I was given my diagnosis on Tuesday evening this week, and having read through many of the messages here, am now totally confused!
I am sure in time I will understand what all the code means, in the meantime I just thought I would say hello, and I am here.
Hope to make more of a contribution when I feel more familiar with it all.
In the meantime, very best wishes,
Zoë
Hi Zoe
noticed you came on the live chat last night, just as it was ending, and believe you have recently been diagnosed. If you type a message to tell us about yourself in the box at the bottom of the page, and then click on ‘add your comments’, we will be able to read your messages. Please tell us about yourself and you will find there are a lot of girls here who can talk to you and help you. Sorry that you have had to join this site, but you will find that its a great help when dealing with this nightmare.
keep in touch and take care
deb x
Hi Zoe, sorry you have had to join us but welcome 
I have been diagnosed for about 6 weeks now, had one set of surgery and now awaiting the next. My friends and family have been totally brilliant, but I pop on here most days as there is no substitute, for me anyway, in talking with other women going through the same. And, just as important, we have some laughs too. I too am still struggling with all the jargon!
Lots of love, Maggie xxxx.
Hi Zoe
Sorry you have had to join us!
I was diagnosed 6 weeks ago, been to theatre for excision of my lump and 6 lymph nodes, had the results that the edges and nodes are clear and have an appointment with the oncologist on Tuesday! It seems to be a roller coaster but you will soon get the hang of the abreviations - if you send off for the information pack that this site do you will get a lot of useful info.
All the best
Angela
Hi Zoe
Welcome to the Breast Cancer Care chat forums. I am sure you will get lots of help and advice from the many informed users of this site.
The information pack that Angela mentions above is the Bcc resource pack, which has been designed for those newly diagnosed. The pack is free of charge as are all our publications. If you would like a copy just follow the link below:
breastcancercare.org.uk//content.php?page_id=7514
I hope you find this helpful
Kind regards
Sam
BCC Facilitator
Hello Deb,
thank you so much for the welcome and the advise, much appreciated!
I’ll tell you a little about myself. I am married, 49, have two kids, a boy at Uni, a girl about to go. I live just outside a village in Hampshire on the Surrey/Berks border. I have spent rather a lot of time in and out of hospital over the past year for gynea problems, and thought a TCRE I had done recently had fixed the problem and I could now get on with life. Whilst I was in hospital I received an appointment for a routine mammogram. I wasn’t able to go to it as I wasn’t allowed to drive after the surgery. I rebooked it for a couple of weeks later and went along. I hadn’t given much thought to it really, I have over the years seen people about lumps and bumps, because I had fibroadenomas from about the age of 23 onward. I had gotten used to being told it was benign, don’t worry. Anyway, a week after the mammogram I received a letter asking me to attend the Breast Care Centre at the hospital that Friday. I went along again simply assuming it would be a film glitch, its happened before. I was told I had 3 abnormalities, 2 in the left , one in the right. They did several more xrays, and then I went to see the Dr. She confirmed that the left side was just what I already knew about, but the right gave them concern. They had a look at it under ultrasound and decided to investigate further. They then used the ultrasound to do a needle biopsy, and that I would know the results on the following Tuesday at 5pm. Tuesday lunch time they rang me, telling me that they weren’t able to give me a diagnosis that evening, and wanted me to come back for more tests on Friday. I had several Stereotactic core needle biopsies taken after being given a local anaesthetic, and was told to come back the following Tuesday at 5.30pm for the results. I had quite convinced myself by this stage that there was nothing wrong, and they were just being careful. I went back with my OH, and waited. The clinic was running really late and we weren’t seen until well after 6. I didnt mind, I just assumed they had had a lot of bad news to dish out, and the people affected had needed time to deal with it. We were called, and went to see the senior consultant. I was really glad to see it was Miss Stebbing, I had met her before, and liked her. She has a wonderful way with her, and I trusted her. We sat down, exchanged pleasantries and then she stopped smiling. my heart sank. She just said, Zoë it’s bad news and told me I had an invasive ductal carcinoma in the right breast. I am having surgery to remove the lump and lymph nodes on the 2nd September, they will insert a wire to locate it, and will find out more about the exact treatment I need once they have biopsied that lot. As far as I know for now, I will have tamoxifen and 5 weeks radiotherapy everyday. That might change depending on whether its in the lymphs.
I know everyone here is in the same boat, and I have rambled on endlessly, but I really haven’t taken this on board yet, and find it virtually impossible to discuss. I hope that my voicing my concerns and fears that maybe I can get my head around it and start to behave like its me they are talking about. Telling my kids was the hardest thing I think I have ever done.
Anyway, look forward to getting to know you all as time goes on.
Zoë
if they are putting a wire in to locate it that sounds as if it is small so hopefully it will not involve too much surgery. Not always possible to know at this stage though. Also you will know more once you have the results of lymph node cell sampling and the grade of the cancer (this tells you more about how serious the cancer is or not).
Good luck
Mole
Hello Mole,
I think by the time they told me details like that I was in information overload, and didn’t take much more in. From what I recall, I don’t think its too big - the problem with it is I am told its deep against my chest wall, and I have large breast, so you can’t actually feel it.
I was given a Breast Care Nurse, I suppose I should phone and ask her to tell me again, now I am more receptive to what I am being told.
Thanks a lot though, that’s reassuring.
Milliemum, Kharga, and Sam,
thank you very much for the welcome and advise, its much appreciated.
