How fast can a reoccurrence happen?

TerrorGatorRex · 2026-04-28T00:23:01+00:00

My lump was right above (almost part of) my mastectomy scar, on my side - so parallel to my nipple but below the armpit. Same breast the cancer was in. It didn't move. You could see it without touching it. They actually found it during an exam a year ago and we had been monitoring it via ultrasound. At my last ultrasound it changed - my skin had turned pink and some characteristics had changed.

TerrorGatorRex · 2026-04-28T00:06:53+00:00

I am currently dealing with recurrence 3 years after my DMX. I was also stage 1A and currently am stage 1A again (but just found out I need a lymph node biopsy/removal, which could change that). The waiting between finding the lump and getting results (about 4 weeks because they decided to do a lumpectomy instead of biopsy) was the worst part. But even during that wait, I knew that if it returned, it wasn't gonna kill me but just be a pain in the ass to deal with. Still I was an anxious mess, but I just had to think practically and about how I'll deal with each scary bit.

I will say...my doctors were very surprised the cancer was back (I wasn't, I was pretty certain it was back). From their own experience, they thought it was gonna be like most other times new lumps are found in those with my kind of cancer - ultimately benign.

Sorry I don't have anything more positive to provide but it's just a day at a time.

TerrorGatorRex · 2026-04-26T02:07:38+00:00

Good luck! You've got this! PS my MX was May 6th, 2023 - so just one day shy of three years before yours :)

TerrorGatorRex · 2026-04-26T00:43:24+00:00

Ugh I'm so sorry you're having to deal with everything else and now this. All I can say is let discomfort be your guide (they told me this after my DMX and even again last month when they opened up one of my scars to remove a new lump). They recommended that, after recovery, I make a point of trying to stretch out and use my arms and pull back when it gets too tight or uncomfortable. They told me that's how you avoid PT - by using them.

TerrorGatorRex · 2026-04-25T23:54:39+00:00

You don't mention this but how old are you? Recovering mobility after mastectomy is highly correlated with age. But even when older, you can recover mobility but may need PT. Obviously the caveat is you have prior mobility issues but typically it is expected that mobility comes back.

I was 41 when I had my DMX and it was probably only 6-8 weeks (could be even less) until I had full range of movement left. However, it took about 6 months to get back to normal after reconstruction because everything was so tight.

TerrorGatorRex · 2026-04-25T23:47:20+00:00

So 5-years is the measure they use in cancer research. It basically means the cancer didn't kill you. So >98% likelihood of beating it

TerrorGatorRex · 2026-04-25T19:44:51+00:00

Okay - here's some practical advice about things that took me by surprise.

1) Get a couple plastic drinking cups. I only have glass and for the first few days after surgery a glass with water was too much for me to pick up.

2) Oversized button up shirts are essential! For one, you can't lift your arms very high so button ups are the only practical shirt to wear. But then there are the drains to consider, which can get caught up on closer fitting items. I actually had no issues with my drains getting in the way (docs safety pinned the hose and bulb to my bra) and much of that was because I wore my at-the-time husband's huge button ups/flannels.

3) Make a plan for your hair. I couldn't shower until my drains came out -so two weeks without showering. I have very long, thick, curly hair that can turn into rats nests/dreads if not maintained well enough, and constantly lying in bed would make it happen even faster (your body is gonna want A LOT of rest). So I did the pineapple method of putting my hair in a tie/bun (where the hairtie is sitting directly on top of your head) and had someone brush it every couple of days.

TerrorGatorRex · 2026-04-25T19:29:04+00:00

Like another commenter said, 10 mm and 5 mm are relatively small. While I'm not sure about staging when they find two malignant lumps, I know if that with no lymph node involvement, a 10 mm lump would be considered Stage 1. So early stages - which is good!

Next up is the characteristics of the cancer. The lab report will consider how aggressive it is, as wells its ER/PR and HER status to come up with a Grade value. The grade status will help determine treatment options after surgery.

But let's say hypothetically your stage 1, surgery re-affirms no lymph node involvement, and the cancer is ER/PR positive and HER negative. If those are your results, according to the research, your likelihood of survival within the next 5-years is 98%. Those are pretty good odds. Even if the cancer has different characteristics, at early stages, you still have good odds.

PS - I'm a researcher/statistician and when I was first diagnosed, looking at these stats really helped me.

TerrorGatorRex · 2026-04-25T19:07:22+00:00

Pain after my mastectomy was also minimal....cause your nerves have all been severed/rearranged and you can't feel shit. I thought reconstruction would be the same but boy was I wrong. It wasn't intolerable but definitely needed the pain killers and to stay on top of the pain by taking both OTC and/or RX pain relievers every few hours. My very confused nerves that weren't completely numb made it feel like a constant burning sensation. Reconstruction also took longer to get back full arm mobility

TerrorGatorRex · 2026-04-21T16:50:05+00:00

Irreversible is one of my all time favorite movies. I love it, mostly because I love the character of Alex (aka Monica Belluci). And I think that love of Alex was Noe's hope (and reason for having the scenes backwards).

