Hi HannahM,

We're sorry to hear that your mum has been diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. It's understandable you would have so many questions at this time but you've come to a great place where many of our members have been through the same situation and will know how you are feeling and what you are thinking.

Now I've bumped your thread to the top of the forum I'm sure our lovely members will be along soon to offer their support and share their experiences with you.

In the meantime if you feel like you need to talk to someone you can always give our nurses a call. They are available between 9a.m-5p.m, Monday - Friday and you can contact them on our freephone number: 0808 800 4040.

Kind Regards, 

Steph, Cancer Chat Moderator

Hi HannahM

Just read your post. in 2010 I also was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer and I was also lucky renough to have a lovely supportive daughter just like you. This will have come as a shock to you both I am sure. I just have a couple of things to suggest to you but at the end of the day you just play it by ear. I also am a very imdependant woman but hardly recognised myself at the time. My daughter came with me to each appointment prior to my surgery (my husband couldn't as he had also been diagnosed with Rectal cancer the same month). At first when at these appointments my mind was mostly in what I can only call a bit of a fog.so my daughter came along with her notebook and wrote down everything we were told (she also asked her own questions). Anyway to cut a long story short she was just there for me in lots of little ways - after my op before chemo she suggested we had a day out looking at wigs as I was to have chemo with the possibility of my hair falling out. We had such fun which was far better than having to choose a wig when I was perhaps feeling under the weather haiving the chemo. She rang for a chat most days and was always there for me on my down days  as well as the funny days (and there will be some)This won't be easy for either of you but there is light at the end of the tunnel. almost 6 years down the line both my husband and I have recovered well and our family has never been closer. Just be there xxxx

wishing you both all the luck in the world

Jan x

Hannah

My mum was diagonised with Breast Cancer 5 years ago, there are 4 of us kids but I was and have always been the go to girl, so I went with her to all her appointments, I took notes I asked questions I made decisions for her when she couldn't make them or was unable to make them, I  took her for surgery, collected her and bascially sat with her through out it all. she recovered, we laughed and joked our way through that one, then in 2014 just before we were due to fly out to Florida for my wedding she was diagnosed with lyphoma so I once again took her to all her appointments and all her therapies, we went wig shopping, hat shopping she really lost her hair this time round, I kicked my brothers backsides when the acted like they couldn't cope and generally we laughed and joked our way through it. She went into remission again, then Christmas this year we went for her checkup and the cancer or gremlin as she calls it is back again. So we will be going wig shopping and hat shopping again, we will laugh and joke our way through this lot, my daughter bought her a teddy bear which has its hair falling out and we have called it Nans Chemo bear. Cancer is a serious business but you don't have to be serious to fight it, you can still live, laugh, love and joke and continue the fight, we had lots of help from Macmillan and we are continuing to have lots of help from them. We are off once again to see her oncologist on Wednesday and we will survive what ever is thrown at us, because we are a family and from the way you are talking about your mum you will do the same thing as well. All I can say is just take each day as it comes don't think to far ahead as you don't know what is round the corner, we had all assumed my mums 2nd bought oc cancer was her breast cancer returning and we all thought it was game over but it was a different cancer she has Hodgkins lymphoma this time round, so all I can tell you is what I have learnt, dont' make assumptions and don't panic. I hope you get the answers and the help you are looking for and I wish you luck for the future. xxx