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Recently been diagnosed with breast cancer.

ClaireB
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Hi there

This is obviously a club that no one really wants to be a part of and you never know exists until the big C intrudes into your life. I am 43 with a 10 year old son and partner,I found a lump in my breast in June, after visiting the doctor I was referred to the breast clinic where they did a mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy. It turned out to be 2 lumos very close together so had to have 6 samples taken. Unfortuantely they were unable to tell me either way at this appointment but the following week I returned and was dignosed with breast cancer. I suffer from anxiety and my main worry has always been getting cancer and it being too late for treatment !! I was a complete emotional wreck from the time I found the lump and on hearing those words 'you have cancer' was my worst nightmare coming true.

My consultant was very reassuring and said she thought that she could get the lumps without doing a masectomy and there was no sign from the ultrasound that it was in my lymph nodes, but she needed to do an MRI to make sure. This was done the following week and measurements if the lumps and space between confirmed to her that she could do a lumpectomy. I had the operation on 1st Aug after having radiation injected and threads being attached to the lumps prior they were removed along with 1cm of breast tissue and 4 lymph nodes. Recovery from the op was slower than I expected (but I am quite impatient generally) but results were all positive a week later. I was mid grade, stage 2, chemotherapy was only a 2.2 % benefit so not recommended by oncologist but I am about to start a 4 week daily radiation treatment. I am also on daily hormone tablets for 5-10 years and monthly hormone injections.

I feel like I have been on a roller coaster since June and been an emotional wreck, the consultant and nurses get the box of tissues ready now as i've normally used all of mine in just the waiting room !! They have all been wonderful and keep reassuring me I am not the worst patient they've ever had, but i'm sceptical about this !! If someone had told me 4 months ago what was about to happen i'd have been convinced at this point that I would be in a little padded cell all of my own .... But I am still here and breathing ....

Since June there has been something to do or an appointment to attand and I am getting anxious what happens after the radiotherapy and the treatments finish, suddenly I will be on my own and I am scared where my thoughts will start to go ?

Thank you for giving me the oppurtunity to vent ...

Claire

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    Hi Claire i have sent you a friends request as we are around the same age. I have the same anxieties.

    Suzie

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    Hahaha yes I know what you mean!

    But the trauma of the hospital appointments etc is not to be underestimated; I'm sure the nurses duck behind their counters whenever I arrive!

    I was 44 when my breast cancer was discovered throughout both lungs and liver, all lymph nodes and one near my heart. I am now 50 and fit and cycling and having so much fun with my life! My kids have grown up now and I realise my cancer was a wake up call for me to take more care of myself.

    Anxiety is a great part of knowing I'm alive- and it can't hurt me so I've stopped worrying about it.

    And friends really are the best medicine! :)

    Good luck, best wishes, I'm sure you're going to do just fine :)

    my own web site about what I do to try to keep my cancer away and my mental attitude etc is imnotdeadyet.today

    please feel free to share it as I made it to help people towards hope and focus when they are feeling frightened

    Thanks

    Mare

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    Dear ClaireB

    Hi, there. My situation is very similar to yours. I've just turned 50 and have a 10-year-old, a 13-year-old and partner. I was diagnosed after a routine mammogram at the beginning of June. Then the MRI brought up 2 lumps. I had theraupeutic mammoplasty and 2 nodes removed towards the end of July. I've just finished 19 sessions of radiotherapy and am now taking Tamoxifen.

    They removed a 26 mm tumour and a 4 mm tumour and 45 mm of DCIS. This was quite different to an initial diagnosis of one 11 mm tumour. Like you chemo was not recommended.

    I hope the radiotherapy goes well. Everyone is different, but I found it much better than I expected. (I moisturised with Zerobase and used Aloe Vera Gel like crazy.)

    I'm about to start a Moving Forwards course which was organised through Breast Cancer Care. (There are courses nationwide.) 

    I wish you well with everything, and hope to chat again soon.

    Andie

     

     

  • Offline in reply to mare

    Thank you so much for your reply, sorry not been on here for a while as radiotherapy and work has knocked me around a bit.

     

    You have really been through the mill by the sounds of it can't believe your cancer was so bad before diagnosis .. Its so scary as this is the first time I have felt physically unwell through whole process. Do you mind me asking if you are cured or if you are living with cancer now ?

    It really is a wake up call and has made me appreciate every day a lot more now just hope that I can continue to fell like this and not let the anxiety take over again.

    Thank you so much again and congratulations for kicking cancers butt .

    xx

  • Offline in reply to Andie66

    Hi Andie

    Thank you for reply sorry for lateness the radiotherapy and work has knocked me around a bit.

    Sounds like you are very similar to me in diagnosis and treatments, very scary path isn't it ? Looking back now I am still struggling to take it all in, think i'm still waitng to wake up from the nightmare to be honest.

    Seems like your a month ahead of me, do you mind me asking how you are feeling now ? Radiotherapy as you say was ok I am suffering more with side effects now but was pre warned this could happen for couple weeks after. My skin is a touch red and has set my healing back quite a bit as very sore again mostly in arm pit, so aqueous cream is being applied when ever I can get to pot and put some on without flashing at anyone ... Think i've shown them to far too many people already over last few months !!!!

    I hope you are continuing to do well with your recovery and I hope to speak to you again as well.

    Lots of love Claire

    xx

  • Offline in reply to ClaireB

    HI Claire  & any other ladies reading after RT burns.

    I did not find that cream much help  from the Hosp after the RT and it stinks! I did not want to smell medical. What worked for me was Coconut oil bought in a solid form from savers/superdrug ( aparently all the hair salons use it and tanning shops and beauty places and its their own brand make) I melt a little of that in the heat of the palm of my hand and mix it with Sanex utopia one ( something like that ) its a new one out in a pump action to replace lost mositure and cell renewal. I found mixing that with the coconut oil did wonders for the red box shape left from RT. It seems very red and angry just after and its true it does get worst before it gets better. I found a nice cool shower soothed it but baths was a no no. 6 weeks on now and its pratically all gone the redness just these inside shooting pains and the scar pain as explained in the inbox message.

     

    I contuine to use this coconut oil and sanex and my skin seems to be very dry since this B/c not sure if its from taking the tamoxifen the RT or just cancer in general I seem to use loads and its absorbed into my body real quick. it seems to take ages to go to be now by the time ive showered ( again) and applied all this cream to stop me drying out like fish washed up onto the seashore !

     

    Suzie

    xx

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