Hello to you all
I was diagnosed with breast cancer 6 days ago. Reading some of the items on here have been very helpful. It has taken me this long to join!!! I suppose we are all different.After having a swollen boob for a couple of weeks went to doc and he offered antibiotics said he would refer me just in case 2 days later at breast clinic after scan needle aspiration mammogram and core biopsy i was reeling.Got results last tuesday it is cancer had mri today to see how big etc am booked in for mastectomy on 14 th july. I was so shocked the other day vaguely remember him saying not sure if lobular or ductal due to go thurday for full run down can t praise hospital enough but wish i had asked more at time also my boob is still swollen and the mass feels huge.Emotionally I am a wreck the waiting is a nightmare. I have tried to look it at like a journey but its bloody hard
We have all been there hun sorry to hear you join our band of merry little cancer nutters. Anyway this is the hardest but waiting and wondering but I know this sounds mental but once you know everything its a breeze. And you will even find a funny side to it try reading i need one liners. Chemo tends to make you go nuts for some reason or maybe I already was lol.
Anyway take care were all here for you.
XX
Joanne
Yes it bloody well is hard…could never manage to look at it as a ‘’ journey ‘’ myself…more like a flamin’ nightmare actually…and ''thinking positive ‘’ is also almost impossible…well it was for me.
Try to make a list of all the things you wished you asked and ring the Breast Care Nurse [if you have one] I’m sure they will be more than willing to go through things with you,
I was dx in jan.04 had WLE, chemo., rad’s and now tamoxifen…it made me and has left me a emotional, nervous wreck…there is nothing wrong in being petrified…we all were/are…but you will find lots of support on here.
If you have any questions you think one of us may be able to answer please feel free to ask…or contact the Breast Care Nurse/Support line on this website.
Karen x
Hi Janey
Welcome to the Breast Cancer Care forums where I am sure you will continue to receive valuable support, information and advice from the many informed users of this site.
Breast Cancer Care have written a ‘Resources Pack’ for anyone newly diagnosed with breast cancer which you may find helpful to read, it is filled with information to help you better understand your diagnosis, test results and the various treatments available. You can order a free copy from the following link or you can ask for a copy to be sent to you via our helpline:
breastcancercare.org.uk//content.php?page_id=7514
There is information in the pack about our other support services, including our helpline which is on 0808 800 6000, you may find this useful to use at some point if you need to talk anything through as Karen has kindly suggested, or just need someone to lend an understanding ear. Alternatively, if you prefer you can use email: <script type=“text/javascript”>eval(unescape(‘%64%6f%63%75%6d%65%6e%74%2e%77%72%69%74%65%28%27%3c%61%20%68%72%65%66%3d%22%6d%61%69%6c%74%6f%3a%69%6e%66%6f%40%62%72%65%61%73%74%63%61%6e%63%65%72%63%61%72%65%2e%6f%72%67%2e%75%6b%22%3e%69%6e%66%6f%40%62%72%65%61%73%74%63%61%6e%63%65%72%63%61%72%65%2e%6f%72%67%2e%75%6b%3c%2f%61%3e%27%29%3b’))</script>
Best wishes
Lucy
Thank you all for your comments you are right it is a bloody nightmare thought I might wake up for the first 5 days and thinking positive must the the latest saying in fact some one shouted at me today "don t you dare be negative " i m afraid to say i shouted back that i ll be how I bloody well wanna be !!! never knew I had it in me but I will ring breast care nurse tommorrow
thank you janey xx
Hi Janey
It’s such a shame you had to join us but you are in very good company. I was only diagnosed 7 weeks ago have had Mastectomy and reconstruction and awaiting chemo. It seems like so so long ago that I left my first comment. It’s a very frightening and lonely time, you will get told all of the time to stay positive and annoying though it may seem you must try. You will be on a roller coaster ride of emotions, and tears will flow a lot of the time but I can assure you it does get easier. I have made some very good friends on here, I have never met any of them but I speak to them through here almost every day. You will be able to ask about anything that is worrying you, and get many responses of advice and support.
The waiting is always the hardest part, there is a lot of it along the way. It’s a good idea to take someone with you whenever you go to the hospital, I stopped listening and found it difficult to take in what they were telling me but my husband remembered a lot more.
Just remember it’s been found and it’s going to be treated, you are in safe hands just take it one step at a time. You are not on your own, we are here to help and support you when you need us.
Take care.
Love
Ann
xxx
Thank you for that. I think it is the speed that it all happens. Can t believe that two weeks today I ll have had a mastectomy. you are right as well about the loneliness I have a fantastic partner and wonderful friends but I do feel alone I ve never been so scared in my life
I am so glad it is nearly thursday Apparently I ve got to make a decision on a reconstruction i ve started to make a list of questions that I want to ask. It is such a major thing to deal with and you have to make decisions so quickly
Were you scared too ???
