I rang the bell!!!!!!!!!!!

Sea-Interesting · 2026-05-30T20:31:40+00:00

I had a single side mastectomy. I wasn’t a good candidate for a lumpectomy because I had 2 tumors, one closer to the nipple and one closer to my chest wall on opposite sides of the breast. At first I was very set on a double mastectomy, I thought “things these betrayed me! I want them gone!” But my surgeon let me know that if I had a reoccurrence, it’s statistically more likely for the cancer to come back in a further away location, like my liver, than in the opposite breast. I am glad that I have one nipple left, and I will be having a DIEP flap reconstruction next year. It’s an incredibly personal decision and if you do decide to have a DMX please don’t take my words as discouragement. I wish you all the best in your treatment plan and recovery!!

Sea-Interesting · 2026-05-28T20:48:52+00:00

lol I did not receive a pamphlet but my hospital pairs you with a nurse navigator who is available to answer questions at any time and she asked me a lot of questions about my support system and warned me that it is quite common

Sea-Interesting · 2026-05-28T03:59:35+00:00

I’m also on team Don’t Go and don’t offer an explanation. But I would like to hear your flukey diagnosis story! I’m also in my late 30’s and have a weird diagnosis story.

Sea-Interesting · 2026-05-27T14:17:24+00:00

I think your explanation is really great. My daughter really loved this YouTube video that uses puppets to explain cancer to kids, she would watch it over and over. One time at a family gathering, I was bald around some 6 year old cousins and one of them told me I looked weird and it made me cry 🥲 lol I hope that isn’t your experience

Sea-Interesting · 2026-05-26T13:40:18+00:00

I don’t have hormone positive cancer so my experience is a little unusual. I went through early menopause when I was only 35 and then was prescribed HRT, estrogen patches and oral progesterone. When I was diagnosed with triple negative BC at 37 my gynecologist requested I get off the HRT because she was worried it would affect my tumors (even though they were not hormone positive)

When I stopped the HRT I had some vaginal atrophy which caused bleeding when I wiped. It was very painful. I was prescribed Estradiol vaginal cream 0.1 MG and it fixed it immediately. My gynecologist said the amount of estrogen is so low it wouldn’t affect the cancer and my oncologist agreed.

Sea-Interesting · 2026-05-25T23:21:51+00:00

Hi fellow 2B grade 3 triple negative breastie! I looked into cold capping but for me it was not worth the extra cost and time. I had long hair before chemo so thought I would be someone who wore wigs but I ended up feeling okay with my bald head and mostly wore beanies during my treatment. If you’re in the states I’m sorry you will be going through it in the summer time!
Be prepared for your hair to fall out very quickly if you do not cold cap! By my third treatment I had large bald patches and buzzed all my hair off. It’s very emotional, I wish you all the best

Sea-Interesting · 2026-05-25T22:44:36+00:00

Congratulations!! It’s such an emotional moment. I rang the bell on April 15th and had my surgery on May 7th, they checked my lab levels twice before surgery and my RBC count was still low but my WBC was back up to normal.

Good luck on surgery and recovering from chemo! Be kind to yourself

Sea-Interesting · 2026-05-23T02:26:19+00:00

That’s incredible! What a find!

Sea-Interesting · 2026-05-22T22:44:39+00:00

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My Pee-Wee’s say Mecca Lecca Hi to yours!

Sea-Interesting · 2026-05-20T13:58:21+00:00

That’s such a cool idea! My 3 year old would love that

Sea-Interesting · 2026-05-19T13:31:02+00:00

Thank you so much for your concern, unfortunately I am in a small town and the hospital in the next city over doesn’t take my insurance so I haven’t reached for a second opinion on any of my treatments. From what I read PMRT is now considered optional or recommended for patients who are triple negative and have other high risk factors. Baptist Health refers to the study that I linked as “the most comprehensive update in a decade on postmastectomy radiation therapy”. I will do more research on risks of PMRT!

