Ok, so I got my CT results yesterday and they have found another 7cm tumor in my lung, so I now have breast cancer and lung cancer!!! My other concern is my CT scan was only of my neck down to the pelvis area??? Why didn’t they scan me head to toe??? What if I have another tumor somewhere else???
I’m also concerned that my oncologyst is not just telling me straight, I have to keep asking questions to find out how bad things are, she didn’t even tell me the size of the tumor until I asked, 7cm is not exactly small!
I have to have a ultra sound on the lung tomorrow but they have provisinally booked me in to start chemo next Friday but they still have to discuss what type of chemo that will be and will let me know next Wednesday!
I haven’t had any children and nobody has mentioned fertility yet, shouldn’t this be done before chemo??? If I’m due to start chemo next week then surely there is not time to save eggs etc!
I’m so confused, please can someone try and help with my questions?
Sam (apologies for all my spelling mistakes in advance)
I am so sorry you are having such a bad time. You might find our qualified nurses on the helpline will be able to answer a lot of your questions. It is a free number to call, 0808 800 6000 and open 9-5 Monday to Friday and 9-2 Saturday.
I know you will get lots of support from our other forum users very quickly.
You really are going through hell. Can you ask your Breast Care Nurse to find out the answers to your questions for you? All our thoughts are with you.
Thanks Ann and Annabel, I have called my breast cancer nurse and left her a message to call me back.
I also called the helpline number on this site as suggested and I spoke to a lovely lady who gave me some good awnsers but still said I need to speak to my nurse re fertility ASAP!
Just to reiterate everyone elses comments really. I am 32 and have had 4 cycles of FEC chemo now following a WLE for a grade 3 BC 20mm in size.
I was told RE fertility that i could have eggs removed but seeing as my cancer was E positive that process could “feed” my cancer and delay my treatment which they strongly adviced not to do. I was told the younger you go through this the more likely you will still be fertile at the end of it all. My periods are to the day still and i feel i am still fertile. I have been informed that i would be unwise for me to ever have another baby by one consultant and the other said to wait till my 5yrs tamoxifen was over so differing opinions.
At the moment tho you need to concentrate on you and getting a plan in place so you know what you need to do and whats ahead of you. Trust the fact that nature wants us to have babies if at all possible and at 32 the treatment will hopfully not prevent that.
Hi sam,
Just wanted to add my support here for you, I also had a delay in diagnosis about the same length of time as yourself.Im nearing the end of my chemo with surgery to follow,I havent had any ct scans at all only a chest one some time ago so im also in a scarey place.If you need anyone to talk to find me on f/bk.West mids
Ive always looked at this as a hurdle i must cross positively.Keep ur chin up.Sorry I cant help with the fertility thing.
sharon fox xxxxxxxx
I’m a few years older, 36 at diagnosis, but my problems started Jan 08 and was diagnosed Sept 08 and secs to my liver in Oct 08. I am now NED. I suppose it might come back, it might not, for a while - who knows? Odds are? I may be lucky? Lets get on with things.
You must be so scared right now. For me, it did get easier to deal with even if there is always a sense of surreality and shock. I think the key advice I wish to share, is to not concentrate on the things that you don’t know, but the things that you do. To concentrate on the things you can do, not the things you have no control over. Arm yourself with just enought information to make informed decisions about YOU.
I have just celebrated my first 12 months post ‘I have cancer, my life is over’ and I look back on my roller coaster year with a sense of achievement. Not because I did great thing or anything special. But because I was me and I did it my way. My way did and does include major panics which are v stressfull and I really have to fight to get a grip of. I also barely skipped a beat.
With regards to work, well you have rights and they HAVE to make reasonable adjustments for you. Seek advise on this matter.
With regards to fertility, please request to see a fertility expert if you are set on having kids - don’t delay by a couple of years if you are hormon +. No panic but get advice now - not when it matters. Some may think that is bad advice as you have enough going on but you don’t know what the impact of your treatment is for you and you have to believe in your future.
hi sam,
so sorry to hear about your results from your scans. Its awful how long this has taken for you, but now it seems you are heading at break-neck speed into treatment before you have had a moment to get your head around the diagnosis and implications on fertility. As others have said the chemo may not mean you will definitely lose your fertility as you are still so young and you should discuss with your onc what the chances are it may return. It may be useful to wrie down all your questions and have a friend or relative there to write down the answers for you so you can look over it again after you leave as there is going to be so much to take in at once.
fingers crossed for you.
xx
I spoke to my BC nurse and she said if I saved eggs etc it would delay my treatment and I’m not willing to take that risk! She also said because I am single it’s not something they genereally do, has anyone else been told this?
