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Stage 1 breast cancer - just been diagnosed and it's finally hit me. Finding it hard to keep this to myself but don't want to worry my family

Cherry1958
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Hello I have just been diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer on my right breast after a routine mammogram. It was a big shock as always thought I was healthy, I walk a lot and on my feet all day in my job. I am not overweight but have put on weight around my waist, usually middle age spread. I went through menopause about 10 years ago and apparently my tumor is estrogen fed which comes from menopause and added weight. 

I am currently having further tests on my left breast as unusual cells came up on a MRI. Since my diagnosis I have been holding it together and carrying on as normal, but today I came home after a walk and was soaked from the rain and just burst into tears. I am finding this hard to keep to myself but don't want to worry my family so dismissing it.

Has anyone else felt this way? I assume this is normal as the shock has finally hit me.

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    Im still in shock of my throat cancer, and it sounds like you I dont want to scare my family, and I am just telling the minimum I need to, but I feel quilty about trying to protect them,  my family consists of three sisters all of whom have their own families and I live on my own,  I don't fully understand what's going on, and don't want to give misleading information, I don't want them to know how terrified I am, a lonng walk in the woods would do me a word of good I think,   good look with treatment 

  • Offline in reply to Elizabethr

    Hi Elizabeth, it is so hard during those first days/weeks of knowing. Do you have a friend you can talk to? To start with I only told my friend, who also started coming to appointments with me. I also had to tell work as obviously I would have to have time out for appointments, but asked that they carry on as normal around me. I suppose it was my way of coping being matter of fact about things. I didn't tell family until I knew what I was dealing with and the plan for my treatment. To me for them it felt like it softened the blow, "I have cancer but this is the plan going forward"

    It is hard as everyone's situation is different, to be honest when I did tell my family they were/are so supportive.

    I have definitely had a lot of walks in the woods as I have a dog and I do a lot of thinking then.

    Good luck with whatever you decide to do let us know how your treatment goes going forward. 

    Cherry x

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  • Offline in reply to Elizabethr

    Hi Elizabeth, it is so hard during those first days/weeks of knowing. Do you have a friend you can talk to? To start with I only told my friend, who also started coming to appointments with me. I also had to tell work as obviously I would have to have time out for appointments, but asked that they carry on as normal around me. I suppose it was my way of coping being matter of fact about things. I didn't tell family until I knew what I was dealing with and the plan for my treatment. To me for them it felt like it softened the blow, "I have cancer but this is the plan going forward"

    It is hard as everyone's situation is different, to be honest when I did tell my family they were/are so supportive.

    I have definitely had a lot of walks in the woods as I have a dog and I do a lot of thinking then.

    Good luck with whatever you decide to do let us know how your treatment goes going forward. 

    Cherry x

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