Love Janey xxxx
Hi Janey - so sorry to have to welcome you to the group, but as others have said you are in good company here. The best thing are the amount of support from those who’ve been there done that … and of course with with experience comes knowledge… you can ask anything on here and are almost guaranteed that someone will pop up and say ‘yep - I had that and I did …’ no such thing as a stupid question. We also jolly ourselves along with our wit and good humour … but saying that we’ve also all confessed to down days where we either shout swear or have an urge to commit murder (usually husbands or mother-in-laws are the common murder candidates but sisters-in-laws are bringing up the rear)
It’s not surprising that you are a bit confused over the specifics of your case - getting the diagnosis is such a shock that initially all the information goes in one ear and out the other. BC Nurses are the business - phone them whenever and they will give you an answer. The helpline on here is also good for information and a lot of ladies have used them for emotional support too.
Try not to get too far ahead of yourself thinking about all the stuff that lies ahead - take one bit at a time and deal with whatever treatment is happening at the time. Also try not to do too much research on the net - there is a hell of a lot of scary stuff that goes with this BC lark and not all of it will apply to you. The best advice I was given (from a friend who’s daughter had leukemia years back) was … don’t listen to everyone’s horror story and think it will happen to you . Sounds blunt and she was not telling me to ignore everyone else - obviously we all sypmathise and empathise with each other but what happens to me might not happen to you and vice versa.
Good luck with your surgery and let us know how you are getting on.
hi janey, I am booked for surgery on 14th July too, such a shock, 2 weeks ago I was this bright breezy professional woman, now I’m sitting at home feeling really scared. Can barely string a sentence together half the time. Told the vicar I had got the hymn numbers for my funeral, he said that was “cathartic but probably unnecessary”, I keep crying, wandering aound in a daze, having the odd glass of win and feeling really guilty, etc.
Have you got some pyjamas for the op? We hunted around everywhere for front-opening nighties yesterday, my sister was saying “this one’s OK” and I was saying no, I’m 36 not 80! Primark have some nice ones £4 a pair, I bought 3 pairs.
try ethel Austin I got lovey pink 3 piece set very light cotton with small embroidary on ythen perfect for my op.
Joanne
My best friend got me some pyjams not sure where from…Gotta go to Spain friday to tell 2 of my children My son lives with his dad he s 15 my daughter working for dad for summer she is 17 their dad dosen t want me to tell them till after the op any advice on thiswould be very welcome My daughter and I discuss everything normally Back to consultant tommorrow to get Mri results Apparently will know grade and size thennI m so bloody scared My house is immaculate though
Rosemary
Like you I feel the same.I was a contracts manager till last week in the process of moving to the north to be with my lovely fiancee we have spent 4 months looking for the perfect house were off to greece for a few weeks in aug and now well who knows but you know what when I met Jono I had been on my own a long time and we both said we wanted to grow old disgracefully This cancer will not stop that I am determined
love janey
xx
Hi Janey
Breast Cancer Care have a booklet called ‘Talking to your children about breast cancer’. On page 16 there is a section about talking to teenagers which may be helpul. You can download a copy via the following link:-
breastcancercare.org.uk//docs/talking_to_your_children_about_breast_cancer_0.pdf
Best wishes
Lucy
Hi Janey
Welcome to the forum (unfortunaly)
I have been where you are - in fact we have all been where you are or we wouldn’t be on this forum.
But you coudn’t be in a better place with us all at the moment - the help and support you get here is brilliant - I read a lot of the discussions before I joined - and I’m pleased that I have joined - I recognise some of those that have posted a response to you Lilacbushes, Joanne42, Rosemarywine, Anndi, and have had such support here. As lilacbushes says - there is NO question you can’t ask - I would love to know how many subscribers there are of us - I bet it’s in the 100’s - and we all have our storey to tell. One thing I have learned is - you get through it - some of the girls post a message at their worst time - but they post it - and share their situation with us - doesn’t make it any easier - but at least we can liaise with people who are going through a similar situation to us.
I had a mastectomy and full node removal 11th June - and am starting chemo 23rd July after a 2 week break away - which we are so looking forward to.
Read lots os the threads - the advice for ‘top tips for chemo’ is invaluable - I don’t care how many books you are advised to read - communicating with real live people and with their situations is the best information you can get.
Good luck - and hope to see more of your comments over the coming weeks and months.
Pammy
xxxxxxxxxxxx
THanks for that
I have read lots of comments and they make you feel better everyone around me are so supportive but they don t really know what we are feeling Here you all do.My other son he s 18 just got back from Afghanistan 6 month tour and he is absolutely devastated poor bugger but as he says mum you need to fight this bastard like i fought those bastards Army are letting him home for my op so that is lovely for me
janey x
Hi Janey and Rosemarywine
I too go in for my mastectomy 14th july but after wle, axillary clearance and re-exiscion, so only have mastecomy to think about. It’s the waiting thatgets to me. Still it will be over soon and we can all look ahead. good luck
best wishes
Liz
Hi
Just want to say that in the beginning it is really scary, it was horrible the waiting but I found once I knew after the initial few days I started to get my head round it. Telling my boys was the hardest one in Korea and another away at uni. They both came home when I had my mastectomy and that was great, I think you will find that your children can be really supportive. You can’t really imagine this is happening to you and you cant see yourself having a mastectomy or chemo therepy, but you will and you will get through it. I am on chemo at the moment and its ok and the op was ok I really can’t complain.
I wish you all the luck with your ops you will realise how strong you are.
Love
Debsx