I am 50 and found lump 2 weeks ago have my appointment tomorrow. Sooo anxious and worried have tried to keep it together through christmas but now I am struggling
I said I would come back and update after my breast clinic appt today. Looks like I am one of the less lucky ones as was told today it looks like breast cancer and to prepare for that when I get my biopsy results. However I am feeling quite positive as looks like it was caught early and shows the value of the national screening programme. The staff today were absolutely amazing and made me feel so cared for and relaxed. The nurse who looked after me told me they found something on my left breast they wanted to look at more closely. I then had a more detailed mammogram than the screening one and had to wait while that was reviewed by the consultant radiologist. I was taken to see her (she was just so lovely - great bedside manner) and she had the images up on the screen to show me (quite weird seeing your boobs in all their glory lol) and showed me my last mammogram from 2 years ago when I was still on the family history screening programme. She then pulled up my national screening one from December to show what had changed and said after the more detailed one done today she was now satisfied that concern was all fine. However, today's mammogram had identified a new area of concern - described as an incidental finding as they weren't looking for it. When I then told her it was in the same place as I had recently noticed some puckering/tethering of the skin she went "ahh OK" and I showed her when I raised my arms during the she said that was concerning. She then did the ultrasound and that confirmed the new suspicious area matched where I had skin distortion. Next she took four biopsies which sounds like a staple gun but didn't hurt once they gave local anaesthetic to the area. She sat me back down and said it does look like cancer but good news is that it is small (15mm on mammogram but only 10mm on ultrasound) and the nodes in my armpit all felt and scanned as if clear (phew). She started talking about surgery and radiation therapy being most likely but treatment plan would be discussed with me at results meeting with surgeon. The nurse then took me back to a room for a cup of tea and a chat about how I was feeling. A bit shocked but also not in another way as I had a feeling it was cancer. I feel oddly quite positive because it looks to have been caught early. Yay for screening and being that 1 in 100 women that screening picks up. And even more so in that it wasn't what they were planning to investigate today. Now it is just a waiting game for full diagnosis and treatment plan. I appreciate this is a long post but I was so hungry for info while I was waiting for my assessment clinic so I hope this is of help to others xx
Thank you for updating I have been thinking of you. I'm so sorry it was not the news you wanted. I hope you get everything back so you know what treatment and the plan is. It is very lucky that you were called back and today's was found as it sounds like it is very small and caught early which is the most important thing. I hope your ok and you have support at home. I am thinking of you keep positive my aunt had treatment 30 years ago and she is still great. Keep positive and take care xxxx
Thank you so much for taking the time, after what must have been a very stressful day, to update us. I'm so sorry that it wasn't positive news. Hopefully as you say, a positive is that it has been picked up early. Once you have a definite diagnosis and treatment plan in place, hopefully you'll be able to get your head around it all a little better. Hang onto the fact that it has been discovered early and treatment for you may not need to be as radical as others. I would love to keep in touch, if you would like to and have the time. Take care my lovely xx
Hi Janeylou and mumofteen, thanks very much for your kind words. I had a call this morning to say my results appointment has been set for the morning of Friday 15 January. The hospital doesn't generally allow anyone in with you to receive results and I didn't push for it as I understand the challenges with Covid, but the receptionist voluntarily told me to check on the day if it is possible as it depends on the space on the day for social distancing. Would be nice if my husband could be there. I have to wait in the car and then they call me to say the surgeon is free - a way of managing in the pandemic. Better than standing in the cold outside the unit yesterday which was freezing cold! Mumofteen that woud be lovely to keep in touch - not sure how the private messaging thing works on here as I am new to this forum. xx
Hi, positive that you have had some news this morning, hopefully you can have someone there when you speak to the consultant/surgeon. For me, I find a second ear is useful to pick up things that I may miss, especially under times of stress. I am also new to this forum and have requested you as a friend so that we can pm. I hope that okay. Always here if you feel like a chat. Xx
That would be good if you could have have your husband with you I agreed with mumofteen that someone with you helps. Thinking of you and keep positive hard at times I know but sounds like this is tiny and caught so early. I will also send private message to keep in touch always there for a chat sometimes helps when it is someone that isnt a family member. Take care thinking of you now and for the 15th xxx keep positive x
Hi Janeylou, that is nice of you to check in on me :-) Bit of a roller coaster to be fair. I was feeling quite chipper last week when they identified that the lump is small (10mm) but the waiting to get the actual result this Friday on the biopsy is sending my mind to all sorts of places. They seemed certain at the Breast Clinic last week that it would be confirmed as cancerous and said good news that my lymph nodes seemed clear, but said I need to obviously find out what Grade it is and whether slow growing or fast etc. I'll find that sort of stuff out at my appt on Friday with the breast surgeon which is 10.30am. I think what has set me off a bit this week is seeing the impact of surging Covid on hospital capacity and seeing that cancer operations are being cancelled or postponed in London or the South East. I live in the South West where it is not quite as bad but we are getting a really big uplift where I am at the moment really freaks me out that my treatment plan may be delayed because of people who are not following the Covid rules. I was talking with my Mum in New Zealand last night (she had breast cancer four years ago) and she is quite upset at the idea of how Covid is impacting people with other health conditions (like cancer) here in the UK. She's my Mum and she can't help worrying but it is actually just making me feel more worried because she is!. My late Dad always used to say "there is no point worrying about things you cannot change" and I think I just have to agree and keep fingers crossed for a slow-growing cancer and not too many delays to treatment. Will learn all of that on Friday I guess. And on other fronts, I am just so envious of family and friends living in NZ who are living lives without any restrictions at all - they are Covid free and having a lovely summer. I kind of wish I were there right now! Been here 12.5 years but it will always be my home. Gosh -didn't reallse I was going to write such a long message. I am terribly distracted at work - my team know I went off to a medical appointment last week and know I have another one coming up. Will have to tell them and other colleagues next week I think once I have a definite understanding of what I am facing. Hope you are doing well and surviving lockdown OK xx
