Hi Slr3,

A very warm welcome to our forum.

I am sorry to hear that you have already been through so much and understand your anxiety. Waiting for a full diagnosis is possibly the most worrying time of your entire cancer journey. There are still so many unknowns and your over active imagination tends to go into overdrive. You will feel better once you know exactly what you are dealing with and start to treat it. I hope that you are recovering well from your surgery.

I have had 2 bouts of breast cancer within a year. First time around, I had a lumpectomy, then I had a double mastectomy for the second bout. Like you, I had Stage 1, but had to have a number of additional tests, including a CT and MRI to confirm my diagnosis. It is disappointing to have further delay following your surgery, but you are best to get the full story from the outset. It is now 15 years since my surgery and I still lead a busy and fulfilling life. With your cancer, being grade 1, it sounds as if you have caught it early and it should be very treatable.

Most people imagine all sorts of aches and pains following a diagnosis. Most tend to be caused by the stress and uncertainty of diagnosis and usually settle down once treatment starts. 

I hope that your CT goes well today and that you'll soon know the results. Please keep in contact and let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine

thank you so much for your positive and encouraging reply it’s helped so much .

you are so right when you say waiting for results is the worst part of this experience your mind goes to some very dark places . Physically I am doing fairly well after surgery it’s the emotional side I struggle with . I was so worried about the CT scan but it has confirmed there is no additional spread which is a great relief. I’m now waiting for oncotyping results to see if I need chemo . I will definitely be having radiotherapy as they are hoping to avoid a further surgery to remove the rest of the lymph nodes on the right side . 
I feel very fortunate that this was picked up at my regular mammogram appointment I would never have known there was anything wrong and yet I had breast cancer in both breasts .

it makes me very happy to hear you are living life to the full 15 years after your diagnosis. It’s just what I needed to hear at a very low point .

many thanks slr3

Hi Slr,

I am glad to hear that you gained some solace from my reply. I am also delighted to hear that your CT has shown that there is no further spread - the results of the Oncotype test always take a little longer, but let's hope that they bring good news too. I was initially diagnosed with cancer in one breast and had a lumpectomy. Six months later, a biopsy in the other breast showed pre-cancerous changes in it, then a year later, I found a second cancer in my original breast. Hence the double mastectomy.

Your experience has show how important it is for us all to have routine mammograms. A number of people have no symptoms, prior to diagnosis and these procedures really are a lifesaver. Make sure to spread the word to all of your relatives and friends. Do you not have anyone who you could talk to? It really does help, not to bottle it all up and to speak to someone about how you really feel. There are various cancer support groups dotted throughout the country, which you might find helpful. You can just pop in for a cuppa and a chat, with others who are going through the same scenario, join in some of the walks or fitness classes (seated), avail of some of their relaxation therapies, or make an appointment to talk to a nurse or counsellor. All of these services are free and very helpful. Maggie's Centres are one of the larger organisations, but there are a number of smaller groups, which may be more local to you.

Please let us know when you hear any more and remember that we are always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx