Posted: 19/09/2011 at 16:33
Hi, I haven't been on here for absolutely ages too! Thanks for asking after me - got a message through on facebook that you posted. Yeah, I'm now at the end of my treatment - it was a far cry from walk in the park, may I say! As you know I had a lumpectomy in November last year with axillary nodes removal (lymph nodes). The axillary wound then got infected, so had to go back to hospital for a few days for IV antibiotics. Chemo started in December - 9 days after the first course I went into neutropenic sepsis and was admitted on x-mas eve to oncology ward for 5 days. In January my breast wound opened up due to fluid collection and the chemo had to be stopped and I was put on negative pressure treatment - vacuum pump draining the fluid from the wound 24/7 for 5 weeks. After that I restarted the chemo, only to go into neutropenic sepsis again in March - another admission, after which my consultant agreed to reduce the dose by 20%, which had proved to be a fantastic move - no more complications or admissions. Finished chemo 23rd May, after that I undergone 4 weeks of everyday radiotherapy. As my cancer is feeding on eastrogen, they had put me on a drug called Tamoxifen (the only drug they can give pre-menopausal women), to which I developed an allergic reaction (just my luck!) and had to stop it - the blood test comfirmed that my ovaries are showing signs of rapid recovery just a month after the chemo, so decision was made and I had my ovaries removed 11 days ago. So that's a "short" story covering a very, very, very long year in our lives!!! I'm still off sick (cannot drive at the moment and our occupational health are insisting on me staying signed off until New Year, which I'm really not happy about, as bar 5 weeks between my maternity leave and me being signed off I'll be at home for over 2 years at the end of it and I might just pull my newly grown grey hair out!!!lol But the sun is shining and the oophorectomy was the LAST bit of treatment, so I'm happy. Got Oncology follow up in November with a breast clinic 1 year follow up 7th December, so fingers crossed I'll get "1 year survivor badge!"
Hope you're ok xx
