Hi Salsal and Molly,
If either of you need a good ‘listening ear’ then please feel free to phone the helpline, the staff are here to support you though this. Lines are open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm and Sat 9am-2pm calls are free, 0808 800 6000.
Take care.
Jo, Facilitator
hi sal and molly… i remember feeling like you both at first too… when everything is so new and all you know is you have cancer but now how good or bad it is and you go through every scenario from they have made a mistake to not making it to next year.
im less concerned about the side effects of treatment if im honest and more concerned with it coming back… i think we all fear different things from the chemo…im worried about feeling sick but no so concerned about being a baldy.
not all chemo makes you lose your hair but most of the ones given for BC do… but you could try the cold cap which is basically a frozen hat that gives you brain freeze that you wear for 2 hours… but it doesnt guarantee you wont lose your hair, but for some people it helps… you can get an NHS wig too… im going to get mine fitted on thursday morning and get first chemo thurs afternoon.
im also on facebook lulu L if anybody wants to add me.
hi lulu, im on fb too i will add you xx
Hi I am also 43 with three children and have recently been diagnosed - I have had therapeutic mammoplasty but have to go back to have a mastectomy as more areas were found in the tissue taken. i also had full axillary clearance as sentinel node was found to be infected and have 4 nodes positive of 23. I have had a Ct scan and a bone scan booked for next week then chemo, rads and tamoxifen. Not bad considering the original dx was a lumpectomy and rads. I have been so terrified by the whole thing that eventually my Gp gave me something to calm my nerves and my BCN rings me to see how I am - she has been wonderful. I too thought life was ticking along quite normally until this and now I cant imagine any type of normality again.
Denise
denise i have had to have something off my gp too to help calm me… its more difficult to deal with when they tell you one thing then something worse happens.
luckily my surgeon is great and generally tells me all the negatives although this time round i do tent to clutch at straws if they say something positive and then get disappointed when its a negative answer.
hope your CT and bone scan go well… it is a scary time and im not gonna tell you to be positive just want you to know im thinking of you and sending you hugs and hoping its good news (((hugs)))
Lulu x
Lulu
Thank you so much - I have just heard that the CT scan was clear so bone scan to go now - but feel very thankful for something positive to hang onto. I should have a date for second surgery soon and feel that I just want to move forward. But in the meantime whilst I am off work I’m going to try and take the positive and enjoy the hols with my kids.
Molly
my diagnosis was very similar to yours, and although I had reduction on the other side to my cancer, the results were benign. I now have to go back in for mastectomy on cancerous side. Because I had infected nodes then chemo it is but I do feel at the moment I will take anything they can give me to get rid of it. I might feel different when I start to lose my hair etc etc
Are you a Molly ? or do you have a little Molly as i also have a daughter called Molly!
Denise
Hello Ladies,
I just came accross your posts and wanted to send you all good wishes, I was diagnosed May last year and had the full works treatment wise. The ‘try and stay positive’ thing is frankly a tricky thing to get into your head whilst under extreme stress but amazingly you will find moments of it.
Take all the help you can get,I am a very independant person but I found myself looking for help from family and friends and towards the end of my treatment this website. Eight months I had visiting hospitals and now for the moment I am feeling quite human and fit again, you too will feel like that soon, look forward, you will get there.
Best wishes
Gilly x
Gilly
Thank you so much, I have a friend who is pretty much at a similar stage to you and she seems to be feeling much the same. i so look forward to that. I have always been someone who never wanted to be ‘normal’ but i absolutely crave normality now, how ironic! Mind you I suppose that depends on whatever my perception of normal is!!
Lulu I just read through the thread and i dont know if this is of any interest but…
I was diagnosed just as my daughter sat her GCSEs and my doctor has written a letter to the examining board via her school and they apparently (although I dont know the ins and outs) uplift her mark by a certain percentage. I dont know if the system is the same for you but just thought you might like to know.
The sun is shining here and we are off for fish and chips at the coast. I hope you all have a good evening
Denise x
thanks for that momo ill look into it… but im not sure if that happens in scotland i think they just take their prelims into account but she has mental health problems too and was quite ill at the time of her prelims so didnt do so well then either… she may have done better than she thinks though… and theres always next year.
so glad to hear your good news with your CT scan. i had a bone scan last week too and was a bit nervous about the results as the nurse said at the time it looked fine but had to go back two days later for a cardiac scan and when i asked he when the bone scan results would be available she said she wasnt able to tell me whether ir was ok or not… so started to panic cos she had told me it was ok before… but it was ok thank goodness… and i hope your is too… but its amazing how worried one wee offhand comment can make you feel.
Lulu x
Hi everyone esp Salsal and Molly
Welcome to this site, and I’m just so sorry you have had to join us. You will make some good friends here!! I’m 38, with a 10 month old baby boy and was diagnosed four weeks ago. Have had two ops since, a lumpectomy and then a week later I had 6 lumph nodes taken (there are 20 under each arm). Lymph nodes came back clear so that was a good sign.
Tumour that was removed was fairly small meaning I’d caught it really early (pure luck!!) but it was a Grade 2, meaning fairly aggressive. I’m due to start radiotherapy at Edinburgh (two hours away) on 20th July, and will have to stay up there Mon-Fri for four weeks - gonna be so hard leaving my baby behind : ( My oncologist is still waiting for one hormone test result coming back, but says she is 99% confident that I won’t have to have chemo. If the test comes back saying something different, I will just have to deal with that then.
