I have been to see my GP today after 2 weeks of continual pain in my breasts with some nipple discharge. She got me to lay down and informed me they are really lumpy and asked if this is normal for me, which it's not.  I'm adopted but do know my birth mothers mum died of breast cancer which added a few more alarm bells to my head. She told me she will be writing to the breast surgeon to get me an appointment so now I'm worrying. What is the average timescale between referral and appointment?  Am I panicking too early? 
Emily x

Hi Emily,

A very warm welcome to our forum.

I am sorry to hear that your GP has felt it necessary to refer you to the breast clinic. Try not to let this worry you, as only 1 person in every 8 referred will get a cancer diagnosis. You don't say what age you are, but many young women also have naturally lumpy breasts.

You will usually be seen at the clinic within 2 weeks from referral. Panic won't change your outcome, so try to stay calm.  You will find that keeping busy will help to pass the time as your're waiting.

You may have some tests taken when you are at the clinic and it usually takes 1-2 weeks to get the results of these back. It is not usually until this stage that you can be sure that all is clear.

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

Keeping my fingers crossed for good news.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hiya everyone    I'm lisa    I've been reading these for a while.. I am 41 and a few months ago I starting having pain in my breast I thought it was through weight training and over doing it.. but on January 1st I was checking my left breast where I found a lump under my nipple. I'm really ashamed to say I wasnt sure if it was normal or not.    I went to docter and she referred me but said that it moved arround and there was no rough edges.  But I font know I'm not convinced I'm so scared I'm very anxious I've cryed alot . I just think its that dreaded word    how I'm going to cope I dont know 

Hi Lisa.

I first saw my GP on 30th December and was referred to the one-stop breast screening clinic at my local hospital. I receive my results tomorrow and it has been one of the most awful times of my life. One moment I feel okay, the next as though my world is falling apart. You are not alone in how you are feeling. By visiting your GP, you are now tackling this and I wish you the very best. 

Steph

Hi Lisa,

A very warm welcome to our forum. What a rotten start to the New Year! The way you feel is perfectly normal, but it will become easier once you know exactly what you are dealing with. It sounds as if your GP is trying to rule out Breast cacer as much as to diagnose it, so this should be good news. It is reassuring that she didn't find your lesion fixed or with rough edges, so here's hoping that nothing untoward will be found at the breast clinic.

You will normally get your appointment for the breast clinic through within 2 weeks, although this can sometimes take a little longer at present due to the pandemic. There are so many unknowns at this point that it's a scary place to be. If the worst comes to the worst, you will cope because you have no choice. Having said that , here's hoping that you never have to.

Out of every 8 people referred to the clinic, only 1 will get a cancer diagnosis. Please keep in touch and let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Thankyou so much for replying  I'm very scared and really dont know how I'm going to cooe but I have too   thankyou for your kind words it really means alot xxxx lots of love 

Please keep us informed  it brings a little comfort to speak to others going through the same sort of situation   you are not alone    I've cryed for a solid week . Wgat were your symptoms xxx lots of love lisa 

The sudden developing of a lump/mass on the side of my right breast with dumpling/puckering of the skin in December. I have also experienced sharp pain and tingling in the area and in my right arm pit/upper arm. I will update tomorrow evening once I know more. Today has the worst day so far. I am awake all night and sleeping all day. The realisation of what news I could receive tomorrow is sinking in and I just want to vomit. I thought I was mentally prepared, but absolutely not.

Please let us knows how everything goes lots of love lisa xx

Hi MissStephLouise,

I hope that you get good news tomorrow. 

Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Seryn,

We are all scared stiff at this stage, but as I said before, you have a lot of positives from your GP's perceptions. It is so hard to deal with all of the unknowns surrounding you at present, but I am still hoping that you get good news.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi

ive just been reading all these posts. I saw my GP yesterday as I'd had an inverted nipple on and off for a week or two. I couldn't find any lumps so was kind of hoping it would be something and nothing. Unfortunately she found a lump that she thought was about 1cm and sent an urgent referral through to the breast clinic for me

Today I'm just in bits - can't concentrate on work, keep bursting into tears, feel sick with worry. The GP has said it could be 2-3 weeks before I get an appointment and I just know how I'm going to cope until then.

