Hi Sandra,

Welcome to Cancer Chat. I am sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis.You are doing well by trying to cope one day at a time.The first letter you received today wasn't so bad.. It is going to remove the cancer in your breast and give you the chance to live a normal life once all this treatment is over, so the sooner you start the sooner you'll be finished with it all. The second was a definite bonus.

What surgery are you going to have - a lumpectomy or a mastectomy?

I have had 2 bouts of primary breast cancer. The first was diagnosed 7 years ago and the second the following year. Have you got a treatment plan in place post-surgery?

Please stay in touch. Remember, there is always someone here whenever you feel like talking.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine.

Thanks for the reply. 

I have 2 small lumps in my R breast (no one can feel them nor is there any outward change to be seen nor pain. Caught on routine screening).

They are grade 1 and grade  2 both invasive cancers. On MRI my lymph nodes look clear.

I am having a lumpectomy on the 21st as a day case. They are hoping to make 1 incision to get to both but will re assess on day. They are also taking 2 sentinel nodes for biopsy just in case. 

After the op all things being equal I am to have radiotherapy mon to fri for 3 wks.

Wow how matter of fact does it all sound in the written word when it is so not.

7yrs post diagnosis - I tip my hat to you Jolamine. When we are first diagnosed it's like our lives ended in that moment. This is so not true "living with Cancer" never a truer word.

take care Jolamine 

Sandra x

afternoon ladies ive been the doctors hes given me some iron tablets and he was going to put me on the sick but i told him i would rather work until my operation comes around so fingers crossed these will help xx

Afternoon 

Ah good- fingers crossed they are the boost u need. 

hope u are feeling in a bit of a better place today. X

No bad for me today yeahhh:-)

the good:- had a great day with the granddaughter while other lil one at school...harder shift than work mind;-)

Love the gadgets in daughters house. Alexa switch table lamp off, Alexa- switch kettle on. Alexa turn heating up to 22. Alexa play grans playlist ( music). Luckily school drop offs nd pick ups are  just under 4 mile walk or might not be able t justify the cake nd biscuits I’ve demolished:-)))

have as good a day as u can peeps x

Once these tablets start to work I should feel better and not tired all the time mind I'm struggling yo keep awake x

Cake needs no justification!

Lol true but... will b like a house end if don’t even get up yt put kettle on ha ha.

todays bad... 2 yr old granddaughter diagnosed with  cold urticaria:-) basically if she is warm but touches anything cold ( ie bare feet on tiles or wood floors) she comes out is huge hives ( nearly her full feet going up her legs). Gets them on her face even if warm but a breeze etc. So now on daily doses of antihistamines. Her sister got it around this age too luckily she grew out of it by 4 yrs so hoping lil one will too. Can b very debilitating hoping the antihistamines control it. 

The good...cold but sun shining. Playing the patient for lil one ( she has her drs coat nd bag nd checking me over:-) stories next ( with cuddles) love family time:-)

have as good a day as u can peeps x

Daughter had that, started at eightand lasted until she was thirteen. 

Aw bless. It’s awful  just come on in the last couple of days. It’s quite unusual- dr brought others in to see it nd took photos. 

Tbh if she is like her sister it won’t bother her too much but it looks really bad. Her toes nd fingers are nearly doubling  in size if comes up on them:-(

really hoping she grows out of it ( apparently it’s unusual for them to grow out of it though so fingers crossed). X

Hi Sandra... bless her ... my nieces lil one just got scarlet fever ...all these little ones poorly over the Easter brake ... bet they still manage a choc egg or two ... let's hope yr lil one grows out of it too ... sounds really painfull .. at least she can have lots of "nanny time"  

Like your good and not so good theme ... you've got a really lovely thread going here ...

Nikki... keep holding on ... and sleeping can be your bodies way of telling you to slow down so enjoy the rest ... and may all your dreams be nice ones .... chrisie

Hi there Cornishpasty  ... not looked on here for awhile. . ... as knew Sandra and jolomine was looking after you all ... but just wanted to say will be thinking of you over the next few weeks ... i know its a lot of highs and lows ... its not a bad thing to have a few tears sometimes ... we all get them days .. but you got the boxing gloves on, ready to take him all the way down this journey of ours ... I've got to have a few little lumps out under scar around same time ... we can do this xx

It really does help ... it's like standing up to the bully .... I'm really proud of you ... you go girl ...

Will pop back every so often for updates ... big hug Chrissie

Hi there Cornishpasty  ... not looked on here for awhile. . ... as knew Sandra and jolomine was looking after you all ... but just wanted to say will be thinking of you over the next few weeks ... i know its a lot of highs and lows ... its not a bad thing to have a few tears sometimes ... we all get them days .. but you got the boxing gloves on, ready to take him all the way down this journey of ours ... I've got to have a few little lumps out under scar around same time ... we can do this xx

It really does help ... it's like standing up to the bully .... I'm really proud of you ... you go girl ...

