Hi, I just wanted to say I am sorry that you are going through this and I understand how difficult the wait is. I am waiting for my hospital appointment on 22nd- my lump is mobile but around 5cm in size. I am glad that you will have your daughter around you at Christmas, but I understand how difficult it will be to start that conversation with her. Hopefully you have someone who can come with you to your appointment at the hospital. Sorry i cant offer any reassurance but wanted you to know you are not alone. Take care

Thank you so much for replying as I’m sure you too are angst going through this too. Countdown for you is now only 3 full days away and I wish you all the luck in the world at your appointment. My husband  is coming with me thankfully - I’m driving him around the bend as I am reading far too much online but I’m sure we are all guilty of that. I told my younger daughter this evening as I broke down when my 2 year old twin granddaughters unfortunately knocked my sore boob…. She gave me a big hug and said all the right things but I feel so bad offloading it just before Xmas 

I guess I will face whatever comes my way as everyone else seems to on here but it’s still plays havoc with the mind until we have a proper diagnosis  

I hope that you too have support around you and that you will also have someone with you at your appointment 

I'm so pleased that your husband will be with you at the appointment. Mine is coming with me too. I can relate to reading too much online. I'm glad your daughter took the news as well as she did, she sounds very supportive. Its great you have a good support network around you. I hope someone on here who has been through the process can give you some reassurance too.

Hi Kat-rat and Impatiently-waiting,

I am replying to you at once, as you are both at a similar stage. This is always the worst part of our cancer journey. You find yourself worrying and reading copiously online, but don't get any answers, because you don't know what you are dealing with at present. This usually only serves to worry us more. Much of the information is poorly researched, out of date and aimed at the more spectacular cases. Try to avoid doing this, if only for your own sanity!

It is normal for the breast and arm area to be sore after the doctor has examined you and may even be slightly sorer after biopsy, if either of you need one. Fortunately, this usually settles quite quickly. There is never a good time to break this type of news to family, but it is particularly hard at this time of year. However, you will both feel better once your family know what you are going through and you get to discover the outcome of your visit to the breast clinic.  Again, if you need a biopsy you may have to wait about another 2 weeks to get the results of this.

I lost my mum to secondary breast cancer after she had battled it for 12 years. Her experience was not particularly good and I was terrified when I discovered a lump in my breast. I was diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer which was stage 1 and was informed by my consultant that, if I had to have cancer, this was one of the best forms to have, because it wasn't very aggressive and was unlikely to spread. Six months later, I discovered a lump in my other breast. My consultant refused to scan this and we had a Mexican stand-off for a further 5 months, before I saw another consultant, who immediately tested it. It showed pre-cancerous micro calcifications.

Twelve months after my lumpectomy, I discovered a second lump in the original breast and this was cancerous. I had a double mastectomy and after taking Tamoxifen for the first year, I changed to Letrozole for a further six and a half years. I could not fault the treatment I had. There was just no comparison between my Mum's experience and my own. Diagnosis, treatment and aftercare have all made tremendous advancements since I cared for her 28 years ago. It is now 16 years since I was first diagnosed and I still lead a busy and fulfilling life. I won't say that it's all a breeze, but it is perfectly "doable". It is one of life's many challenges and you will both come out of this as stronger people.

I hope that all goes well for your breast clinic visits and that it won't be long before you get your results. Please keep in touch and let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Oh Jolamine what a journey you have been on it has made me sit up in awe. You are truly inspirational and your kind reassuring words are just what I needed and I’m sure the same for ‘Impatiently Waiting’ too. Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to us both. 
I will indeed report back whatever I am informed of at the clinic on Tuesday. The waiting is just awful and reading everything on line is pure torture. Personally I am just really concerned that I waited 6 months to act upon the initial symptoms and can only hope it hasn’t taken a grip as such. 
it is wonderful how much progress has been made- I lost my grandmother to breast cancer aged 60 and she really didn’t have much medical care at all back in the early seventies. Thank goodness we are in a different place today 

Thanks again for your comforting words and well done you for getting to this point with such positivity it’s amazing xx