I’m really struggling with the waiting time between appointments and dealing with the unknown.
IDC OR/PR+ HER2- - Grade 3 - Stage 2 - Lumpectomy and Auxiliary Lymph Node clearance.
Confirmed margins are clear and only in one lymph node.
Chemotherapy is recommended because of my age and lymph node involvement but I still have to wait another week before I can talk to the oncologist about what that means.
Not being able to make any plans or book anything to look forward to because I don’t know what treatment I’m going to undergo and how it will make me feel, is really hard.
Still only three weeks post surgery so not allowed to go running, which is my normal go to to clear my head.
Any tips for staying positive and keeping going while waiting?
Welcome to the forums and I’m sorry you find yourself here, I do understand how difficult it can be when you have a “go to” activity to help your head and the frustration it causes when you are prevented from doing that activity
My advice would be to try and find some others things to do: what those other things are is entirely up to you. Personally I’ve found it helpful to pick up activities that I haven’t necessarily done for a while I’ve found myself knitting and cross stitching, playing the piano, crosswords and puzzles, box sets pretty much anything where you have to focus and concentrate giving your mind less capacity to run off into other unhelpful places….
Even though you can’t run you can still get outside and walk it’s just as beneficial for your mental health as running
That said please don’t be hard on yourself for having down days and tears: you are going through a really tough experience and believe me when I tell you “the smiling breast cancer warrior” we see pictures of are all human and feel that way too
I’m in a very similar situation to you. I was diagnosed with IDC OR+, grade 3 (don’t know what stage). I had a therapeutic mammoplasty and 5 lymph nodes removed. I knew it was definitely in 1 node due to a previous biopsy. 3 of the 5 tested positive. My surgery was 4 weeks ago and I am waiting for an appointment with the oncologist, its been suggested that chemo and radiotherapy are likely. I’ve also had a ct scan and am waiting the results of that.
It feels to me like life is currently passing you me by, those around me are making plans and all I can say is I’ll have to wait and see. My friends daughter is having her hen night in August and I was really looking forward to going.
This waiting is almost worse than the wait for the results, the not knowing is so difficult. I have issues with my mental health and use exercise and horse riding to help me deal with it. Obviously neither of those are an option at the moment the same as you and running. You’ve probably tried it but instead of running try going for a walk.
To distract myself I’ve started to crochet a blanket and do jigsaws on an app. If there’s something you’ve always fancied doing but never got around to, you could start that. I’ve also found it helpful to listen to audiobooks. I booked myself in to have a facial so I’ve got something to look forward to in the short term. I’m trying to stay positive and working on the basis that I can’t change what is coming up and try to just take it one day at a time.
I hope this is helpful for you
I was a lower grade and stage, but was back running 2 weeks after lumpectomy- got told 2 weeks would be ok and tbh, it helped me get through it all. I do have a large chest though and was just using the treadmill at the gym. Used a support band above my boobs to strap them down more. It does seem that people get told different things. I had my dressing removed after 2 weeks, so if healed by then, makes sense that it would be ok, so maybe check on that if you are healing well.
Hi @runningandgin
Some good advice already on this thread. Distract yourself with things that keep your spirits up. For me, it was music on loud and dance around the living room, going for walks with my dogs, seeing friends, getting fresh air and exercise. Now I have less appointments, but it’s still the same!
Cut out the rubbish unimportant stuff and prioritise the things that bring you joy!
Hi runningandgin
Im so glad you asked this question. I really sympathise with you struggling with the wait.
I have grade 2 cancer.
My diagnosis was very positive before surgery and then it went a bit wobbly with a slightly larger tumor than they thought and finding macrometastasis with the extranodal spread in one node.
I am post menopausal so apparently that along with being ER/PR positive HER2 negative is a better outcome.
The oncologist didnt think chemo’s long term risks out-weighed the benefits, so didnt recommend it. But I have a niggle in my gut and wasnt so sure about this advice so opted to take the OncotypeDX test to get better clarity [hopefully] Im now waiting for this result and find it hard to concentrate and cant go back to work yet.
Its all very stressful
