March 31st Results of Mastectomy Surgery

Yesterday Barbara came with me to the meeting with my consultant surgeon to discuss the results of the surgery and to be 'handed over' to the oncologist, who will be managing my treatment from now on.
The surgeon explained that he removed nearly a kilo of tissue altogether. What had been thought to be two lumps was in fact one tumour, 45mm in diameter.
It was a T2N1M0, grade 2 tumour, stage 2a cancer. (Dunno, you look it up!)
All the tumour was removed with good clear margins of healthy tissue all around, so he is confident he has got it all. The axillary lymph node clearance resulted in 14 more nodes being removed, none of which had any sign of cancer.
So - that is all good news.
The oncologist was very lovely, and explained that breast cancer can be treated in 5 ways; surgery, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, antibody therapy and radiotherapy. My cancer has/had nothing to do with my antibodies, so I don't need the antibody therapy (this is the drug Herceptin, that had been the subject of recent news reports).
So for best chances of cancer not returning, I score 4 out of the 5 treatments:

• I have had a modified radical mastectomy and axillary lymph node clearance,
• I have hormone therapy (Tamoxifen - anti estrogen, because I tested hormone receptor positive), and will take this drug daily for 5 years,
• and will now have chemotherapy. This will be FEC chemotherapy, which means I will have Fluorouracil, Epirubicin and Cyclophosphamide delivered by injection every 3 weeks for 6 cycles.
• followed by radiotherapy. This will be a 3 week course of 3 treatment sessions per week.

All being well, my chemotherapy will start on 23rd April.

Still getting horrid, weird sensations in my upper arm and chest, still filling up with seroma, feeling uncomfortable and needing draining every few days. Have found I'm not superwoman after all. I get quite tired out by about 3pm, ready for a nap, like a little old lady! Bit disappointed I'm not more energetic and pain free, but others tell me this is good progress. Oh. Best be grateful then.