It has been so lovely to find this thread and group! I’m 33 and found out I had breast cancer in October, 6 months after I got married.
I was diagnosed with triple positive IDC and had my lumpectomy surgery last week so I’ll be hopefully starting chemo just before Christmas! I’m still waiting to get scheduled in with my oncologist and to know what type of chemo I’ll be getting but it’s been great to read through everyone’s tips and advice.
In the meantime before chemo I am doing fertility treatment to freeze embryos over the next few weeks so it’s going to be a busy time.
Hello @bally8 welcome to the thread, but what an absolutely s**** late wedding gift! Sorry you’re here, very best wishes for the fertility protection and for getting a chemo plan. You don’t say if you have your lumpectomy feedback yet but hope you get a plan soon. The waiting bit is the worst, but lots of support on here…success stories, bad spells, worry, we do the lot!
Hey @carrie5 yes I had my follow up with my surgeon yesterday. Unfortunately they found cancer in 1/2 lymph nodes they removed so my diagnosis got upgraded from stage 1 to 2 due to that. However, I am still fortunate for an early stage diagnosis and I needed chemo due to HER2+ anyway so it doesn’t change much.
Hello @bally8 and welcome to our merry band. So sorry you find yourself here but this thread is full of truly awesome women so you are in good company. I was where you are 2 years ago but 20 years older than you, so it really sucks that you are having to go through this so young. If you have had a read of this thread then you will know just how many younger women there are and they’re all amazing. Again, you are amongst friends. @carrie5 I’ve never thought of it like that - the 1/2 lymph nodes doing their job. We tend to think of it as bad news that it has reached the lymph nodes rather than good news that they caught and mopped up the errant cells. Nice one, lymph nodes! Good on you for being so proactive and freezing embryos. We will be so interested to follow your story. You will find a lot of support here.
@naughty_boob and @carrie5 My son asked me to please not dress up as it was embarrassing, to which I responded by going straight upstairs to bedeck myself in my favourite all time Eurovision outfit, the yellow crocheted flare suit. I wonder whether he will edit me out completely or just show my head. Although I was also wearing that blue sequinned beret that I wore to the Cancer in Common event so that wouldn’t work either!
So following the discovery of the lumps in my neck I had my ct scan on Friday and I’ve had a call today from the imaging dept at hospital saying oncologist has requested an urgent ultrasound on my neck. I’m so terrified that the cancer is back. The ct scan obviously hasn’t been able to rule it out and I’m struggling to think rationally. It’s taking me back to last May when this nightmare started. I’ve called my oncologists secretary to see if she can call me because I don’t know what to think and I need information. I’m so scared though at the prospect of having to go through this again, or potentially worse. I only finished treatment in August and was just getting a taste of life back
@rrey Darling, I’m so sorry to hear that you have been plunged back into this nightmare. Anyone in your shoes would feel terrified too. Now is the time you need to pull on all the resources you have built up. Remember that CT scans frequently show up things they can’t interpret. They may show enlarged nodes but not be able to tell why. Additional scanning doesn’t necessarily mean bad news. Ultrasound will give them a clearer, more detailed look. You are doing exactly the right thing by contacting your oncologist’s secretary so they can give you some clarification. Whatever happens, you aren’t back in that place from last May because you are that wiser and stronger woman we’ve got to know on here. You have got through so much and come back to share your wisdom. We are here for you whilst you get more information and beyond. Sending you love and strength, my buddy.
Thank you so much for your kind words. It’s hit me like a bus. I had allowed myself to believe that I’d see my oncologist next week and she would give me good news following my ct scan that all was well and there was nothing to worry about. The urgent nature of all the tests is just taking me back to last year and the dread of what next week may bring is too horrible to think about. I’ll try and dust myself off and get ready to face whatever may be coming next week whilst praying for good news. The fear of recurrence is so real x
@rrey Completely understand that you’re fearful, as @salbert says- who wouldn’t worry. At least they are checking and urgent serms to mean fast so I hope you can get clarity soon.
@rrey I hope you get clarity soon & good news. I had some urgent scans a few weeks ago and the scanxiety is horrible, especially when you just want to move on with your life. It just sneaks up on you and suckerpunches you when you’re least expecting it.
