Stage 3 Triple Negative Breast Cancer -Single Mum

Hi all, Sorry for rant. I got diagnosed back in February have had two chemo cycles on intense chemo till August when my kids rang my bell for me lost all my hair and that did not phase me have been on immunotherapy since Feb and still going with that start Radiotherapy on 1st December and have developed adrenal insufficiency have had a mastectomy which is my first operation have another masectomy and hysterectomy scheduled for luckily after Christmas my bowel is completely blocked so have now been referred to the consultant this is down to chemo. And collapsed at home the other day due to pulmonary edema. My body from head to toe is in chronic pain now and have been referred for more tests with more doctors to find out why as all my joints and legs and arms are excruciatingly painful to move and am desperately trying to still stay unbeat for my children I am still doing the school runs the clubs on a night time after school and get up at 5 to do all my meds to make sure am in manageable pain and have my makeup on before they see me. I now on crutches for mobility and I only 42. I just feel like I failing them and thought after the mastectomy I would be better and since the operation and chemo  I now feel worse and not bothered about the breast no longer being there it’s the chronic pain doing everything that’s taking its toll has anyone else had this and how long did it last I am about to start trying to sort Christmas for my kids which we adore and have lots of traditions we do each year and worried this year I won’t physically be able to. My son keeps asking me when will I be better as we have dealt with all this in chapters really well and I feel like I getting poorlier not better 

  • Hello Em2023

    I wanted to start by saying you've done amazingly well to be coping with all that you've described in your post. Undergoing treatment for cancer can be physically, emotionally, and psychologically draining. Add into that that you're keeping everything at home afloat with what sounds like very little support, if any, and it's understandable that you feel as if things are getting worse and not better. 

    Do you have family or friends that you can ask to help with school runs and clubs? It's so easy to keep that mask on when you're trying to protect your children from everything that's going on but there is no shame in asking for help. I'm sure that friends and family would be only too glad to help out if they knew just how difficult things are at the moment. And having that small amount of space to be able to rest and better take care of yourself, might in turn mean that you're able to more easily do some of the other things you're struggling with. 

    Hopefully once the Dr's that are looking after you are able to get to the bottom of your pain and the bowel blockage this will also help you feel better in yourself. Your body has been through so much over the past 10 months and if you're facing more surgeries in the new year then it's important to try and be as well as you can before that. 

    I know that many people on the forum have found it beneficial to talk with someone about their situation and how they're feeling/coping. Often having an outside view of our situations can help us to see things more clearly and make the best decisions for our own selves. I don't know if you've had any kind of counselling support but you might also like to think about contacting your local Maggie's centre if there is one near you. You could also ask your Breast Care Nurse what support is available in your area. Or alternatively, you could call our team of nurses to talk things through with them. They're available Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm on 0808 800 4040, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. 

    Keep posting here on the forum if it helps. Sometimes having a safe space to write down how you're feeling, offload your thoughts, chat with others who understand or simply have a rant can be really beneficial. 

    Sending you my best wishes, 
    Jenn
    Cancer Chat moderator