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Post-operative treatment
Wherever possible we like to include
feedback from women who have experienced breast cancer and
their families. Sometimes their feedback will be inconsistent
with current medical practice. Where this is the case, we
provide a link to the relevant information on the Breasthealthlink
website, so you can access the current medical view supported
by leading Cancer organisations. Ed.
My biggest mistake was trying to work through
the time I had radiotherapy.
Diane had 5 weeks of radiotherapy after a lumpectomy. Read
more about Diane's life after recovery at Life
after Breast Cancer
I thought I could be a martyr, and when the treatment had
finished I experienced a lowering to my immune system, many
infections and nausea. My right nipple was a little off centre,
but apart from that I felt fine. I wear tight fitting t.shirts
without any hesitation and sleeveless dresses. The scar under
my right arm is barely noticeable from the lymph removal.
It took about 6 months to make a full recovery and in hindsight
I was doing too much. I was very much a career girl who burnt
the candle at both ends.
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My greatest achievement from the whole
event would be not working during the chemo.
Dianne had chemo at 38 after a mastectomy. This followed
a recurrence of cancer after 4 years. Read more about Diane's
life after recovery at Life
after Breast Cancer
"I chose the stronger 4-dose AC chemo regimen. I was
prepared for my periods to stop, they didn't!
I had to wait extra time between each dose and self inject
neupogen growth factor after the second, third and fourth
doses to stimulate blood cell growth. This I took in my stride
and I have just finished the last series. Yes, it was a pain
that I lost my breast and hair, the good side was that I have
learnt to rest and have made some significant changes to my
life.
After the first dose of chemo, I lost my desire to drink
coffee. I had been cutting back in the time between the operation
and the start of the chemo, the chemo made that decision for
me! I am a social drinker, but have cut back a lot there too,
which according to the literature is a very good thing to
do.
While I have always been known for having a healthy diet,
there were improvements to be made. I have stopped eating
some foods eg. chicken and try to eat organic meat. I have
always eaten a lot of vegies and fruit and have increased
the servings. I'm also not fond of a lot of sweet foods any
more. The chemo is pretty revolting at the time of the doses,
but there is a bright side to everything and some positive
benefits to your health.
Wearing a wig is heaps of fun, no more bad hair days and
they're so simple to maintain. I have been complimented over
and over about how lovely the wig looks. I attended a 'Look
good, feel great' workshop prior to starting chemo and would
recommend it highly to anyone who is going through chemo.
I took an old friend wig shopping with me, and she greatly
assisted me with the final decision. It's also a good time
to try a new style as I did. I have wavy hair that I cannot
straighten out, the wig is dead straight and makes a nice
change.
I maintained excellent health, despite very low blood cell
counts
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Living in the country, I found the treatment
a strain
Doreen had both chemotherapy and radiotherapy. She is now
recovered and enjoying life (see more of Doreen's story in
Life after
Breast Cancer)
Unfortunately, vascular spread was found and so I had to
go through chemotherapy and radiotherapy. This was a tough
time especially as, living in the country, radiotherapy demanded
daily attendance at a hospital in the city - 2 hours by train
each way. Chemotherapy had left me weak and with no stamina.
It was a struggle to change from train to tram and then make
the return journey following my 10 minute treatment. For the
last 2 weeks of treatment I stayed in one of the hospital
apartments, making the whole thing much easier to cope with.
During this time my skin broke down from treatment and was
dressed 3 times a day by a nurse and healed quickly once the
radiotherapy was completed.
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After breezing through radiotherapy, chemo
knocked me flat. But I feel great now
Lyn - Aged 53
Lyn Moore had both radiotherapy and chemotherapy. She used
a lot of alternative preparations and juices to help her get
through
The surgeon entered. Well, he said, the good news is we got
all of the tumour with clear margins, so there is no need
of more surgery. I had had a lumpectomy two days before (August
19th, 2000) and had been waiting for the pathology results.
But, he continued , the bad news is, it is a grade 3 tumour
and there is a spread to one node so you will need chemotherapy,
for 6 months sandwiched around your 6 weeks of radiotherapy.
It was then that I really fell apart for the first time since
discovering the lump I had found was breast cancer. With two
young children then aged eight and eleven, and five grown
up children,I had tried to maintain a positive outlook despite
the loss of my mother to breast cancer in 1991. I was very
frightened.
I read everything I could lay my hands on about breast cancer,
i's treatments and the side effects of them, and the latest
research. For me knowledge was power.
I sought and found doctors with whom I felt comfortable and
in whom I had great trust, to manage my treatment. They had
to be people who would answer my many, many questions and
were prepared to spend their time (often quite
long) and their expertise with me in a shared communication,
rather thanfeeling I was being told what to do or managed
without my input. I also read many books on complementary
therapies and found a very good naturopath and homeopath.
Although I breezed through radiotherapy with only minor burning
and fatigue towards the end, chemotherapy knocked me flat.
Unable to take the steroids given to relieve some of the side
effects, I suffered constant feelings of nausea and bouts
of diarrhea. However I did not lose all of my very thick hair
although it became very thin and patchy. I believe it was
due to the probiotic powders and other naturopathic and homeopathic
preparations that I took, as well as vegetable juices, that
I made it
through this time, and without any infections.
Now six months down the track from the end of my treatment,
despite some ongoing fatigue, I am feeling wonderful, my hair
has grown back with a vengeance, thicker and curlier than
ever. I have learnt the importance of savouring every day,
of spending time with my wonderful and supportive family,
of stopping and resting when I need to, and above all not
worrying
about the small things.
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I worked through chemo and radiotherapy.
I may have recovered faster if I had taken some time off
Marion Borgelt had six months CMF chemotherapy, and worked
most of the time, except the days I had injections.
I didn't lose my hair but I felt nauseated. I treated the
nausea with maxolon, stemetil, or ginger tablets. I am a geologist,
and I found it hard to function effectively at work, which
worried me. A psychologist has since told me that I delayed
my healing by trying to work under those circumstances, and
she thinks I would have benefited considerably if I had seen
a psychologist while undergoing treatment. My then 24 year
old daughter drove me to the hospital for my chemotherapy
injections, and sat with me while I had them.
I also worked for most of the time during five weeks of radiotherapy.
It was not traumatic as the chemotherapy had been, but I got
very tired and burnt towards the end.
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