As others have said, you will find great strength on here. I can’t believe how many others are in the same position as me. I know how truly alone you can feel when first diagnosed - even with fantastic friends and family around - they don’t really understand how you are feeling. After a few weeks though, things do start to sink in, but you will always have a friendly ear on here.
I am also on FB (Shenagh Davidson - the only one!)if you want to add me (I’ve already got a few BCC friends on there) and it is so nice to see everyone’s photos.
Love, hugs and positive vibes to you all xxx
Hi all,
Thanks again for all your comments. One of the things that struck me the most when I first found out I had BC was how alone I felt and certainly coming onto this site I have found such incredible support from everyone. It really makes me feel more positive reading everyones messages and well wishes and although it doesnt change my situation it certainly lifts my spirits and makes me determined to be positive and fight this all the way !
Well I had my op on Thursday and came home yesterday. Am feeling fine…bit battered and bruised but other than that Im doing ok. Just feel so relieved that the cancer is out of me…wanna get better now and move onto whatever is next. Got to go back to the hosptial on 9th July to learn what the lymph nodes have told them and what treatment I face…not looking forward to that but I figured if i go expecting chemo and radio then I hopefully wont hear much worse than that…fingers crossed.
Its tough trying to recover with a 2yr and 5yr old…they both still want me to do everything for them and Im finding it hard to take a back seat whilst others do it…have to keep reminding myself I need to get better first and then I can be the mum I want to be again.
Keep me updated with any progress on your treatments…its nice to know Im not going through it on my own and good to hear how all upbeat you are (most of the time)
Take care Sally xxxx
hi sally, What was your surgery? i have a bilateral mast on friday morning… i am so afraid xxx
I had a lumpectomy and full removal of all the lymph nodes (cos I had a suspicious looking one).
Not feeling too bad at all really…just a bit sore and uncomfortable…but just relieved the BC is out…and that will be you after Friday !!
How are you coping now…are you feeling any more positive ?
All the best for Friday. Let me know how you get on.
xx
hi salsal,
firstly, so sorry to hear of your diagnosis. i was diagnosed on 6th jan this year, im 26 and no history so also a massive shock.
ive had lumpectomy and removal or 4 lymph nodes, getting my last of 6 doses of chemo this thursday and start radiotherapy for 4 weeks on 20th july.
Its going to be a massive life changing thing and remain that way till you get your head round it but i didnt think id get to this stage and its came so fast. yes there are hard times ahead but if you surround yourself with loved ones and all the positivity you need you will perhaps be surprised how strong you are.both physically and mentally.
fell free to pm me if you wanna chat
stay strong honey!
love Brienne xxx
hi sally,
yes im all prepared for friday now… bags packed, i am soo looking forward to both being taken off… its like a phsycological thing ‘the cancer’ has gone!!! the treatment i will deal with after… if we can get through first being told then we are such strong people… this website tend to scare me a little bit so try not to access it much these days. im on facebook if you are ??? fantastic news your clear… just the treatment but its gone now… just the healing process!!! if ever you want to text r chat i have private messaged u my mobile number, being lovely listening to your journey…
take care
molly xx
Hi Molly
I have had bilateral reduction 4 weeks ago but because of future risk now have to go back and have mastectomy waiting for surgery date before starting chemo and radio and tamoxifen. Send you lots of best wishes for your surgery
x
Hi Just posted this on another thread But wanted to say Hi here too.
Sorry for the late reply to the thread but just wanted to say Hi to everyone.
Like everyone here i’m young(ish) 39, have 3 children 11,10 and 3. The 3 year old is a mummy’s girl and wont allow anyone but me to put her to bed etc which is hard but she know’s no different.
I’ve had 2 ops and various tests and start chemo on wednesday.
Hope to chat more to all of you that i’m not in touch with already as more friends for help and advice the better.
Wishing all of the ladies that have recently had op a quick recovery, Salsal and Molly are two that come to mind.
GinaXX
Hi all, a big hello to everyone and lots of love and luck to anyone just diagnosed, I found out in April aged 29 and had lumpectomy/ lymph node clearance, just had second of 6 FEC this week. Luckily not feeling too bad, it’s not as horrendous as I had imagined it - couple of days of sore mouth but a good mouthwash from the hospital has cleared that up. Hair fell out quite quickly after the first chemo, I ended up having my head shaved at Glastonbury last weekend as it was coming out in huge clumps, well if you can’t get away with a grade 1 there, where can you?! I thought I would be devastated as I had beautiful long hair for years, but I cut it short when they said it would fall out, and actually it’s not that bad now it’s almost all gone. I feel it’s really important to not be defined by hair, I hid behind mine for years and even though it’s crap losing your hair, it won’t be forever. Look at Kylie, hers came back no probs! The immediate weeks after my dx were full of abject terror and disbelief but it does get easier, promise; I still have the occasionl day of tears for no reason but they are becoming less regular now which must be progress. I’ve been amazed with the level of help and support available, no-one needs to go through this alone. The important thing is that we all jig each other along, even when it’s hard … in a year or so we’ll be able to look back on this as a distant memory (fingers crosed) and hopefully as stronger people.
Just wanted to say “well said” Francescap!!
Love to you all
Shenagh xxx
I was just diagnosed on June 9 with BC. And I am scared to death of corse. I have multiple lumps = about 5cm. At first they was going to mass then they decided to do chemo first then surgery. I have 2 children both boys 7 and 14. I am relly worried about the chemo part.
I am 42. They will be setting up my treatment 1day every three weeks
of one kind for 4 rounds and then another kind for four rounds. Then radiation.