Hello I’m Gaynor and I had breast reduction surgery on 3rd June. The surgeon who performed the operation sent the tissue that was taken away to be checked (something I didn’t know was going to happen). I then received a telephone call asking me to visit the hospital to see the surgeon and was told there was nothing to worry about. Well I got the shock of my life as it turns out that they found I had breast cancer.
The surgeon advised me that had I not had the reduction surgery I would not have know I had the cancer because my breast had been very large and when I would have found a lump it would have been so large they would not have been able to do anything.
At the moment I feel stunned and shocked but at the same time very very lucky.
Hi Gaynor - welcome to the club no-one wants to join. You’ve certainly had an unusual route in. As you say, lucky - although lucky would have been “it’s just a cyst.” These first few days and weeks are likely to feel really weird - you’re walking merrily along, and then suddenly WHOOOOPH!!! you’ve fallen into a bear pit. Oddly enough, many of us have found it gets better once we get a clear treatment plan, and then get started on that - at least you know what you’re up against, and can start to feel you’re fighting back. This is a good place to come for support, information, and a place to have a rant and let off steam - we’ve all been down the same path, and one good thing to cling to is that with the advances in treatment over the past ten years nearly all of us will be around long enough to worry about the consequences of global warming!
Hi Gaynor,
What a shock that must have been but mixed emotions too. I have only joined this site recently as I was diagnosed in March after finding a lump. I had surgery to remove the lump at the end of April and have just completed the 3rd round of chemo which really hasn’t been as bad as I thought it might be.
It’s a scarey time but I’m sure after reading a lot of the threads on this site there will be plenty of support. The waiting for everything to get started is the hard part - once you know what is going to happen you can prepare yourself for it and feel a little more in control.
Good luck with everything and let me know how you get on.
Love and best wishes
Lindsay (busyboobs!!)
x
Hi Gaynor,
Welcome to the Breast Cancer Care discussion forums where I’m sure you’ll get lots of support from the many informed users of this site. I have put for your below links to 2 of BCC’s publications which you may find useful. The first, our Resource Pack, you have to order on line and it is posted out to you as it’s an A5 binder full of useful information regarding a diagnosis of BC. (All BCC’s publications are free, most of which you can download directly)
Resource pack: breastcancercare.org.uk/server/show/nav.681/changeTemplate/PublicationDisplay/publicationId/82
Breast cancer and you:
breastcancercare.org.uk/server/show/nav.681/changeTemplate/PublicationDisplay/publicationId/89
I hope this helps. Kind regards,
Jo, Facilitator
Hi Gaynor
What a way to find out! Stunned, Shocked, and can I add weird to that. It is the strangest time and you will go through a range of emotions, thoughts, and scenarios. Like Susanne says, once you get to know what it is and what your treatment will be it sort of gives you a focus and a control and it helps. Meanwhile, what you’re thinking and feeling is all normal. I won’t elaborate, it just is, all normal, even when you’re thinking it’s not.
I was diagnosed mid December, aggressive invasive tumour but no lymph spread. I’m just coming up to the end of chemo, and I feel fine. But there’s an adjustment that needs to be made. This thing shifts you from the playing field that was your life, to another one. That can be a strange shift.
This site is wonderful. But don’t read too far ahead as that can be scary. Take it one step at at time. Your diagnosis, your surgery, your treatment plan. Ask whatever, whenever. We’re here and can help.
Thank you for your comments. Its comforting to know there are people out there who will listen.
I am going back into hospital today to have the lymph nodes removed from my right armpit. They tell me that once this has been done they will decide my treatment.
Good luck with your lymph clearance, Gaynor. They’ll be able to tell from that whether there’s been any spread. It can be quite uncomfortable, drains and stuff, and you have to make sure you do your exercises to get your movement back - I was a good little girlie (for once - though swinging my arm around is really my idea of sufficient exercise) and got full movement even right over my head in about two weeks. I also use a stress ball - hold it in hand, arm straight up over head, and squeeze repeatedly - I’m up to 30 a go now. Do it several times a day, watching telly or surfing the net - it helps keep the lymph flowing in your arm, as the muscles are what helps to pump it through in the absence of the proper system.
Oh Gaynor, so sorry you have had to join us and what a way to find out but how lucky you found out now and not a few years down the line(if you know what i mean). As it has already been mention untill you have a treatment plan you do seem to be in a strange place mentally as you just seem to be waiting for each appointment and each lot of results. I found once i had all my info and had seen the oncologist a weight seemed to be lifted from my shoulders and there was a ‘light at the end of the tunnel’
Thinking of you
Gina
Well what a performance. I went into hospital as I previously said for the lymph nodes removing from my right armpit. op went well and I started trying to move my arm the next day just as the physio showed me. That was till I began to get an horrendous pain just below my armpit. It turns out that the drain was resting on a nerve and there wasn’t anything they could do for this apart from giving me morphine for the pain and as there was still quite a lot of fluid draining away they couldnt take the drain out for 5 days.
Back home now and moving my arm as much as possible it feels sore (best way I cand describe it is it feels similar to sunburn pain) but seems to be getting better everyday. I have got to wait till 7th August for results and am hoping they will tell me what treatment they want me to have at this appointment.
Hi Gaynor
Just wanted to say hello and welcome. It is strange how things happen but it is good that they caught it soon. Hope the arm pain starts easing. I had lumpectomy and SNB - they took 4 nodes to test and the worst pain was from the node removal, it felt like the skin was stretched too tight. Its easing off now (5 weeks on) and I have almost full mobility back.
alex
Hello Gaynor,
Just read this. I too had breast reduction surgery but it was seven years ago. BC discovered last year. I suspected as you were told that if they had still been big, it would have taken a lot longer to discover the lumps (I had multi focal - three sites of cancer).
What i can tell you is the breast reduction surgery was far more painful than the mastectomy i had to have. I remember it was quite painful for a while and the drains were horrible. However, i was pleased with the results and until the bc had a lovely pair of perky ones instead of ones that hung to my waist and gave me a terrible backache. I hope they have managed to get all your BC at the time.
I hope you get some good news on 7th and your treatment is not too harsh. If it is, you will find lots of help, support and advice on here to get you through it.
All the best
Linda
I got the results of my lymph node biopsy today. They had taken 8 nodes and found that one of them was cancerous. I now have to have Chemo and have an appointment with the chemo Dr next thursday. I am stunned and feel totally unprepared. My BCN is very very good so once I feel like I will understand what is being explained to me I will call her to have a chat.