I can see I'm not alone in feeling so scared though from reading all your posts. Any ideas how I get through the next couple of weeks? Apart from my husband I've told no one because I don't feel able to talk about it without crying - I'm crying just typing this. 

Hi

ive just been reading all these posts. I saw my GP yesterday as I'd had an inverted nipple on and off for a week or two. I couldn't find any lumps so was kind of hoping it would be something and nothing. Unfortunately she found a lump that she thought was about 1cm and sent an urgent referral through to the breast clinic for me

Today I'm just in bits - can't concentrate on work, keep bursting into tears, feel sick with worry. The GP has said it could be 2-3 weeks before I get an appointment and I just know how I'm going to cope until then.

I can see I'm not alone in feeling so scared though from reading all your posts. Any ideas how I get through the next couple of weeks? Apart from my husband I've told no one because I don't feel able to talk about it without crying - I'm crying just typing this. 

Hi Treaclepud,

A very warm welcome to our forum.

This is always a great shock to the system and our minds tend to go into overdrive whilst we are waiting. Having read some of our posts, you will realise that it is not at all uncommon to feel as you do just now. Crying is not such a bad thing, as it helps to relieve some of your stress. 

You will normally be seen within 2 weeks from referral, although there may be some slight delays due to the current pandemic situaton. Try to keep yourself busy to distract yourself from the wait and, whatever you do, steer clear of the internet. Whatever the outcome, you will feel better once you know exactly what you are dealing with.

Please let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Thank you for replying. I'm trying to avoid googling 'breast cancer' as I know there's going to be so much information that it will just encourage my stress levels up and up. 
 

Two weeks seems like such a long time - I know it's not but at the moment I'm so worried I can't imagine how I'll get through that amount of time. 
 

But I know all of the people on here have had the same wait and coped, I think I just need to get my head around the whole idea that I may have breast cancer. Like you say - it's the not knowing that's the worst, once I know then at least you can start to deal with it x

Hi Treaclepud,

The wait is never easy. I have had 2 bouts of breast cancer in the past 11 years and have been waiting since October to be seen, in case it has returned again. I was seen on 5th January and now have to go through a barrage of tests before I know the outcome, so I know only too well how scary the wait can be.

Many of us are in denial at your stage. We hear about cancer, but never expect to find it at our own door. I know that the wait seems interminable, but you will get through it.

Many people don't tell anyone until they get a definite diagnosis. Eventually, you'll find it a help to be able to talk to others about it.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Oh my goodness, poor you! I can't imagine how you coped waiting from October through to January and still waiting now. I hope you get positive news soon xxx

Hi Treaclepud,

It has been a long time. I have a bone scan tomorrow. This is my first test, so fingers crossed that it will be ok.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

I have an appointment for Friday 22nd Jan so a week to go which I know is quick. Some of the time I feel quite calm and positive and then in the next minute I'm in tears

but I'm lucky to have an appt so quickly, just got to keep my mind occupied and myself busy until then

How did your bone scan go today? When will you get your results or have you had them already (sorry, I'm a bit clueless about all of this so I don't know how long it all takes)

fingers crossed for you that it's gone well xx

Hi Treaclepud,

It is perfectly normal to find your emotions yo-yoing as they are. You have been lucky to get your appointment through so quickly. I am glad to hear that you have got a date through for the breast clinic. I know that the possibilities overshadow everything just now. Try to keep yourself busy with a project of some sort until then. The more you can distract yourself from the wait the better.

I'm always here if you want to chat.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Treaclepud,

Thanks for asking. My scan went well today, once they managed to find a vein, which was a bit of a problem. It will take about 2 weeks before I get the results.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Oh gosh, that's a long 2 weeks, I'll have everything crossed for you

To keep me occupied ive started knitting the rest of a cardigan that I've been knitting on and off for a year . Maybe this was just the push I needed to finish it.... xxx