Hi Aggie,

A very warm welcome to our forum.

I am sorry to hear of your diagnosis and of the worry that this is causing you. I can understand that you don't want to upset your family, when they live a distance away, but you really do need to talk to someone to whom you can tell things as they really are.  Do you have anyone who you can talk to about how you actually feel? If not, why not contact one of the cancer support groups, or have a chat with a cancer counsellor? There are a number of these centres dotted around the country and it can be very helpful to speak to someone, who can encourage you to put things into better perspective. It sounds as if you have caught this fairly early, when your consultant says that you have a 70% survival chance. This is one positive to hold on to!

I went to a Maggie's Centre near me and spoke to a counsellor. I also spoke to other people about their cancer journeys. This helped me a lot. There are a number of these centres throughout the country and I would definitely advise you to visit, if there is one near you. You don't need to arrange any formal visit at first. You can pop in for a friendly cuppa and a chat, with others who are on the same journey. If you wish to avail of any of their specialist services - classes/walks, counselling, alternative therapies, etcetera, you would have to book an appointment.

I am glad to hear that you are due to have an MRI this coming week and that your chemo is about to start too. This is the worst place to be  - in the area of the unknown. Regardless of the outcome, it will become easier, when you have more answers. I know just how devastating things can feel, when life doesn't seem to be ging to plan. I myself, was diagnosed with pure mucinous breast cancer, had a lumpectomy and was advised that I had the best outcome possible with this type of cancer. Six months later, I found a lump in the other breast. My surgeon suspected that this too was cancerous, but fortunately, biopsy proved him wrong. It was however pre-cancerous. A further 6 months down the line, I developed another cancer in the original breast - this really is the disease that keeps on giving! That was a terrifying time, but I am fortunate enough to still be here 14 years on and I still lead a busy and fulfilling life.

Once you start your chemo, it should begin to shrink your tumour and ease your discomfort. Do please keep in touch and let us know how you get on. Remember that we are always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine, Your lovely positive comments and the fact that you have gone through this and come out the other end really helped me. I think that it is the fear of the unknown that has caused most of my anxiety and the fact that my lump has doubled in size and hurts at times. Originally I was to have 8 cycles of chemo every 3 weeks. It has now been changed to weekly chemo for 12 weeks followed by surgery and then more chemo and radiotherapy. I just have to accept that the next year is going to be grim but hopefully with a good outcome. I will look into support groups. 

I'm so pleased that everything worked out well for you. xx

Hi Jolamine, Your lovely positive comments and the fact that you have gone through this and come out the other end really helped me. I think that it is the fear of the unknown that has caused most of my anxiety and the fact that my lump has doubled in size and hurts at times. Originally I was to have 8 cycles of chemo every 3 weeks. It has now been changed to weekly chemo for 12 weeks followed by surgery and then more chemo and radiotherapy. I just have to accept that the next year is going to be grim but hopefully with a good outcome. I will look into support groups. 

I'm so pleased that everything worked out well for you. xx

Hi Aggie,

I found the "unknown" stage, one of the worst parts of my cancer journey. My overactive imagination, particularly in the early hours of the morning, didn't help either! I can fully understand the additional anxiety caused by your lump doubling in size. I am glad to hear that your chemo is due to start soon and that it has been adjusted to take account of this.

Despite the worry surrounding chemo, I'm sure that you also feel relief, that you are finally starting to treat this. I sincerely hope that you'll soon see the lump reducing in size and be feeling more comfortable.

Please keep in touch and let us know how it goes.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx