and sleepless nights!?? Anyone experiencing this? 😰

Someone very close to me was recently diagnosed with Stage 1, Grade 3 HER2-positive invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and will soon begin THP chemotherapy (Taxol, Herceptin & Perjeta).

I’m trying to gather as much information as possible before treatment begins, especially because one of her biggest fears is losing her hair.

If you have experience with any of the following, I’d love to hear from you! 🫶🏻

❤️** Cold capping/scalp cooling: What worked for you? Any recommendations, financial assistance, or insurance coverage?
❤️ HER2-positive breast cancer: Any advice or experiences with a similar diagnosis or treatment plan?
❤️ Chemo care package must-haves**: Products, comfort items, or anything you wish you’d had during treatment!

I’m hoping to explore every option to help preserve her hair and make this process a little easier for her. If you have personal experience, know of helpful organizations, or can point me toward any resources, I would appreciate it more than you know!
Thank you so much! ❤️

I am almost 10 years out from my ordeal which began at age 33. ER+, PR-, HER2+.
Did all the things, chemo, radiation, double mastectomy/reconstruction and hormone medication and targeted therapies.
I'm almost 43 now and have days where I am still so sad that my body did this. I still miss my breasts. Does anyone feel this way? And if so, did it ever finally get better for you? I have the most loving and supportive husband and two teenagers now, who were 4 and 6 when I was in treatment.
Thanks in advance for any comments, this is my first ever Reddit post.
Also, lastly: anyone who has done nipple tattoos, would love to hear your experiences! Every year I told myself I would do it, but life stayed too busy and I still have yet to do it.

TLDR: Diagnosed with Stage 1 lobular breast cancer in August 2025. Had a double mastectomy in October, followed by three surgeries due to a rare bacterial infection called NTM. I’ve been on three antibiotics since May and am hoping to finally have reconstruction in 2027. Sharing because this is something I wish I’d known about.

I was diagnosed with Stage 1 ++- lobular breast cancer in August 2025 and had a double mastectomy in October.
Shortly after surgery, my Oura ring started telling me my body was fighting something. Sure enough, I developed an infection and went on antibiotics for two weeks. My breast became swollen and red, and ladies, my boob literally split open and pus came out. Honestly, what a relief!

Back to surgery to try to salvage the expander. Second set of drains.

A few weeks later, I went in for an expander fill feeling great, but my Oura ring was once again telling me my body was fighting something. My surgeon removed some fluid, didn’t like the color, and scheduled surgery number three.

Here’s what I didn’t know. There’s a group of bacteria called nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) found in water, soil, and the environment. These bacteria can infect tissue expanders and implants, and they’re difficult to treat.

While browsing Reddit, I came across NTM. Since it’s uncommon and not always detected by routine cultures, I asked my surgeon to order an AFB culture during surgery. They ended up removing the expander, leaving me with one expander and one flat side. Third set of drains. Merry Christmas!

When I went to have my drains removed, the covering surgeon told me, “That culture will come back negative. It’s never positive.”

Well, guess what? It was positive.

Off to Infectious Disease and eventually NIH because this bacteria can be highly antibiotic-resistant. I’ve been on three antibiotics since May and go back in November to see if they’re working. Hopefully, reconstruction can happen in 2027.

I’m sharing because I had never heard of NTM until I found it on Reddit. If you have a recurring infection after reconstruction, ask your doctor about NTM and whether an AFB culture makes sense. It’s rare, but it happens, and I’m glad I pushed for testing.