Hi there, as I’m sure everyone has felt, I can’t believe I’m writing this. I found a lump in my breast 5 weeks ago. I thought it was probably hormonal but went straight to the doctor. GP was pretty straightforward and said I’d be referred to a clinic for tests but not much else. A couple of days after this I felt a lump in my armpit and starting getting bad pains down my arm, like a heavy aching. I went to A&E as recommended by 111 and had blood tests etc which didnt show anything. The doctor felt the lump in my breast and said she didnt think it felt like cancer and it would be atypical if it was. She couldn’t feel anything in my armpit either so put the pain down to carpel tunnel syndrome.
4 weeks later and today I’ve had my breast clinic appointment. I knew stright away something wasnt right and after having all the tests and fine needle biopsies, the consultant more or less said they’re pretty certain it’s cancer. They also said there was swelling in a couple of lymphnodes in my armpit, although the ultrasound identified those, the doctor couldn’t feel them. A couple of weeks ago I also felt a swollen lymphnode in my neck which is still there. It’s soft and mobile but I’m terrified it’s gone to multiple nodes in different areas and spread elsewhere. I’m in a bit of a spiral. I’m 37 years old and because the lump wasnt hard or fixed I was really not expecting it to be anything serious. It’ll be at least a week until I get my biopsy results. I’ve accepted I have cancer, I’m now just so frightened it’s spread elsewhere. My cousin, who was my age, just died of BC in August last year so I have that front of mind too. I don’t really know what I’m asking for here I just felt I needed to get my thoughts out of my head.
Hi @rh88 I’m sorry that you find yourself here but you will find the support that you need from women who have been where you are now. I was also told matter-of-factly when having the biopsy that it was cancer but that the biopsy would determine what kind. I preferred to know but it is not for everyone to be told so bluntly. They cannot be absolutely sure, however, until the tests have been done. I’m also desperately sorry about your cousin, it must be extremely hard for you to process a likely diagnosis so soon after hers. This may sound glib under the circumstances but it is absolutely true that each of us has a unique relationship with breast cancer therefore your journey through treatment is likely to be very different to your cousin’s. Certainly when you get the diagnosis and the treatment plan you should feel much more in control of the situation. If you would like to speak to someone about any aspect of your situation, please call the nurses here on 0808 800 6000 from 9am Monday to Saturday, they won’t rush you and you can ask questions or just download how you’re feeling. I also found Maggie’s Centres an absolute haven. You can look up if there is a Centre near you by putting your postcode in here https://www.maggies.org/our-centres/?postcode=W13+8EA&sort_by=sort_by_distance
please keep posting if it helps, we really do understand.
This next week will be the worst week of the whole BC journey. You’ll get through one day at a time until you get some more information and a treatment plan is formulated. Everyone on this forum has been where you are now. It’s really natural to spiral. The Headspace app has got some useful tools to help. Everyone will tell you that things get easier when you know more. All you know now is that there is a lump that there is some concern over and that it’s being investigated. The other facts that if ( and it’s still if) it turns out to be BC, the modern treatments are very successful and generally most women have a good outcome. The treatments are highly individualised. New treatments are coming on line all the time.
Try to look after yourself over these next few days.
Thank you both for replying, I really appreciate it. My first night’s sleep hasn’t gone well. I found myself dreaming about it all and waking up constantly. I’m so frightened. I’ve had this pain in my arm since a couple of days after I found the lump and I’ve convinced myself it’s because the cancer has spread. Im feeling every single twinge in my body and thinking the worst. It’s torture. I don’t know how I’m going to cope.
Hi @rh88 I think you should speak to your GP and ask for a short course of something to help you sleep over this waiting period. You need some help to get you through this initial period, particularly if further testing such as CTI and/or MRI scans are needed to get the fullest picture prior to a treatment plan being formulated. Speaking as a congenitally poor sleeper myself, the stress will be easier to deal with a clearer mind. As for the fear that the cancer, if it turns out to be cancer, has spread, there are very few of us who don’t have that fear with every new ache, twinge or pain - I still do four years on from diagnosis, albeit I am able to rationalize it quickly these days. It is very rare for women to have de novo secondary cancer, that is that it has spread prior to diagnosis, so try to hang on to that. I honestly think that a chat with one of the BC Now nurses would help you at this stage so if you can find a window in your day, give them a call between 9.00-16.00 it will help. So GP and BC Now nurses are your projects for today.
This was me last month. I found a lump and also pain in arm but not in armpit. My post is on here under ‘newly diagnosed and shaking with fear’. The biopsy appointment made me feel it was certainly cancer as they said it looked suspicious plus lymph nodes. 7 weeks later and after a few MRI, CT and ultrasounds ( these invoke real scanxiety) where I was convinced it had spread ( it hadn’t) I have yesterday just had a Mastectomy and full nodes clearance. I feel relieved. My surgeon hugged me beforehand and she has been amazing. I have to wait to find out if chemo is needed and other post up treatments ( Tamoxifen etc) but I do feel so much better since those very early dark days. I’m in my late 40s so older than you but the shock absolutely floored me. I have never been ill in my life. I am sorry you have the worry about what happened for your cousin but each situation is so unique, try not to let that cloud you. Sending hugs and love xxx
Oh I meant to say, I absolutely have not googled anything about BC unless on reputable sites like this. I trusted in my BC team, and said I only wanted to know the hopeful positive treatment options and not scary things like grades and stages. I now know my other general health is good ( blood tests etc) but I just kept focussed on the treatment plans. As other ladies say, BC is very treatable with so many treatments and options that are successful. My lump might have been there a while because when I felt it it felt quite hard and prominent so I presume it must have grown to a point where I could feel it but I’m still okay and it’s been whipped out now!