Will pop back every so often for updates ... big hug Chrissie

Hi Chrissy

How do you keep doing it again and again?

I had a dark day yesterday (sounds a bit dramatic as I'm stage 1). I sat and spoke with my partner about practicalities if things get worse over time. He was really not wanting the conversation but I am such a practical person that I can't settle without having plans in place to ensure he and my 8 year old will be ok. As such I'm thinking of moving some money around for a worse case scenario fund. Today I'm questioning myself as this doesnt feel like im being optimistic, positive and strong....which is what I want to be. What a ride this is huh!

Hi cornishpastie

Sure [@Chriss]‍ will b along soon.

In the mean while just wanted t say - No mistaking it you have been side swiped out of nowhere. Having a “bad” day is totally normal so don’t b so hard on yourself. 

Nothing wrong  with looking at all practicalities... some things just should b in place regardless. I’m grade 2 but when I was diagnosed didn’t have a will - I do now:-) let’s face it my will should have been in place anyway - u know the old “might get hit by a bus” scenario :-) 

I didn’t focus on the practicalities of my treatment... I literally obsessed on them. Bless the lasses who supported me on here throughout my obsessions were my rock ( thank you ladies- you know who u are).

The endless questions on what to take with me on op day ( I mean really it’s - slippers, dressing gown nd kindle) seriously the amount of me t you t me t u questions.... yup obsessed with the detail:-) again... thank u lasses.

Guess it was my way of dealing. Whatever your way is then what the hey you do whatever it takes.

x

Thank you Sandra. It caught me by surprise as I've been quite positive all through so far and it shook my partner that I wanted to have that conversation. 

Yes I'm starting to obsess on the right pyjamas etc as will be in overnight. Any tips would be appreciated on this lol xxx

Careful ... floodgates cornishpastie floodgates;-)

Reckon 2 things to remember 1. It’s a bit like being dropped on the edge of an abyss looking down ( being phased and scared is normal) 2. You will be stepping back from the edge to live your life with those you love and care for you. 

Now u have triggered my dormant obsession :-) Wear clothes, pyjamas nd underwear that you can get into easily ( just in case you are a bit tender). So pyjama top that goes on like a cardi nd front fastens. I got a couple of seamless, front fastening, wire free bras ( support without digging in nd easy to fasten). See the trend here- easy to put on nd comfy. 

Ask away on anything you are unsure of. We are all here t help:-) x

Ha ha Sandra you made me laugh. Right pulling myself together again. 

I hadn't thought about front fastening bras!!!! Huge tip. Thank you....front fastening everything here I come!

Just jump in here as well, if you have some bbq tongs around, keep them handy for when you get home. Useful for reaching out to grab stuff without overstretching your arm for the first few days. 

Oh that is a good tip. Can I ask how long it took for you to recover. I've had to give work a rough timescale and I've said a week off. They know this is flexible and understand why and aren't putting pressure on me. But I have a stressful job (social worker) so am out driving to visits and carrying files, lots of note taking and typing up of assessments. Let alone the occassional angry person. I want to be realistic but also want to get back asap after for normality. 

I went back to work after two and a half weeks. The docs at the hospital signed me off for two weeks straight away. I worked half days for two weeks, my boss insisted I didn’t overdo it and then back full time until radiotherapy mid point. I worked half days for the last part of treatment and then for me fatigue really kicked in. I was off for a month after treatment finished. 

Thanks Rileyroo. I do wonder if I'm underestimating the time I will need off. To complicate things only my close colleagues know so being in here and there is likely to cause lots of questions. I think I will play it by ear and not put anything in my diary for a few weeks post surgery just in case.

Hi there ... Bless ya , please don't feel bad ... I've often said on here if I'd still had my kids at home , I'd have been totally different ... I really don't think I'd have copied ... You are doing amazing , start believing in yourself and know those feelings are normal ... 

I had a melt down day when my baby (37)  was having tests and it could av been cancer ... I totally lost it ... Even when he phoned me to say he was o.k , I was sobbing on the phone ,. It was only our buds on here kept me going and held me up ... 

I wish I could send you a real hug, coz I think you need it right now ... And remember, if we all were strong this site wouldn't be needed ... But we've all needed a friend on here who knows what those feelings are like.... I wrote all my letters to loved ones at the beginning ... I even planned the music and service for my funeral ... I made my Emily (photo) a memory book that I'd started since she was two ... Everyone listened to me as I was sure I wouldn't come through op ... We'll that was 8 months ago... All those letters and plans and memory book is put safely away for a while yet ... So I did what you were thinking.. 

I'm so worried about you now ... Look how far you've come ... We helped each other through this, well all help you and down the road , you can join us in helping someone newly diagnosed and you can tell them how scary this journey can be ... Big big hug ... Hold on and when you feel scared look round and picture us standing right there beside you saying "yes you can" please keep in touch ... Our little cournish pastie xxx .