Hi Grove,

Sorry about your news. You're in pretty much the same boat I was a month ago, albeit I thought I was being referred to start early screening due to my mum's history.  2 days later I'm told it's at least stage 2 breast cancer, 8 days after that it's confirmed as stage 3.  I'm not suggesting yours will jump to stage 3, there is a specific reason that mine did.  My radiologist didn't mention a stage but did tell me the size of the lump, that made it at least stage 2, the fact it had also spread made it stage 3.  By saying stage 1 or 2 to you I think your radiologist is going on the lump size and then accounting for a spread and a no spread scenario.

I take it the "95% chance of stage 1 or 2 breast cancer" was said to you by a radiologist?  Not that it matters but the % is silly, basically they've just picked a high number to indicate to you that they are as sure as can be (from their experience) that the lump is breast cancer.  I think they forget that some poeple might think "oh well, 5 of every women that present like me have turned out to not have cancer" and take some hope from that.  Mine didn't bother to do anything silly like picking a % out of thin air (as a mathematician I'd have shot him down in flames :D ) he just said "my gut tells me that what I'm seeing is cancerous".  He had also done a biopsy in my underarm so I knew he thought it had spread and he did confirm that he thought it probably had but wasn't as sure of that so was only tentatively mentioning it.  He was right on both accounts.

That aside you sound like you're approaching it very much as I did, which is to plan ahead and get done the things that it will be harder for you to do once your start treatment.  I also think I found that way of approaching it helpful in not getting down (I am treated for severe depression anyway).

Although it's an American Site, I liked www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-stage-0-and-stage-1 because of the videos, but you just have to be aware that some things will be different (staging is the same as the UK as far as I can tell).  Cancer Research's own pages on breast cancer are here www.cancerresearchuk.org/.../breast-cancer and are really incredibly useful.

Try not to get too attached to what you've currently been told.  If there has been any spread then that ups your chances of needing chemotherapy and obviously that's a whole other thing to radiotherapy.  So in terms of what to expect I'd say wait till you hear which it will be (it might be both, at different times obviously).

Still, having had my first chemo for bc stage 3 just over a week ago I have to say I've been very well the whole time really.  There have been symptoms at times but nothing like what I put up with on a daily basis due to other conditions anyway.  I'm happy, getting on with life, started my new job (employer has been great and I just am to phone in each day to say if I will be in or not, given that I'm new to this and have no idea what each day is going to bring).

My mum had chemo second time around (decades later) but coped very well with lumpectomy and radiotherapy the first time around.

Both make you tired, but that's to be expected so don't go committing yourself to things now that are happening in the nearish future.  Start looking after your skin now (drink at least 2 litres of fluid a day, preferably water of course) and moisturise morning and night, that will help with both treatments.  Get yourself as well as you can be now, good sleep etc.

And when you know what treatment it is to be then let us know and there will be plenty of tips to come your way, it's a great crowd on here :)  I've found them invaluable.

Also, something I hadn't thought about till a friend raised it... do you have critical illness cover? or anything associated with your mortgage that pays out if you get an illness like this?  Obviously they are all different, but certainly some of them will make a payout on a grade 1 breast cancer.  If you have something like that then do the paperwork before you start to get tired, it's easier.

Finally, when my mum first got ill my dad had completely forgotten they have private health insurance with his work (neither were ever ill and it had been in place over two decades).  Another friend forgot they had it automatically through their bank account. It's funny the things people forget but always worth running through the possibilities in your head.

Let us know how you get on on Wednesday.

LJx  (Scottish, but lives in Jersey, and yes, you're in good hands with Ninewells)

Hi Grove, I found a lump was sent to hospital and had core biopsies went for results to be told inconclusive but needed lumpectomy with in 4 weeks. Had it done two weeks later. Thankfully it came back benign. I am now 6 weeks post op, I had 3 weeks off work as do heavy lifting. I had a risk assessment done which is still running. After a day at work my breast feels achey but no pain. I am still wearing a sports bra which helps x 

Hi Beachbabe, great that your lump is benign, and thanks for details of timescales, and for the tips - a sports bra sounds like a good idea, x

Thanks Twintwo. These are all great tips, and I'll definitely check out if I have any cover. I'm already checking over my finances and cutting unnecessary items in case it's a long haul, although I'm finding the shock of my likely diagnosis  has made me feel very tired, so I'm much less effective than usual.

I'll post again when I get results, x

Let us know how things are going or if you just want to chat x

I'm in a good phase at the moment but not at work due to the pain in my back and legs from the immune system booster injection so I have the energy to do Google searches and things like that.  If you need anything like that doing drop me a message, I found it quite tiring searching for things online, reading computer screens made my head very heavy.

Hope you pick up soon, but honestly, just shout, I like searching for things online :D

LJx