For anyone who has finished treatment and is interested in getting back to fitness Sarah @ Get Me Back is offering a Black Friday discount on her Breast Cancer Programme (£49 instead of £70). Read more here: https://www.getmeback.uk/about-programmes and use code BF49 at checkout. The discount is only good until end of tomorrow. She’s quite knowledgeable about cancer & exercise so it’s a really good investment if you don’t know where to start or have questions about what is appropriate for your new normal.
I am sorry to hear about your diagnosis, welcome to the shit club that’s early cancer….
If you need any support during your fertility treatment let me know, I had to do it as well and it was hard with all the hormones flying about. Here if you need to vent x
I just had a call from oncology of I could call into my oncologists office before chemo round 2 tomorrow and I am now so worried something showed up in my heart scan or my bloods I have planned everything so that I have someone here with me next week and babies nursery is booked so I hope it’s not a delay:tired_face:
@lmack95 I couldn’t agree more with regard to being an embarrassing parent. Even if I sneeze it would embarrass my son so I might as well put some effort into it and do it properly! Here’s hoping that tomorrow’s visit to the onco is just a standard update on how you are doing. I used to have to see mine before every chemo. Hoping all is well and how wonderful that you can help with @bally8 re fertility treatment. It’s so much easier if you are walking the walk with someone else.
Hi @lmack95 it is really great to know you’ve been through it. It’s a bit of a whirlwind and I feel lucky to be able to squeeze it in between surgery and chemo but it’s definitely quite intense. I’ve started the injections on Monday this week and it’s going okay so far
I see you started chemo in November too, I should be starting just before Christmas so it’s nice to know someone is around the same time frame. Hope it is all going ok for you soon far!
Oh you may be be able to join the December starters thread on the forum, I am in the November one and we discuss lots of things, some December starters are in there too and taking notes.
The fertility stuff was complicated for me as I had to wean simultaneously but the actual thing was fine.
And the chemo is going okay. Second round tomorrow x
Hi everyone I haven’t posted for a while but read all posts.
I need to just write this as I am so worried. Prior to breast cancer I have had ongoing issues with fibroids and bleeding on hrt which go back at least 10 years even though I had only been on hrt just over 2 years. Last May/June I had a hysteroscopy where they said uterus was really bulky from fibroids but found a fibroids polyp which needed removing. They also biopsies my womb lining which came back normal. Fibroid polyp was removed under general in June 24. They told me when I came off hrt the fibroids would shrink. Bleeding issues improved slightly for a while but gp was going to adjust hrt but then I was diagnosed with breast cancer in January so came off hrt immediately. I then started chemo within 4 weeks and while on chemo I had bleeding episodes from lots of places. Since chemo has finished the bleeding has got less and less. I mentioned it to gp other week and have now been sent on 2 ww for scan which showed thickened lining but they struggled to get accurate measurement by ultrasound last year because of fibroids. Had appointment this week at gynae and they couldn’t get hysteroscope in due to something pushing cervix out of the way. This was said to be fibroids last year in same place. They said they need to biopsy but they said it doesn’t look like cervical cancer and feels like fibroids. So I am now waiting and in turmoil as if it turns out to be something I must have had this last year. I have got it into my head it is a really rare kind of cancerous fibroid but is this overthinking.
When I try to think rationally I had all that chemo, I had a ct scan with contrast before starting chemo from neck to bottom of pelvis surely something would have shown even if they had had to look further into it
@anb1 I can’t help much in terms of saying all will be fine BUT a) it’s totally understandable to be in your head about it. It’s sound like an absolute overwhelming series of unfortunate events and medical procedures. But b) yes, you have had the chemo, and the scan etc and hopefully it just turns out to be the “normal" fibroids (even though that already sounds like a lot to deal with).
There’s nothing you can do at this point but wait, which is always the worst bit. As best as you can distract yourself from the situation (work, do something fund or crafty if you’re that way inclined) once you feel like everything you can control you have controlled.
Thinking of you and hopefully the wheels are now in motion to get it sussed out x
