FOUND A NEW SYMPTOM AND AM WORRIED SICK
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FOUND A NEW SYMPTOM AND AM WORRIED SICK Morning all,
I guess I’m looking for some reassurance and support, please.
I came off Tamoxifen in March this year, 5 years after my initial diagnosis and treatment. I was really lucky as my cancer was caught early and after a lumpectomy and radiotherapy, I was put on tamoxifen (no chemotherapy) and, apart from one or two attacks of paranoia in the early years, I’ve been fine.
Since my diagnosis, I met and married my wonderful husband. I was a late starter where marriage was concerned, having been diagnosed at 44 and married at 48, and my husband didn’t go through that initial cancer diagnosis stages with me - I was about a year in when we met
Anyway, I’ve been vaguely aware of some irritation in my nipple on the other breast for a few weeks now, but having recently moved house, I’ve not really had time to think about it - until last night.
My nipple looks enlarged, is vaguely itchy/sore (but there’s no discharge) and suddenly, overnight, my world seems to have turned upside down. Having put breast cancer fairly well to the back of my mind, I thought, it’s reappeared with a vengeance and I’m already planning my furneral and worrying about how my husband will manage after I’ve gone.
I know its daft and I also know we all do it, but please will someone help me get things back in perspective? I feel I can’t talk to the one person I want to talk to (my dear husband) as I’m terrified that he won’t be able to cope (if it does turn out to be something bad). I can’t talk to my friends/family either as breast cancer is no longer talked about and they’ll just think I’m attention seeking and worrying over nothing.
I have booked to see my consultant on Friday, but please can you help me get through the next few days??
Hello Jackys I’m sorry to read that you are so worried, Friday really is only a couple of days away.
I’m sure your husband would be more upset to find out later that you’ve been so worried on your own, please reconsider telling him.
I too have finished taking Tamoxifen after 5 years (last month) and following the excitement I have been feeling quite twitchy about any ache and pain. I’m due to have a routine mammogram on my remaining breast in November so hopefully all will be well.
I’ll keep a check on this post for you and will be thinking of you on Friday.
Love Sue
found a new symptom Hello to you—am glad you are seeing doctor this week and will be interested in what he says.Please dont just “sit there” at consultation!!Have some questions at the ready.Do insist on some tests----If I had your contact address or number would be happy to chat to you----I have had similar experience.Chin up and keep busy till you see DR Tell your partner ,then he can give you the support you need----am sure he will come up trumps!!! Trishx
Thinking of you… Hello,Ive just got online and read your worried letter.I married (second time) after having gone thro Breast cancer and mastectomy,chemo .Then after 10 years it came back on site.I was also terrified of how it would affect my new husband.But hes been wonderful even though he hates illness and hospitals.Why dont you let him go with you to your appointment then if its bad news he will have been there from day one.You cant go alone.Will wait to hear your news.Best wishes Debzz
Thank you ladies Just wanted to say a big thankyou to all 3 of you for your replies. They really did help me and today I think I’ve got things back in perspective. Am still worried (of course) but am no longer in panic mode.
I took your advice and talked to my husband at length last night. He was perfect and very reassuring. I feel so much better and we agreed that, although we both handle things in very different ways, the most important thing is to keep talking about how we feel and agree, together, a way forward that works for us both.
My appointment is at 09:40 tomorrow and then I’ll be coming in to work, so I’ll post a note about how I got on (our computer at home has gone off the internet for reasons best known only to itself so I’m a bit limited about picking up and sending messages at the moment).
And for anyone who reads this, can I just say how humbling it is to take part in this forum and get such fantastic support from people I’ll probably never meet who are going through some very tough times themselves but who still have the capacity to give so much.
And a big thank you to breast cancer care for giving us all the means for doing it!
xxx
Good Luck for tomorrow Hi Jackys
we’re off in our campervan tomorrow morning to Malvern for the weekend and are leaving at 9.30 so I’ll be thinking of you.
I’ll not be able to find out how you got on until we get home late Sunday but will check in for your news.
Fingers and everything else crossed !!
Love Sue
Be thinking of you tomorrow and looking out for your post.
Good luck.
Claire x
STILL IN ONE PIECE… …but only just!
Just got back from Stepping Hill where I saw a new consultant (well, new to me, mine has apparently retired). He has a very different manner to my old consultant and I’m not sure he put me at my ease but anyway he said he could feel a thickening but no lump. As I’d only had a mammogram in March, he decided there was no point in doing a scan and its probably ‘hormonal’.
So i’m to go back in 2 months and we’ll see if anything has developed. I work in a doctors surgery and I know the odds of getting a second primary in the other breast are remote but since no-one can tell me why I got the first one, I still worry I could get another.
So, its probably not going to be the easiest of 2 months but I’ll do my best to put it out of my mind and get on with things.
Thanks again for your support - I’ll come back on in November and let you know the outcome.
xx
Hi Jackys
Sorry I didn’t get back to you yesterday, didn’t get home til late and it’s been mad here at work since I got in at 12.
Your news is fine, he’s going to keep a check on you and we all know how difficult it is to feel confident with a new doctor.
Keep in touch
Love Sue
Hi Jackys I just wanted to sound a word of caution and suggest that you ask for an ultrasound of your breast. Even though you had a mammogram in March that doesn’t necessarily mean all is OK particularly if you have dense breast tissue because a mammogram won’t always pick up cancer in dense breast tissue (pre menopausal women more likely to have dense breast tissue.)
Also having a primary in one breast does mean that your odds of a second primary in the other breast are increased.
Don’t mean to frighten you but 2 months seems a long time to wait with thickening and I speak from the bitter experience of being misdiagnsed for 7 months by a consultant I didn’t like but trusted. That consultant now faces a Fitness to Practice hearing before the General Medical Council.
You might also want to ask advice from one of the cancer helplines such as BCC or Cancer Bacup.
I am probably being over cautious on your behalf and hope all turns out well for you.
best wishes
Jane