Hi Worried,

I am sorry to hear that you haven't noticed any change with the antibiotics. I hope that you manage to get a referral to the breast clinic tomorrow. Do please let us know how you get on and remember that we are always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Just got back from the gp he's put in a 2 week referral to breast clinic,he feels 2 firm moveable lumps upper quadrant and one he feels is fixed lower under nipple.when will this torture end!

Hello, and thank you for coming back to us.

It is good that you will be reviewed in the breast clinic.

They will assess you and decide if there is anything to investigate further.

Take care, and hopefully you will know more soon.

Sarah.

Hello, and thank you for updating us about your breast appointment.

The 2WW referral (which is now called an urgent referral) is about the expected time frame to hear about appointments to be seen more quickly. For many reasons, everyone referred to be seen within a 2-week time frame would be incredibly difficult.

Managing your mental health between now and the appointment needs to be the priority. Mind, the mental health charity, has information on managing anxiety.

Only a small percentage of women who are referred to the breast care unit have a cancer diagnosis, so try to keep an open mind about why these lumps have appeared. But I appreciate it is difficult.

Take care,

Sarah

So you don't think the extra weeks wait is too bad? In terms of what potentially could be found?an extra week is not likely to make a difference is what I keep trying to rationalise 

Hi Worried,

I am glad to hear that you have been referred to the breast clinic. The 2 week referral, usually means that you get an appointment within 2 weeks from the date of referral, but the actual date of the appointment can be two or three weeks in advance. As our cancer Nurse, Sarah, has said, only 20% of people who attend the breast clinic get a cancer diagnosis - the other 80% have conditions like benign cysts, fibroadenoma, get the "all clear", etc. Most of us get delays in appointment times throughout our cancer pathway, but the doctors seem content with this, and tell us that it doesn't impact on outcomes.

Please keep in touch and let us know when your appointment comes through.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine my appointment is the 5th of June, it seems like forever away! Trying to keep busy xx

Hello Again

I appreciate waiting any time when to be seen at the Breast Clinic when you are worried is stressful. Waiting this length of time is normal and is highly unlikely to be detrimental to you.

Best wishes,

Celene

Hi Worried,

This wait to be seen at the clinic is torture. Most of us would agree that this is possibly the hardest part of a cancer journey. You could try phoning your consultant's secretary and telling her that you are willing to take a cancellation if one comes up before 5th June. Appointments have to be cancelled or re-scheduled for a number of reasons, so there is always a chance of getting a cancellation earlier.

I know that it's never easy to concentrate on anything else at this stage, but you're doing the right thing by trying to keep busy.

I shall be thinking of you on 5th June and I hope that you get good news. Just to give you a heads up - you may need to wait another week or two, before you get the results of any tests or biopsies, so it is possible that you won't know the outcome of your visit immediately.

Jolamine xx