Im glad you and lara have brought up the breathing during radiotherapy as I have been complaining of increased breathlessness despite never having smoked and been fairly fit physically ( my body is my temple comes to mind) until now,
It was me complaining about increased breathlessness and cough non stop to the GPs and nurses at surgery the last year that made me suspect the cancer had spread.
This came to a point this July when I forced hand of GP to enquire about an oncogene DX test and the oncologist,ifist came back with her written opinion and since proved wrong.
So the point you have both raised about the breathlessness will apply to me as I don't have the lung capacity I had 18 months ago.
This will be mentioned by me after the operation and adjuvant therapy discussed
So sorry you are going through this for a second time. You're doing the right thing asking for a different oncologist, you need to be able to trust and have confidence in those looking after you.
Keep hanging in there and ask as many questions as you need to make sure your concerns are heard.
I have been feeling out of sorts since 2019 with breathlessness and an exhaustion that could be described as like hitting a wall.
I don't know if either of you have had children but it was the sheer exhaustion that you had after caring for a child that bawled every night for a week!
I was basically ignored because I looked well and I was so active physically walking about 15 thousand steps a day and swimming once a week.
It was the state mammogram scanning programme that detected the first lump last August 2021 and I felt vindicated that my symptoms were not in my head.
This is where it goes totally mad as my breathlessness was getting worse since January 2022 even when tying up my shoe laces with one GP suggesting I had put on some extra weight over the pandemic and this was the cause of breathlessness.
I went on a diet and lost 6 kg without much effort but the amount of walking I did took longer as I needed more time.
In August this year I noticed orange peel skin on my right breast.
My urgent appointment at breast Unit was nearly 7 weeks later and on 23 Sept it was the breast surgeon who felt the lump during her examination then last Friday the revelation that my very low grade tumour has meststised to my left breast and is Triple A negative.
As I said to the GP last week ..forgive me but you don't need a doctor to tell you when you are ill.
Well we are not wrong we no when we feel not ok I thought I was being paranoid when my friend was diagnosed in feb then me in June could feel no lump just a heavy left breast total shock no other symptoms just used my private medical 40 mins I knew it was breast cancer had mammogram biopsy ultrasound, never had any mri I don't no why x did you have a mri or I never had a ct scan x
You are so lucky you have private medical insurance as it's probably saved your life.
I had asked GP previously for an MRI or CT scan as I was concerned my cancer had spread but again I looked so well and was probably categorised as the "worried well" by the GPs.
My left breast is heavy and larger than my right one.
My breathlessness and tiredness was off the scale.
I only had a bone scan and a CT scan because the breast consultant basically crapped herself when she found the lump in my left breast on 23 September last month.
This was first bone scan (DEXA) I ever had in my life and this was first ever CT scan Inhad in my life.
I have never been offered an MRI scan as I strongly suspect the surgery has an invisible cash register at reception which is a bit like stingy Arkrights of Open all hours comedy show!
I think they should give these scans I do worry why I never had any I did ask it was insurance not cost to nhs and my insurance is unlimited they told me no need in the type and grade so what can you do I asked on several occasions x
