Hi, I think it's aways going to be hard telling your family this sort of news. I myself was diagnosed with breasr cancer on 28th January
I told everyone right from the beginning when I went to my gp. My children are all adults, and I have elderly parents. When I got the diagnosis, I picked a time when I felt calm, then phoned and talked to everyone. They've all been brilliant and it's great to have so much support around me. It really helped me just to be able to openly talk to people.
Was actually diagnosed on 18th not 28th, just noticed mistake. Have appointment with oncologist on 14th February, the waiting to start any treatment is driving me mad!
The waiting is the worst ! I am in Scotland so maybe the protocols are different up here but I have a date for a lumpectomy of the 20th of February but I haven’t seen an oncologist.
Where about are you in the country?
Hopefully things start moving quickly for you after you have had your appointment.xx
The waiting is the worst ! I am in Scotland so maybe the protocols are different up here but I have a date for a lumpectomy of the 20th of February but I haven’t seen an oncologist.
Where about are you in the country?
Hopefully things start moving quickly for you after you have had your appointment.xx
Hi Kirsty, I'm in Hertfordshire. I had hoped my surgery would be first. However, because I am HER2 positive, I need chemo first and Herceptin. Will then have mastectomy, radiotherapy and hormone blockers for 5-10years.Hope all goes well with your surgery and wish you well on the rest of your treatment. Xx
Some people have their surgery before treatment, as you are doing. Others have chemo first, in order to try and reduce the size of the tumour before surgery. After your surgery, the breast tissue that is removed will be sent for testing. This ensures that your surgeon has achieved a clear margin around the tumour and determines what the best treatment would be for your particular cancer. It is possible that you may not see the oncologist, until after this is all in place.
I hope that all goes well with your lumpectomy.
Please keep in touch and let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.
There are so many different types of breast cancer it is difficult keeping up with the ways that they are treated..
How are you coping with everything?It is a lot to process, be kind to yourself.
A friend was telling me her aunt described her chemo self as the best version of herself, it was positive for me hearing that everyone’s experience is different.Hopefully your experience of chemo is mild but the curative effect is huge.xx
Hi Kirsty, just preparing myself for oncology appointment next Wednesday. Was having coffee today with someone who is going through chemo at the moment. She told me it can still be up to 3 weeks after this appointment, before chemo actually starts. Also recommended having a port fitted if it is offered as a choice, so will have to think about this. Let me know how your surgery goes on the 20th. Xx
I have just re-read your original post about telling family. This really depends upon what ages your family are. Breast cancer Care have a good booklet on how to tell young children. Most people wait until they have a full diagnosis first. You will find that the more positive you can be about the outcome, the better they will take it. If you are too "down" about it all when you tell people, you'll get all the sympathy of someone who is about to 'pop your clogs' and many friends will tend to avoid you, for fear of asking the wrong question. You need to be positive about your treatment too, as this really does help your recovery - as does surrounding yourself by positive people.