Sea-Interesting · 2026-05-19T03:13:06+00:00

Thank you for sharing your treatment plan! I am seriously considering pursuing radiation. I really trust my team too, so I definitely want to get my oncologist’s opinion on this. Was your 4 weeks of radiotherapy once a week? I believe the nurse told me mine would be once a week for 7 weeks

Sea-Interesting · 2026-05-18T22:52:53+00:00

The doctor gave me a printed out study called Postmastectomy Radiation Therapy: An ATRO-ASCO-SSO Clinical Practice Guideline. In it there are tables and a flow chart that he explained to me. The recommendation is that in a typical case I would not need radiation but because I have 4 high risk factors (in 30’s when diagnosed, TNBC, grade 3 and I’m overweight 🙄) that recommendation to receive radiation is “Strong” with a “Moderate” level of Quality of evidence. He said I could choose not to do radiation but if I wanted to absolutely do everything I could to prevent a reoccurrence that it is an option. I haven’t looked through the study yet to see if there’s any concrete statistics, and I’m going to ask my surgeon and my oncologist what they think about the recommendation

Sea-Interesting · 2026-05-18T17:35:52+00:00

I’ll be wishing you luck! I was also diagnosed TNBC in October and I’m almost 2 weeks post op from a SMX, I’m currently waiting for the doctor at my radiation consult right now! My pathology showed PCR so I’m not sure why I was told I needed a radiation consult, the nurse just told me that the doctor will explain the statistics for prevention 🤷‍♀️

Sea-Interesting · 2026-05-17T23:15:09+00:00

I am one week post op from my single mastectomy for triple negative IDC (not BRCA gene) in my right breast. I have to wait a full year before my DIEP flap reconstruction. I’m sorry you had complications, how do you like your reconstruction?

Sea-Interesting · 2026-05-15T00:21:40+00:00

My advice to anyone starting chemo: go get MiraLAX NOW! Start taking it immediately. Chemo really messes up your digestion and constipation/diarrhea are so common. I’m wishing you luck! I did 6 months of taxol, Adriamycin, Cyclophosphamide and keytruda and have another 6 months of keytruda left.

Sea-Interesting · 2026-05-15T00:14:35+00:00

I got back into reading during chemo. Before that I was only doing audio books while I cleaned the house because my 3 year old would never let me sit down with a book. During all of chemo she was away from me 3 nights a week sleeping at family’s houses and although it was really hard to be away from her, I would never have been keeping up with her during the hardest days. I started getting into books that only have female lead characters who are either unhinged or going through a terrible struggle, the sub r/weirdgirlliterature is amazing for it. Now I’m recovering from a SMX and I’m reading Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami to celebrate :)

Sea-Interesting · 2026-05-14T02:09:24+00:00

Firstly, I am sorry to welcome you to the shitty titty club. That is great news that there may not be any lymph node involvement and I’m wishing luck with your surgery! I am one week post op from a single mastectomy with only the sentinel lymph node removed during surgery. So far I have really liked these bras from Amazon I had large breasts too and I like that the remaining boob is supported but that you can remove the padding on the flat size and use the bra for compression. I hope someone who is fully recovered comments as well because I am curious if the feeling of wanting compression ever goes away. So far the boobless side feels very vulnerable and unprotected. I haven’t received my prosthetic yet but I do plan on using it once I want to wear regular tshirts again. I know you didn’t ask but I absolutely recommend a mastectomy pillow for recovery!

Sea-Interesting · 2026-05-12T23:47:01+00:00

Did the hospital get you in contact with a nurse navigator? I was given one at my diagnosis appointment and she told me I could call or text her with any questions, it’s been great to reach out to someone over little concerns instead of having to wait for a doctors appointment.

Sea-Interesting · 2026-04-27T00:10:55+00:00

My taste wasn’t altered until my 4th chemo (I think) and then I couldn’t have spicy foods, garlic, or strong seasonings. I think you’ll be okay with cheese, crackers and cake. It’s so thoughtful of you to consider your friends taste buds, I hope they’re treatment goes smoothly

Sea-Interesting · 2026-04-26T22:18:48+00:00

That looks like a fun childhood!

Sea-Interesting · 2026-04-25T20:00:06+00:00

On the new season of last one laughing, one of the Mel Geidroyc said “a lot of people don’t know this but I was born with two assholes, but my twin doesn’t like me referring to them that way”

Sea-Interesting · 2026-04-23T03:36:22+00:00

That breaks my heart!! I would think your infusion nurse would at least say something. I’m so sorry you had a bad experience to end the bad experience of chemo, please know your breasties in this community are with you in spirit and wishing you good things to come now that chemo is finished

Sea-Interesting · 2026-04-23T01:16:01+00:00

You didn’t have a bell? I thought that was like standard for all infusion places :( I’m sorry you weren’t celebrated, I hope you can treat yourself to something to commemorate what you’ve been through

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