Visited my consultant yesterday to get my pathology results. The tumour was removed with good clear margins but cancer had been found in one of the three lymph nodes removed. My consultant has recommended full node removal followed up with chemo, rads and hormone therapy and I am petrified. I am 37 with a 10 month old little boy who I have waited 10 years for (years of trying and fertility treatment) and I am so scared that I won’t get to see him grow up. I have held it together really well up until now but I find myself having to put on a front for everyone around me in order that they don’t fall apart, I can’t take the looks on their faces or tone of their voices if I don’t put a positive spin on everything but this is taking its toll on me now. Has anyone else found themselves in a similar situation with regards to pathology results and follow up treatment? Grateful to learn from anyone’s experiences.
So sorry you have found yourself here and that you are feeling anxious. I understand the fear that comes when we get our results and it can be overwhelming. But it will get better. I also had one positive node and that really worried me until it was explained that the lymph nodes are there to filter out any nasty cells that may be on the move. So that positive node was just doing it’s job. I am older than you and don’t have a young child but I can understand what you are feeling. Do you know any details of your tumour type, size, grade, ER and Her status? These will decide which treatment you get. Then you can join the thread with the other ladies who have similar diagnoses, and treatment plans. They will be a great support for you and you will feel that you are not alone. It is hard talking to our loved ones and friends about how we feel because they really don’t understand and also we don’t want to upset them. I so understand that! Everything will be done to get you back to your normal life and the treatments are very effective. You will find the strength to get through this although you probably can’t imagine that at the moment. If you need to talk to someone you can call the helpline on here and they will listen and advise you. They are lovely and they understand. Please keep talking and take comfort from all the other ladies on here who know exactly where you are now. Take care xx Lily
So sorry that your results were not as you’d hoped.
It is such a scary time, I know. I’m 49 with 2 teenage children, and also have these thoughts about wanting to be there for them as long as possible. I had lump removed in July, and although had good margins and no lymph node involvement, still having all the treatment as was grade 3. Currently having chemo, then will be rads and hormone therapy.
After the initial shock of it all, life does carry on. It is hard to keep positive for everyone else, so I tend to have a little cry on my own every now and then. Try to look at the positives. Having all this treatment is daunting but it’s giving you the best possible chances. And the statistics for a positive outcome are so very good.
Really sorry that you went through the operation and now find out the cancer had spread to your lymph nodes.
I was in a roughly similar position from the start but treatment was done the other way around. When I was at the initial appointment to have my diagnosis they also took a biopsy of my lymph nodes. They were positive then.
The plan in my case was different though. We decided to try chemo first to shrink the lump. It was over 3cm and in a tricky place for removal. The alternative would be a masectomy and node clearance.
I was very lucky, Although Chemo was horrible and so gruelling for me the lump shrank to virtualy nothing and the cancer had gone from my lymph nodes as well. I was able to have a lumpectomy with clear margin and the lymph nodes were sampled and found clear.
Chemo can clear up cancer in lymph nodes.You are going to have a removal though and chemo and rads and hormonal treatment.
It’s a clear path with usually good results.
Is there anyway you could let the “front” down for some people in your life? Cancer treatment can be very hard (although obviosuly worth it) and you could probably do with all the support you can get.
At times you may want to cry or just need big hugs. You may also feel angry and “why me” and frightened. People around you may be happy to listen if given a chance.
Thank you ladies for your kind words - I think that was just what I needed! Having my lymph nodes out tomorrow morning and looking forward to knowing exactly where I stand with this beast and moving forward. I think I was just taken aback by the fact that there was cancer in one of my lymph nodes after initial biopsy and barrage of scans showed that they were clear. I am also keen to get on with the treatment as I feel like life is on hold until this starts, I know it is going to be rough but I have a little boy who needs his mum so let’s kick this now!
Mummum, I can totally understand where you are coming from, having been through fertility treatment myself. It didn’t work for me and went onto adopt. I’m older (50) and son been with us 8 years now, but you can’t help but think of all it took to get your child and now this.
I was also in a similar position re the nodes, it was never expected after not showing on ultrasounds or MRI, but when they took out the sentinel node, it had cancer. I was having a mastectomy, so they did a node clearance then. All other nodes were clear, do have to hope that node did its job.
I am 6 weeks post op - mastectomy and Diep recon and node clearance. Started taking tamoxifen last week, I’m ER+, all is starting to look up. I feel fine, albeit still doing the arm exercises for the stiffness from the node clearance. Starting rads in Nov, 15 sessions and I’m hoping they’ll be kind to me and I don’t get too much sunburn effect on the boob. I should add when they found it in my node they said chemo was now on the cards, however, after pathology and I guess because it wasn’t in any other node, chemo was not required as would only be a 1% increase 2% at a push. My ER score was 8/8 so I would get good benefit from the tamoxifen.
We have just booked a week in Lapland for end of January and I will be skiing. It’s a xmas surprise for son. Life does get back to some kind of normality. Thinking of you and feel free to pm.