Best Wishes,
Zoë
Hi Zoe,
Welcome to the club no one wants to be in, this forum has saved my sanity on more than one occasion.
I was diagnosed with an invasive carcinoma in my righ breast on Juune 23rd. had a wire guided local excision and 14 lymph nodes removed on 14th July, then waited 2 weeks for the results - it was a small tumour (1 cm) and grade 1, but unfortunately they didn’t get clear margins - the tumour was ductal but there was some lobular cancer in-situ (precancer) along the bottom edge. So I am having a re-excision on Monday. Followed by ? chemo but definitely radiotherapy and then Tamoxifen for 5 years. I am 36.
The wire did not hurt at all, and I am a big wuss! They won’t do a wire on Monday as there is “nothing to put a wire through” but I really wouldn’t have minded if they had said they were going to.
You are probably tired already of people telling you to “be positive”, “be brave” and that “you’re a fighter” - if you’re not now, you soon will be! (well I am anyway, 7 weeks after dx!)
Did you get a publications list from Breast Cancer Care? I sent off for lots of them and feel much better informed. Also I have got Dr Susan Love’s Breast Book, which I have found useful.
The waiting is the worst! You think you will never get through it but you do.
Irina x
Hi Zoe,
sorry you have had to join the club no one wants to be in. I just wanted to say that as you are given lots of info and will have lots of questions you may find it helpful to get a little notebook I have found mine invaluable. Helps you remember dates things happen my onc asks me “when did we do so and so” Saves him going through loads of notes!
As you have already found you will get lots of help from us.
Love Debsxxx
hi Zoe
You will find that in couple of months you will probably know more about this that your surgeon and onc lol.
Oh the web is a wonderful thing
Good luck hunni
Joanne
Hi Zoe
Sorry that you had to join us here in the realms of breast cancer.
I was dx with invasive ductal carcinoma 16mm grade 1 in Jan of this year - I had the lump removed along with some of my nodes (all clear thankfully) I did not require chemo but had 29 radiotherapy sessions which were every day mon-fri with a couple of days off for machine maintenance etc … in total it was about 6 and a half weeks for the rads. I’m now on tamoxifen for 5 years which started in Feb.
Sounds like you are going to be following much the same path as me as long as your nodes are clear. Just to give you some hope I was back to work very quickly (as in 2 weeks) after my operation, and worked throughout my rads just leaving the office a little early each day to go to the hospital. I went back full-time the day after my last rads session and have been fine … I did get tired but that is starting to get better. I’m basically 7 months from finding the lump and I can honestly say my life is back to normal.
Hope you are as lucky as I was with the treatment.
Love Lilac
Hi Zoe.
thanks for the message above. when I first came on to your thread, there was a blank space, which is why I explained how to use the site! sorry!!! Your original message must have appeared afterwards. I feel sure, that like myself, you will find this site a saving grace. I am 42 and was dx in April, with grade 3 and 4cm in size. Have been having chemo to shrink lump first, and was booked to have wire inserted as shrinking went well. Wire not inserted tho as lump has calcium type core, so they will locate what is left via that. I have last chemo this thurs - yippee - and have appt. wednesday afternoon to have scan and book date for operation. Glad chemo will be over but now nervous at what they will find when they operate and whether nodes will be involved. If all goes according to plan, I will have approx 4 or 5 weeks of radiotherapy afterwards. When I first found the lump, I was referred to hospital and have scans and a biopsy and like you, believed it was to be nothing to worry about, even the hospital thought this. It was a real shock to be told otherwise. And like you also, I still have to ask people what some of the codes mean!! Think we will pick it up eventually!!! I wish you luck with it all and keep in touch with us.
best wishes
deb x
Hi Zoe, your thought processes sound just like mine were. My GP had been so sure I had a cyst and as I sat waiting to go in and have it drained (as I thought - as so many of my friends have had this done) it almost felt the breast clinic was nothing to do with me. But now it is…and in my case they have been brilliant. I’ve just sent off from Amazon for Dr Susan Love’s breast book as I now feel ready for it if you see what I mean! It took me some days to get to this forum in the week prior to being diagnosed - was much happier in denial! Do use your bcn - I always have to get her to go through things slowly again for me after any discussions with the surgeon. And she’s a mine of information - practical stuff particularly - what deoderant can I use etc. I’m having my second surgery the day before you so we can be surgery buddies
Love, Maggie xxxx
Zoe, it’s not acceptable. Try PALS at your hospital. They will intervene on your behalf. Thanks for your good wishes - let us know how you get on.
Maggie xxxx
Hi Zoe
Sorry you have had to join us, but you are in the right place to find out everything you want to know. I am new at this too, I was diagnosed on 5 Aug and my lumpectomy is the same date as yours 2 September. I have been told from the biopsy that my lump is 15mm, hormone sensitive and grade 2, I have also been advised that after the op (if clear margins and no node involvement) I will have rads and tamoxifen for 5 yrs. Maybe chemo depends on the results. I have had a meeting with my BCN (yest) and she has advised me of the next steps, I get my results of the node testing on 11/9 and then I will take it from there. You have good days and bad days and the worst part is the waiting game. You always seem to be waiting for some results somwhere down the line. I am just at the beginning but I rely on these guys so much for helping me get through all the next steps that I am going to have to take. Take care. Good luck for Tuesday, don’t forget I’ll be with you having mine done, we can compare notes.
Netty
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