I have recently been diagnosed following on from tests, surgery and awaiting scans now to see if the cancer has spread before starting chemo possibly in August, its all happened so fast and am petrified!
Hello Coco0896
Welcome to the forums. You’ve come to the right place for support as many of the users of this site have a wealth of information and experience between them.
May I suggest that you give our free helpline a ring on 0808 800 6000 and have a confidential chat with one of the breast care nurses who are here to support you, lines are open to Monday to Friday 9.00 – 5.00 and Saturday 10.00 – 2.00
Best Wishes
June, moderator
Hi coco so sorry you have to be here in that club nobody wants to join, a few weeks ago I was exactly where you are…and it’s a horrible place to be, this site has been very helpful and once you know your treatment plan you will begin to feel a bit more in control, there’s always someone here that understands what your feeling and that can answer any questions sending big hugs and best wishes Lynda
Hi Lynda
Thanks very much for your message. i feel lost at the moment and because everything has happened so fast, it is difficult to take it all in. You are so right though, I think once i know exactly what the treatment plan is, it will be easier, although I will just be so relieved if the cancer hasnt already spread, I can almost deal with anything after that. Thanks for your support and hope things are going ok for you too. Best wishes Meg x
Hi cocoa, your in exactly the same boat as me. I had wle and full ANC on 18th June, results 4 out of 25 lymph positive, tumour 3.6 cm. how I missed it il never know!!! I’ve got biggish boobs but I must have been blind. I’m bk in Monday for 2nd wle because I want it one margin was close and surgeon said radiotherapy would sort it after chemo but will do it to put my mind at rest. I’ve got scan on Friday next week, but no bone scan as they feel in well and are just ticking a box (as they put it) . Although I don’t want bone scan I also do as even though waiting horrible it does put your mind at rest later, but they won’t do it and I’m to tired to argue.
It’s the waiting that’s pants!! Your told “I’m sorry it’s cancer” and then left in some sort of limbo till all treatment starts, your imagination works overtime, unfortunately that’s the luxury of being human. The problem is we have no control over any of this , dates for surgery, scans, treatment , results but I suppose the best thing we can do for ourselves at the moment is to have some control over our minds (I know easier said than done), we have to make the most of the day when we feel ok and have a cry when we need to, I find I feel better after big cry. Anyone recently diagnosed appears to feel lost so you are not alone, and there’s so many gone before us and are doing so well so bear that in mind.
Hopefully this time next year we will be reassuring others that this is doable and well worthwhile. Your lymph nodes were just doing their job, this lymph thing is scary but my team aren’t that concerned as its so common and that’s what all the rest of the treatment is for. Just remember they have got IT out, it’s gone, incinerated, dumped.
Try and keep busy, enjoy the weather although to be honest I’ve had enough of it now and my poor collie dog has too, we keep showering her in back garden thank goodness no waterban yet.
Post your results, but you will be ok, and once you’ve your treatment plan it will be all systems go, I feel exactly the same if that’s any comfort to you. Right off for shower have tidied up first else I would have needed 2 showers. Have good day , sending hugs and cyber hand holding x
Hi Coco0896 and welcome.
I’ve only had my surgery (wle and snb) this week so I don’t the full story yet. I’m trying to take my mind off what the results might say but I know that, as the day gets nearer, I’ll be back to being a nervous wreck. People just don’t understand the psychological/emotional effects of this disease unless you’re unfortunate to be going through them yourself. That’s why this forum is invaluable…you get support from people who understand.
Maggie xx
Hi Lols thanks for your message, you are so right its the waiting thats the worse and I found between surgery and the results which were this week the worse, although am now nervous for the appointment with the Oncologist once the scans have been done, so it is a continual waiting game. Please dont beat yourself up as to why you missed it, I did too and unless you check yourself regularly which most of us dont as unless you are affected by this illness its not something I necessarily think we think of! I also have a lump on the left side which I can now feel and an MRI scan will be done on that as well as Bone Scan and CT I am glad they are checking everything. I had 9/10 lymph nodes positive it is strange how some of us have more removed than others!!! You are right about the support we can get from this site and no we are not alone which is lovely to know, although sometimes it feels it. Thanks for your kind words and you Take Care too and keep me posted. Meg x
Hi Maggie, I hope you are recovering well after your surgery, I have found the exercises very useful to do especially if you have had lymph nodes removed and now three weeks on I feel so much better. Try as Lols said too to try to keep busy having a goal to achieve each day, the waiting is horrible as we all know but feel free to talk to everyone here and we will all support you through. Good luck and keep us posted and look after yourself too. Meg x
Hi cocoa, you sound a bit better now. We all have a different amount of lymph nodes can range from perhaps 5 to 30 ish, so they do take them all,out if they do an ANC. Keep busy I’ve just weeded back garden and now I’m sweaty and horrible I little bit cooler with breeze would be nice, but I’m not gonna complain , cos nice we can go outside .x
hi maggie hope your ok and we all get our results and plans soon, keep in touch have not too hot a day x
nice to know we aren’t alone x
Hi cocoa, you sound a bit better now. We all have a different amount of lymph nodes can range from perhaps 5 to 30 ish, so they do take them all,out if they do an ANC. Keep busy I’ve just weeded back garden and now I’m sweaty and horrible I little bit cooler with breeze would be nice, but I’m not gonna complain , cos nice we can go outside .x
hi maggie hope your ok and we all get our results and plans soon, keep in touch have not too hot a day x
nice to know we aren’t alone x
Yes its great to be able to share on here, I have been busy too cleaning out cupboards, something ive not done in years!!! have a good afternoon Meg x
My great mood did not last! feel very sad and worried, which often happens for me later in the day. Have remained very busy all day and am now tired and very frustrated. I am used to working long hours and as I cant now work I feel useless. The frustartion I am sure others feel of this continual waiting for things to move on so I can return to normal life, whatever that will be for me in the future. can anyone elase relate to this? Thanks meg x
Sorry you’re feeling sad and worried Coco. I often feel more down in the evenings.