Anyway, I will leave it in God’s hands, if I am meant to have children, I’m sure he will make sure that I’m able! I’ve also been single for so long anyway that I’d almost given up hope of ever being a Mum, this disease has made me think about children alot more though!
Can someone also tell me the short codes you all use, I have no ideal what half of them mean, what is WLE???
I meet with my onc this Wednesday again so I will keep you all updated!
Hi Sam, I read your posts a few days ago. I’ve kept this article from BBC news, the lady also had breast cancer and a tumour in her lung and had a healthy baby several years after chemo and her diagnosis. I thought it was a hopeful read. Good Luck with your treatment and operation…xxx news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5389426.stm
So I met with the onc today and they are fairly sure my BC has spread to my lungs and the lung tumor is not another primary, although they are not 100% sure - still waiting for the staining to be done on my lung biopsy to confirm (has this ever happened to anyone else?), regardless they have told me I will be starting EC chemo this Friday!!!
I have lots of people praying for me and I started reading the bible story of “job” this morning and I feel inspired already, for those of you who are not religious, it’s bascially about a man who seemed to have the worst luck in the world, death in his family, disease, lost all his wealth etc but he never lost his faith in God!
I have to admit I am scared about starting chemo as I don’t know how it will make me feel but I am also glad something will finally start tackling this cancer!
Does anyone have any advice before chemo? I will be having EC chemo - lung tumor is 7 cm and breast tumor is 4.5cm!
Hi Sam, One word of advice I would give is to go to the dentist and get your teeth and gum’s checked before you start the chemo. I am on E.C. had my 5th treatment today. I have had teeth problems and cant get a dentist to take me on because i am on chemo. My Oncologist said i don’t want to be having dental treatment while on it.So I have worried the tooth that broke would turn abscess and halt my treatments. Thank God only one left to go. So I would highly recommend you do this. Its one worry less eh?
My love and Prayers are with you darl. (((HUGS))) xxx Rita
Oh well you will be fine darl. The chemo is not a treat LOL, but it is our friend. It is bearable and it will come to a end.
It will come and it will go as all thing must eh? Dont be scared when you get to the chemo unit you will meet lots of others in the same boat, all at various stages of treatment. You do get to know them and feel like a little select club hehe!!! take care darl xxx Rita
hi sam,
have a look on the thread on here for tips on chemo. I’ve had 4 epirubicin (the E of your EC) and personally not suffered too many side effects - but it is different for everyone. I recommend a trip to your gp to stock up on lactulose for constipation though and start taking it the day before, they can also prescribe you antiseptic mouthwash. I was never a boy scout but definitely stand by the motto ‘be prepared’. When you have the chemo - make sure you ask for a heat pack on the veins all the way through- i wasnt offered it the first time and it can be sooooo cold, my arm started to spasm. And drink plenty of fizzy water - chemo dehydrates you and i also read somewhere the fizz helps if you have crappy viens, it may not be true but it seems to have done the trick for me so far. Also get some of those travel sickness bands - again, it may be mind over matter but i hardley needed any nausea tablets as i wore these for a couple of days after.
Good luck - hope it goes as well as can be expected.
xx
Hi there, I know how you feel. I am 25 and was diagnosed last week. I am still waiting for further tests to discover the extent of the cancer and will not be able to have surgery until after I get the results sometime next month. All I can say is that you are not alone, though that does not seem to offer much help as I feel so alone! I never expected in a million years to be in the position I am in now. One day at a time though we can get through this.
By the way, don’t take it personally that they will only freeze your eggs if you have a partner, it is only that eggs freeeze much better if they are fertilised first - hence the need for a partner!!!
Catflapx
ps I did a thread a couple of years ago which was my light-hearted view of chemo, not sure if you can still find it but it was called something like Positive Mental Attitude for chemo.
I’ve been reading through this post and just wanted to comment.
I’m so sorry you’ve had to join us, I was 34 when diagnosed on 22/09/08 and have now been diagnosed again on other breast 3/09/09.
I too asked about saving eggs before started treatment, I was sent to the fertility clinic. I saw a lovely Professor who was willing to freeze my eggs but Oncologist said I had to start chemo straight away as cancer was so aggressive. Prof said that unfertilised eggs don’t survive. So it’s better to have a partner.
Ask to be put on Zolidex (shuts off ovaries to protect eggs you still have), it’s an injection you get every 4 weeks, I started that at start and it worked for me, I took my first period last thurs but will have to go on Zolidex again.
I am having treatment with a girl who had same diagnoses as yourself and she is doing great.
Hang on in there girl, chemo for me wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, hardly had any side effects at all. Lets see how I get on this time, should start chemo again in the next couple of weeks.