Hi Hayley,

I am sorry to hear what you are going through and I know how tough the waiting is. I too found a lump in my armpit and on the day I was due to go in for a mammogram, I found a lump in my breast. My lump showed up in the ultrasound but not the mammogram..so the other way round to yours. Perhaps yours is deeper in the breast?..

I had to wait just over 2 weeks for the results from the biopsy and even though were pretty sure it was a cancer, they weren't able to tell what type, so I had another biopsy and subsequently another wait. 

The waiting and the not knowing was by far the hardest part for me, so I feel your pain. I have learnt to live more in the moment and not think further than the day in front of me...it's still a work in progress!

I hope you get your results soon, if it's any longer than 2 weeks, I would give them a call. 
 

Take care of yourself, Anna x

Hi Anna

Thank you so much for replying to my post...I'm so sorry to hear what you are going through...if you don't mind me asking what was your outcome?

I agree with you...the waiting is the absolute worst part..I know if it's anything bad fight mode will kick in and I really am braced for bad news...at the moment it feels like I'm being sent to war but have no idea who I'm fighting if that makes any sense!

im a single mum to 3 beautiful girls so have to stay strong but it's very hard!

hayley x

Hi Hayley, 

I'm so sorry that you are going through this whole thing, it's awful isn't it? I really feel for you, and I can relate completely. Last Tuesday I had an exam by a consultant and he said that my breast was fine and said for me to just go home and enjoy my life and have my free mammogram when it comes round next year. I asked him if I could just have a mammogram and ultrasound if necessary that day, as I wanted peace of mind. My mum actually paid for me to go private because we have bc in our family unfortunately.  So I was sent right over to the breast clinic then and had a mammogram,  and was told the Dr would read it and then I could be on my way. That was all that was expected to happen. But then I was called through to see the Dr and to have an ultrasound.  I was so shocked and felt sick to be honest. It's awful isn't it? Such a sinking feeling...anyway, the Dr said that he could see that I had a lump, 1.3 cm and that it was not a cyst, though he said that he didn't "think that it was anything to worry about".

That's what I'm trying to focus on, and to remember that I haven't heard any bad news yet, so no point getting too upset. I was really stressed this morning because I was told by the Dr and his nurse that it would be a week till I got my results back, that the nurse would ring me.  So I decided to ring the clinic at 4pm and was told that it would actually be 10-14 days before I got the results! And to make it worse,  the secretary I was speaking too was rather dismissive..I was so disappointed and felt like I couldn't go potentially another week just in this limbo..I then decided to ring the breast clinic and ask them to please update the Dr and his nurse and anyone else who works there, that the results do not take 1 week, just for the ladies that are coming in for tests behind me. It's really not on to give out inaccurate information.  And after that I decided that I can't be miserable and sit and cry in my duvet as I feel like doing, but that I have to stay positive and calm, and that those results WILL come through soon enough, and when I'm meant to get them. 

I really feel for you as a single mum,  I've been in that situation and I know the responsibility and stress that it involves, along with all the good bits of course! I hope you are OK and that you have good support around you right now, please try not to get yourself into a cycle of panic and anxiety, it really will do no good at all. 

I hope you have a good night's sleep, it really does help you to cope, sending hugs xx

Hi Hayley, 

That is a perfect analogy about being sent to war, but not knowing who you're fighting...

I was diagnosed with aggressive ductal carcinoma, oestrogen receptor positive, which had spread to my lymph's.  It was grade 1 and one of the 'nicer' cancers.  As a consequence of the cancer already spreading, I had to have an upper body scan..at this point they found a 'splodge' on my left kidney.  After more biopsies and waiting, it was confirmed that I had a malignant tumour growing in my kidney...completely unrelated to the breast.  I had my kidney removed first and a month later a mastectomy and removal of all lymph nodes.  I was incredibly lucky and that is my overwhelming feeling most of the time...if the breast cancer hadn't spread, it's unlikely that the kidney tumour would have been found. 
 

I know that during this period of the unknown for you, it is hard to think of anything else, but I just want you to know that there are a lot of positive stories and there is so much that they can do now.  I responded really well to the medication that they put me on for the BC and in the few months between diagnosis and surgery it had shrunk both of the tumours.

Do you have a good support network around you?  I hope you have some answers soon and don't be afraid to call and chase things up..in my experience, things do get lost in the system.

On a last note, the NHS have been amazing ️
 

Please let me know how you get on, keeping everything crossed for you xx Anna x

My husband had WLE and lymph nodes taken from neck and underarm on the 1st September, we still are waiting for results to see if it has spread. I am beside myself with worry. We phone weekly just to be told there's no results yet amd she can't tell us what she doesn't know. My mental health is just awful, everytime his phone rings my stomach drops. I hope you hear something soon.

Take care

Sarah