I’m making the most of the nice weather and lazing in the garden. I’m not going to get a holiday this year so I’m treating this week as my holiday!
Hi cocoa, evenings are the worst, you try to wind down and your heads full of worry s, you just have to tell yourself it won’t change anything so make most ofbthisvtime off work, it will seem all too soon and you will be back in work, moaning about not enough time to do everything else you want to do. I’m used to working long hours 13 hour days or nights and I think we miss the company of our colleagues more than we realise, we seem to be in another zone at the moment where every other though is bc!
I know I hate it when I wake in the morning and it all hits me again, I’m a nurse mainly in medicine and cardiology have recently been thinking is this the worst thing I could ever have ? In the last 15 years I have been on many a cardiac arrest where the outcome was good but sometimes bad and those patients have little warning, given a choice what would they have chose? Perhaps they would have taken this on because a good outcome is much more likely? So all is not lost.
the waiting, not having the facts in front of you , not knowing exactly what your dealing with is the worst of this. Butvwevwill soon know and then all guns blazing kick its butt! I know it’s frustrating but we are all the same, if we didnt have time to wait then theyd Organise things far quicker, honestly on my ward if it needs doing ASAP it gets done, and it wouldn’t be ethical to make us wait if they felt it couldn’t wait. Reading this back I sound calm, but I’m not worried too but Im beginning to accept waiting is part of the process. Try and find things to keep your mind away from it I couldn’t read for about 5 weeks but back in it now and it does help.
deep breaths, glass wine (chilled) , good book , worth a try. Hugs x
Thank you so much, I’m a Nurse too but a Psychiactric Nurse as well as running my own company so it is frustrating not been able to work. Thanks so much for your lovely words it all helps so much, as well as a glass of wine if I am honest. I think for you it must be worst being a general nurse you know too much about what is happening!! I hope you are being well looked after at your hospital. Am tired now so going to bed early I know but I will be in touch tomorrow. Good night xx
I’m thinking about you all as you start out on this journey. I was diagnosed a year ago this week and had WLE and SNB followed by chemo and rads and am now on tamoxifen. My active treatment finished in March and I have since been to Florida on a family holiday that was planned before dx. Great time but Disney Parks every day was tiring. I am now back at work full time and rushing around after the kids like before so yes, for a few months I was laid low but I have bounced back. When we told the kids (teenagers) about my dx we told them about the Florida holiday at the same time so they knew I planned on being around and fit enough despite the treatment I was facing. That gave them a lot of comfort and it was really good to get on that plane having come through it all.
Good luck to you all and, whatever you are facing, you have friends on here who will help you every step of the way.
Jayne x
Hi ladies, Jayne this is what I love about this site, you are a year on and still take the time to visit here and give encouragement to those of us who are in the early horrible not knowing stage, many many thanks for that, and I have made a vow to do the same thing in a years time, coco you are just like me with all the lows and less lows ( cant quite describe them as highs at moment) Good,luck to maggie , Lola and coco, for the best results possible. I have my final test Monday a bone scan then counting down the days till the 22nd and my first session of the dreaded FEC-T!
Good Morning all! I agree with Pollyanne it is great Jayne that you still visit and support us all, especially for those of us who are at the very beginning of the journey and the support people like yourself are giving. Thank you meg x
Morning Ladies. I was in a similar situation i was diagnosed on the 5th June i am currently awaiting my WLE and ANC on the 17th July as they found a positive lymph node in a biopsy they decided to send me for my scans first so i had chest x-ray, abdoman ultrasound and a bone scan in one day and the waiting for those scan results i found the hardest part, luckily everything came back clear but the week waiting for those results was horrendous!!
and also like the messages above thank you Jayne for coming on and posting it has cheered me up for the day! i love Florida and was upset thinking i might not be able to go again but this gives me hope that i can go back someday in the future 
Good luck to all awaiting scans and the results will be thiking of you xx
Lynsey
Good luck to you too Lynsey Keep positive for Florida too 
x