As I said it was my arm that hurt the most- a throbbing ache. I also had twinges everywhere after the biopsies that made me think it had spread but all psychosomatic.
That’s so helpful, thank you so much much for sharing your experience. It does sound similar to what I’m going through. I hope everything has gone well with your surgery and it’s all good news from here. Thank you again for the reassurance xx
I was the same I felt lump in breast appeared quite quickly was 5cms and lump in armpit doctor referred me was still waiting on appointment and was getting other symptoms by the day I started getting heavy pain down my arm could hardly lift it so went to a and e department they x-ray my chest and arm and told me they were referring me again got appointment two days later said tumour was 5cm when I went back three weeks later it was over 7cms
Sorry to hear that. Sounds very similar - although I didnt think mine had grown at all but I might well have been wrong. I’ve not been given any indication of measurements yet. Did you get your biopsy results?
So sorry you have had this happen. It does feel so unbelievable. That’s exactly how I felt. its a surreal moment, like you are in a dreaming other life and you will wake up and real life will be okay. I had days and days of this stretching out, as I kept it initially from my husband, since he has mesothelioma. I put myself in a bubble of love and gradually came to terms with it and that was helpful, as I wanted to surround myself with positive friends and family that believed I would be alright. They were wonderful and those that poured negativity out I steered clear of. That really helped me a lot.
There is no doubt that this feels very scary, as all of us in this situation are somewhat in the unknown. It is extra scary as your cousin had this last year and died. But you are not your cousin and it will be different for you. It may not have spread anywhere. Our glands go up and down quite often and many times we don’t notice. So keep positive that things are better than you think at this moment. Our bodies are utterly amazing and can turn almost anything around to a positive outcome, if we do the right things.
You could nourish and love that lovely body of yours and give it encouragement to do what you wish it to do. It does help. It was one of the things that I did. I realised I had been ignoring my body a bit and particularly my breasts. So I took action to touch love and cherish them and I could feel my body responding to this. So I did it more. sounds daft but I chat to my body and at the moment my breasts and check in with them both.
We are more than tissues and bone so with my mind I am trying to be positive and kind. And right now I am wrapping you and your precious body in that kindness and love. You can try it too. You may give up now and again, we do that, as we want quick results. Stay with it and do loving things for your body. Sending you hugs and love X
Thank you so so much for this @Creative.fish. You’ve really changed my perspective and for the first time this horrible week I’ve got tears in my eyes in a good way! Putting nothing but positivity out into the world from now! Thank you again and sending you love
I found lump it just appeared was 5cms went to docs and had lump under arm Doc said she had never felt lump so big before and she didn’t think it was cancer because it appeared so quick and she could move it she referred me to breast cancer department as emergency waiting time was at least 8 weeks as the days went on I was getting more changes to my breast skin changed colour nipple sunk in skin went simply I knew I had cancer and it was aggressive I started having bad pains in my arm and it felt heavy so I went to accident and emergency this was three weeks later and they scanned me I told them about the lump and I was waiting on appointment they said they couldn’t see anything wrong with my arm but where making another referral to cancer centre I got appointment two days later after ultrasound and biopsy and mamogram on my first appointment consultant told me it was definitely cancer only because I told him I knew it was and it was aggressive but had to wait on biopsy results to see what type it was tumour was 5cm two weeks later I went back for biopsy results and told it was tnbc and it was in lymph nodes had another ultrasound and tumour was now over 7cms they got me to do a MRI scan and bone scan while I waited for appointment to see oncologist they seen it was in lymph node behind chest muscle and I had nodule on lung they done a core biopsy on chest muscle but said they would keep eye on the lung had chemo refused immunotherapy had double masectomy and reconstruction with implants cancer grew in another lymph node during chemo I had 8 lymph nodes removed all cancer was completely gone except that one lymph node was told I am cancer free I am half way through radiotherapy now
I was actually reading this post back yesterday as I had my first chemo and this now feels like a lifetime ago! Just to say, the ladies above were correct in everything they said. I got some sleeping tablets in the early days from my GP to help get through the wait for scans (best thing I did) I leaned on the breast care nurses when spiralling and ultimately got through what is by far the worst part of it all. My scans were all clear despite the multitude of pains i was feeling which made me worry about spread. All that to say, if you’re early in your journey, this forum and the support of the other women is an absolute lifeline so do reach out when you need it xx
Thank you for thinking of me @bella80 It went very smoothly! I’ve had little to no side effects so far so have managed to do some gardening and housework today, and even got in a 2 hour walk with my dog this morning after getting a good night’s sleep last night. I’m feeling very relaxed and positive now my treatment is underway xx
It went very smoothly! I’ve had little to no side effects so far so have managed to do some gardening and housework today, and even got in a 2 hour walk with my dog this morning after getting a good night’s sleep last night. I’m feeling very relaxed and positive now my treatment is underway xx