Hi Rachel, 

Sorry to hear your news. It truly rocks your world when you are first diagnosed. 
 

I was diagnosed on 24th March with IDC stage 2b grade 3. Mine had spread to one of my twenty lymph nodes so I had to have a lumpectomy and full lymph node clearance. Thankfully it hadn't spread to any of my other organs. The waiting for the results from the scans to confirm this was definitely the worst time. 
 

My op went smoothly and they managed to remove all the cancer with clear margins. If you just have a lumpectomy the op is not so bad. The lymph nodes being removed just makes the recovery a bit longer. 
 

I am now half way through chemo and can't believe how quickly it's gone. I'm on EC and Docetaxol. EC did make me feel quite sick for the first two rounds but the third one they gave me better anti sickness tablets which were amazing. I felt totally normal after! It's not as frightening as you think. 
 

ive has to have a pic line fitted though so the chemo drugs have ruined my veins so they can't get blood out of them anymore.... I was petrified about the pic line but it was fine... wish I had had it from the start tbh! 
 

I will have to have 5/6 weeks of radiotherapy and then 10 years of hormone tablets too.  
 

I have been on a huge emotional rollercoaster and having this all happen in lockdown without my mum by my side hasn't been easy at all. I am very lucky though as I have the most incredible husband and kids (7 and 14) Lockdown and cancer has brought us closer beyond our imagination. It may be the worst thing to happen to you, but actually sometimes it can make you have a newfound passion for life too! 
 

If you want to ask me anything about tests/scans/ops/chemo etc please don't hesitate. I'll try and help as much as I can. 
 

Try for now to rest as much as you can and not worry. Demand for tests to be done ASAP and chase tests results up as I found this sped things up a lot for me.

Take care. 
Amanda xxx