Hi BigJean,

A very warm welcome to our forum, although I'm sorry for the reason you've joined. I hope that your results on Tuesday can help to put your mind at rest. Even if the news is not so good, it helps to know what the next moves are and puts a more positive slant on things.

I suspect that the pain in your back is consequential to your diagnosis. We always seem to think the worst and develop all sorts of additional symptoms. In most cases this seems to be due to stress.

I have lost my mum to breast cancer and, have had 2 bouts myself within the past 9 years. Waiting for results is always one of the most stressful times of a cancer journey. Try to keep yourself distracted by other pursuits and do your best to stay away from Google. The fact that you are healthy and have never smoked, should stand you in good stead with any treatment needed.

Do please keep in touch and let us know how you get on on Tuesday. We are always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine ,

thank you for your kind words . I’m so sorry you lost your mum and you going through it twice . I am not going to let it get me down just back from a big walk with my family and I feel great . That’s the weird thing I don’t feel sick at all . 

I’ll let you know how I get on on Tuesday but I am ready to fight 

talk soon xx

Hi mejules. Great name by the way 

I asked for mastectomy after first lumpectomy and surgeon said not yet wait and see how this goes  so fingers crossed it’s good 

I overdid it yesterday I went for a walk through fields with kids and had to climb gates and roll under electric wires and I paid for it last night I was all sore in my shoulder blades and arm 

my lady run was before first lumpectomy and boy do I miss it  I’m not ready yet for walks but Chen this drain is out and I’m not stronger I’ll walk the roads  before the next hurdle maybe radiotherapy or chemo I’ve yet to b told 

mine is invasive lobular stage 2 oes pos her2 neg   So I’ll b on tamoxifen as well at some stage  

take care and mind yourself plenty ibuprofen I find these good with gapapentin for nerve pain. 

Take care all 

Hi Jolamine 

thanks for your advice and honesty  You have come a long way with this. Yes with anything left in margin  you would not rest easy.  I’m like that now but the surgeon was clear that my boob was so busy it was like s time bomb   He said at their meeting 5 other surgeons recommended mastectomy so I guess I’m off to theatre again.   The op it self apparently will. Easier then nodes so at least that.  I will prob need to tell kids at this point as up to now I’ve been saying cysts and gland removed.  

The mri showed other boob ok but I’m beginning to worry now as all this was not seen on mri. 

 I’ll run again for sure just maybe not for a bit but loads of walking in the fresh air will suffice for now.   

Do u think I’ll need radiotherapy if I have a mastectomy   

It’s nice to b drain free for now 

i hope the op is soon they said June 10 but sooner hopefully.   

Regards 

‍♀️

Hi Swiperbaby,

You are really going through the mill aren't you? If it's of any consolation to you, I found my double mastectomy easier to cope with than my lumpectomy. You don't always need radiotherapy after a mastectomy (I didn't), but if your boob is that 'busy', your oncologist may decide to do a belt and braces job just to be absolutely sure. Your should draw up a list of questions for your next visit, as your oncologist will know what was decided at the MDT meeting. I still do this for every appointment, even after attending the clinic for 10 years.

I have mucinous cancer and that doesn't always show up on mammogram or ultrasound. My routine mammogram missed my lump, although it did show up on mammogram and ultrasound at the breast clinic. I paid privately for a thermoscan, just to reassure myself.

You are probably best to tell the kids as soon as you can. They are old enough to be aware that something is amiss and, you don't want then finding out by overhearing something that they shouldn't. A cancer diagnosis affects the whole family and, you are best to approach this with a positive attitude, where you can all fight it together.

So, you have another wait until 10th June. Let's hope that this is a case of third time lucky. I don't envy you the wait. Do your best to keep as busy as you can to distract yourself.

I shall be thinking of you on 10th and hope that all goes well.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine, 

thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement. I’ve decided I’m going to take your and WL advice and have it shaved off as you said I will feel more in control of it then . 

Had second AC yesterday v long day in hospital was there at 9.30 didn’t get out till 4.30 was v busy . Felt grand yesterday just tired . Fell grand again this morning taking all anti sickness tablets so far so good . 

Can I run something by you ladies ???

my friend also recently diagnosed with BC , she’s a few weeks behind me starting treatment she’s the same type as I have . She was offered clinical trial along with her treatment. 

I met her at the hospital yesterday she’s in great form and I’m very happy for her . 

She kinda got me a bit depressed yesterday, I I was talking to her about my meeting with the oncologist and how mine went , I told her he told me mine was curable. My husband also was there too so I wasn’t dreaming it !! 

She said he would never say that because people would be suing the hospital if that was the case . We are both under same oncologist. 

I just felt v down after she said this to me . I don’t think she meant it in a bad way but it just got to me . 

Sorry to rant on . 

Take care 

j xxxx

Hi BigJean,

Shaving your hair sounds like a good idea. As you say, it puts you back in the driving seat.

I'm so glad to hear that you feel better this time around. I see where your friend is coming from, but I'm not sure that she is right. I know that we live in a litigous world, but both of my surgeons assured me that my cancer was curable too. I also had my hubby with me, so he heard this as well.

With the way that a cancer diagnosis wrecks our emotions, oncologists are happy to give us any good news they can. We know that there is no guarantee and, I think that it might be difficult to sue on this basis.