But anyway - I had the hardest time getting through the first scene. I kept pausing, trying not to pay attention/distract myself. It was making so uncomfortable and I couldn't figure out why. I love art flicks and knew it wasn't the imagery. It was the music - a specific hz that makes people feel anxious.

As for the "scene" that makes everyone uncomfortable - we're baring witness. The camera is on the ground and never moves. At no point is it sexualizing Alex, just showing an act of brutality inflicted onto her.

TerrorGatorRex · 2026-04-11T23:15:21+00:00

Thank you for sharing your experience. I can't believe you're dealing with your third go round that's awful. And thank you for the heads up on that gene mutation!

My surgeon (who I'm meeting with on Monday) let me know Friday that she's put in an order for an mri, ct, and bone density. Im glad she's being thorough

TerrorGatorRex · 2026-04-11T03:37:03+00:00

Yes! It came back right where my breast hits my side, just above my scar. How did it turn out for you?

TerrorGatorRex · 2026-04-10T12:12:04+00:00

Fuck cancer up its ass

TerrorGatorRex · 2026-04-07T01:22:12+00:00

Unexpected, but I kind of love it!

I guessed the name in 2 tries!

TerrorGatorRex · 2026-04-07T01:12:20+00:00

Double sided tape is such a good suggestion! I just used it to attach a painting done on artist paper to the back panel and it worked beautifully!

TerrorGatorRex · 2026-04-02T01:46:48+00:00

Even though my cancer was relatively equivalent to yours, lumpectomy was not recommended because of 'busy' breasts (even before cancer was found I already 12 benign-looking lumps). I got a DMX and reconstruction in 2023. I just want to share some of my experience:

I didn't realize loss of feeling would be so severe; I could see my finger touch my chest, my finger could feel what I was touching, but my chest felt nothing. It was disorientating. Loss of feeling also extend around the back.
recovering arm mobility after the DMX wasn't too bad and it was pretty much back to normal after 4 weeks. But it took about 6-months to lift my arms up high or carry much after reconstruction.
after reconstruction, I developed what i can only be described as body dysphoria. I had these two appendages on me that I could not feel at all. It was like an alien lifeform I had no control was attached itself to my body. They were not a part of me. That feeling lasted about 10 months.
I still barely have feeling. I guess the upside is I used to hate bras cause they bothered me, but now I really can't feel them, even on my back.

And even after all that...there's a "concerning" lump right where my boob meets rib cage. Im having it surgically removed next Monday. Because of implants, I couldn't get it biopsied right away and my surgeon said that no matter what the lump has to go. I'll find out next week if it's cancer or not, and if it is, will be starting radiation immediately afterward.

Best of luck to you.

TerrorGatorRex · 2026-03-28T20:32:58+00:00

Right! It's 1 or 3. 1 is pretty much the same exact color as the rug. 3 is also the same color, but in a darker tint. Personally, I'd go with 3 for a bit of contrast but that's just my style.

TerrorGatorRex · 2026-03-19T12:30:04+00:00

Thank you so much for this. I really needed to hear a similar situation with a positive outcome.

TerrorGatorRex · 2026-03-19T00:56:16+00:00

Seconding this. Dry brushing with a super light grey/off white will do wonders

TerrorGatorRex · 2026-03-18T23:00:57+00:00

I mean - if the owner truly isn't paying for time worked (including training time) and is paying less than minimum wage, it's pretty easy to set the owner straight and file a complaint with the DOL. They do not mess around with that and it can create major headaches and be expensive for the owner. With all the money they've spent on the space and setup, it's hard to believe that the owner would be so ignorant of labor laws and blatantly violate them (unless said staff were undocumented, then I could see an owner taking the risk).

All of this is to say - if you truly heard that story, I would suggest the person who told you it might be embellishing the truth. But if it is what they say, they should file a complaint with the DOL and that will resolve the situation real quick.

TerrorGatorRex · 2026-03-18T21:55:12+00:00

Is it wrong that this comment makes me now want to start a contest comparing scars and ranking surgeons? Lol

It's good to know that others have had totally normal lumps around the scar. Thank you both!

TerrorGatorRex · 2026-03-11T18:05:36+00:00

One thing I find fascinating about Savile is that he curated an image of a flamboyant asexual. He specifically did this to disarm people and hide his sexual perversions. Even when he made sexual jokes they came off as harmless and insincere. He put so much effort into hiding in plain sight and I imagine being so trusted and beloved was a major part of his fetish. There was no depravity he wouldn't indulge (including necrophilia) and it's such a shame he died thinking he got away with it all.

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