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Mum is going through diagnosis - looking for insight

FreddyH
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Hey everyone, 

 

I apologise in advance for my ignorance. 

 

Pretty much my mum is in the process of getting a detailed diagnosis but is suspected by her consultant of having breast cancer. 

 

She just recently had her mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy but we are still awaiting the biopsy results to confirm what type / stage it is. The doctor didn’t fully confirm cancer but heavily suggested that it was and said things to my mum like, “ this is not what we wanted to see” and “you need to have an operation under your arm and your breast - but we will look after you and we can manage this”. 

 

I should add that my mums symptoms are a large lump behind her nipple. It seemed to of just appeared over night. She also complains of an infection / puss kind of taste in her mouth. She has no discharge, any dimpling or any of the “common” signs and symptoms of breast cancer. It is a lemon size lump. She doesn’t find it painful unless it is examined or touched. for example the ultra sound was painful for her. 

 

Her mammogram showed a large lump but also thickening in her lymph nodes. She had 2 biopsies on her breast and 3 on her lymph nodes. 

 

I wanted to ask a few questions regarding my mums current situation: 

 

has anyone had a similar experience with a clinic and had the biopsy results come back clear? Even after having the consultant suggest cancer. 

 

Can they be almost certain it is cancer without the biopsy results? 

 

Does anyone know how fast cancer can spread? Can it go from your breast into your lymph nodes in 2 weeks? A month? I can’t find any information anywhere on how quickly cancer can spread. 

 

Thankyou in advance and I really appreciate any shared experiences. Our world has been rocked with the possibility of my mum being diagnosed and just looking for some insight, as were in the diagnosis limbo and understandably very worried. 

 

 

 

 

  • Offline

    Hello

    I am really sorry you find yourself here.

    My first biopsy came back clear but they missed the tumour, the second confirmed the diagnosis of cancer. My team knew it was cancer without the biopsy confirming it. 

    Thickened or enlarged lymph nodes would suggest an abnormality and she might not be able to feel them. I couldn't feel mine they appeared on a chance scan. 

    The type.of cancer depends on how quick it spreads. Some cancers are slow and class as grade 1. Some cancers are fed by hormones or a protein and some are fed by none. Mine is triple negative which is grade 3 because it grows very quickly, and it is not fed by hormones or protein and mine grew to quite the problem in the space of 3 weeks but it is incredibly rare.

    It's awful waiting but the best advice I can give you is to write down everything you want to ask:

    Type 

    Grade

    Lymph nodes involvement

    Treatment plan  - could be chemo then surgery then radiotherapy or surgery then chemo then radiotherapy

    If surgery what surgery? Lumpectomy or mastectomy?

    Your mum will need loads of TLC right now, breast cancer treatments havee improved so much, surgery and chemo are totally doable and much less scary than you think. Forums like this will give you loads of tips and advice, but until that diagnosis, go and do as much normal as you possibly can. Once you are in the washing machine cycle that is cancer treatment its a permanent spin. I wish I'd done a lot more when I was well and hadn't been diagnosed instead of spending that fortnight worrying about what was to come. Because if its coming it is coming anyway and there is nothing you can do to stop it.  So go and plan some happy things to make some good times.to sustain her. 

     

     

     

  • Offline

    No advice to offer I'm afraid Freddy but just to say my thoughts are with you all. I'm going through a similar thing with my mum; we go tomorrow for the results of last week's biopsy. A truly scarey time but let's just keep putting one foot in front of the other and deal with each day as it comes - that's what I keep telling Mum (and myself)

    with every good wish for your Mum's care  J

  • Offline in reply to Gistaline

    Hey, 

     

    Thankyou so much for your reply, and I’m sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I really appreciate you sharing your experience, unfortunately it sounds very similar to my mums in the sense of how fast it has grown. Her lump went from the size of a marble to the size of a small lemon within about 6 weeks, and the thickening of the lymph nodes is clear on the scan and this all came about less than 2 months ago.  I’m just hoping and praying for the best and doing everything I can to support her and keeping her happy and positive. I’m planning on doing some things with her this week like taking her to see a film and I brought her some flowers yesterday which she loved. We go on walks daily too where we can talk about loads of stuff and that really helps in keeping her up and avoids the ruminating when waiting for biopsy results. Thankyou for your wisdom, and I truly hope you have the best possible outcome with your treatment. :) 

  • Offline in reply to pojo33

    Hey J, 

     

    thankyou for your response. And yes it’s very hard but important to just get through the wait as positively as you can. I pray your mums results come back clear - please update me on the outcome :) 

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