Try not to let this get you down. You are feeling very fragile at the moment and it is very easy to upset you as a result. There are many people on here who have had the same reassurance and, are still with us many years down the line.

We are here any time you want to rant.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jean. 

If it makes you feel a bit better, my breast surgeon says he never says curable, only treatable. 

Hi 

I am so pleased to hear that you feel much better on this cycle.  Let me know how your head shave goes. Mines booked in next Thursday assuming I feel ok from Chemo; if it goes ahead!!!!  

In terms of your friend, you heard what you heard, there are loads of people having loads of conversations about their own personal circumstances. Mine said that I should have normal life expectancy, that to me is a good thing so I’m going to hang onto that.  The whole suing thing is interesting as I was talking to my breast nurse about complimentary therapies as I think I’m going to try reiki and she said done be upset if they get you sign a disclaimer as some people are worried that they will get sued, how ridiculous, but it’s the world we are in I guess.  

Try not to overthink it, as I say to my boys when someone says something to them that upsets them blow up your virtual balloon put inside and let it float away (pretending to blow up a balloon and let it go is optional).

Take it easy and look after yourself.

X

Hi jolamine

I hadn’t realised you had been battling for ten years I’m so sorry to hear that but what I can say is how I find you so positive and caring to all us asking so many questions along our journey and even when I was having a meltdown at the beginning saying I know it was stage four And it had spread you were always so understanding yet rationale about my feelings. For that I always read your comments on WL and bigjeans threads too. You are an awesome lady and thank you for taking time out of your own journey to try and alleviate our fears.

Hi WL , 

im in much better form today . Not going to let it get me down. Feeling great after chemo this weekend taking plenty of anti sickness tablets and they working great .

am getting my head shaved tomorrow my hair coming out very quickly today and it’s annoying me now , 

hope you start your treatment this week and you best of luck with your head shave too . 

Talk soon xxxxxxx

Hi WL , 

im in much better form today . Not going to let it get me down. Feeling great after chemo this weekend taking plenty of anti sickness tablets and they working great .

am getting my head shaved tomorrow my hair coming out very quickly today and it’s annoying me now , 

hope you start your treatment this week and you best of luck with your head shave too . 

Talk soon xxxxxxx

Hi everyone 

Thought I would let you know that I started Chemo today, my wound still isn’t healed but we decided we needed to get going otherwise delaying it further could impact on the outcome for the cancer. 

Bigjean, my onco said today that mine is treatable and curable... thought I would let you know as it is language they would use.

I have had a really long sleep, and I’ve got a lot of tablets to take and I have to do some injections for 5 days starting Thursday, not really looking forward to that but needs must. And regular visits to the nurse to have my dressing changed. 

How did the head shave go? 

Take care.

WL

Hi Woolylamb,

I'm glad to hear that you are on your way at last. Here's hoping that your wound heals up soon.

I hope that all goes well with your chemo and that you don't have the same bother as BigJean had to start with. Be good to yourself and rest/sleep when you need to.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

hi WL 

good news you have started your chemo And good to hear your cancer is both treatable and curable.

hope your wound heals quickly and chemo doesn’t swipe you off your feet too much me lovely x

take it easy and take care of you x

Hi WL, 

great to hear you have started on your treatment. 

Thank you for your words of encouragement too that your oncologist said . 

I tool the plunge and got my hair shaved, I felt much more in control as it was very upsetting as it had started to come out quite a lot over the weekend. It feels a bit weird with the hair gone but hey it will grow back . 

Take as much anti sickness tablets as you need and get plenty of rest and drink lots of water. 

Take care of yourself. 

Xxxxxx

Hi big jean

i was thinking ahead about when my chemo journey starts if to shave and take control rather than wait and after reading your journey I think I will follow your choice. I hope you are ok and resting x

take care 

Hi Mejules , 

I’m so glad I did it . I thought I would have been upset but I wasn’t my Hairdresser did it for me , my husband was there with us we ended up having a good laugh ( he told me it took years off me !! ) . 

The tiredness has hit me big time but am feeling really good . 

Hope you are keeping well too and resting. 

Take care xxxx

Hi big jean

That sounds - not sure this is the right word -  lovely and I would likely my partner and kids there too. To be part of the journey. I am toying with the idea of going quite short now I’m readiness for the shave.

glad you are not feeling too bad albeit very tired x 

take care

Hi BigJean,

I'm glad to hear that you have done the deed and that you feel good about it. It's almost like taking ownership and control back over your own body, rather than leaving it to fall out as and when it likes.

I'm glad that your hubby went along to the hairdressers with you and that you had a good laugh about it all. Sorry to hear about the tiredness - that's one thing that I haven't found a cure for. Just give in to your body's needs and rest/sleep whenever you need to.

Thinking of you.

Jolamine xx

Hi Mejules , 

i still have a bit of “stubble “ , so not too drastic! 

It was good to have my husband there as support even though he did try to put me off doing it . 

Best of luck with yours and let me know how it goes  

j xx

Hi Jolamine, 

yes im v glad I did it now and your are right I feel much more in control. 

I can cope with the tiredness just about it’s hard to have to give in to my body’s telling me I need rest when I never sit still !! But it could be worse and I’m thankful I’m able to rest when I need to . 

Thank you as always for your lovely message. 

Hope all well with you 

j xxx