Just Diagnosed

Hi Smiley
So sorry to hear you have been diagnosed, and also about your husband, which must make it especially difficult.
It is a good idea to keep busy, if you are like me and you find that action is better than sitting about worrying. I found that the treatment was not nearly so bad as I had imagined, and I was able to keep doing most of the things I would normally do. This helped me a great deal to keep things in some kind of balance.
Keep posting, you will find a lot of support here.
Sarah

Hi All,

Got my results last week and found out that it has spread to the lymph nodes so have got to have an axillary clearance on Thursday, then chemo and radiotherapy.
The hospital mucked up and someone phoned through to book a date for my second operation before I was given the results so I new it was bad news!
I think the chemo worries me most of all so if anyone has got any hints on how to get through it and cope please let me know.
Smiley60 sorry to hear that you have recently been diagnosed honestly the operation is not bad and I will keep my fingers crossed for you next week.

Julie
x

Julie most people on here will tell you that the anticipation of chemo is much worse than the actual thing. It is do-able and once you get started it goes really quickly. I’m due my 3rd lot this week so I’ll be half way through and it seems to have flown by.
Don’t stress yourself out about side effects. There are a lot of horror stories on here but I haven’t experienced anything too bad yet and it affects everyone differently. Prepare for the worst but expect the best.
Good luck for your treatment and there is much support to be had here so anything else you want to know just ask and someone is always on hand with advice.
Debs
x

Hi thanks to Sarah and Jayne for your messages. Went today for pre op assessment and bumped into the breast care nurse and had a chat with her. Feelng a lot better and determined to fight my new battle. I plan to keep very busy until next Tues - if nothing else I will have a nice clean house to come home to.

Thanks Debs,
I don’t know how everyone sounds so positive, perhaps a few months down the line I will look at things differently. I have spent the last week filling up my cupboards, fridge and freezer ready to hibernate until the treatment is over!!!
I think I can cope with operations and sickness but hair loss scares me. How did you manage? Any advice you can give on things good and bad.

Julie
X

Hi Julie, please dont stress too much about the hairloss, i thought i would never cope. But quite the opposite, once i had taken it into my hands and shaved it all off, i have quite enjoyed it in a funny sort of way. Not having to spend ages doing my hair, or worrying about the weather messing up my hair. I bought 2 expensive wigs before my chemo, to be honest, 1 of them is still in the box, and the other 1 i wore for the first couple of weeks, then after that i wore a hat when i was out, but in the house i didnt bother. Now i’m 6 weeks out of chemo, with just a very fine covering of light hair, i go out without my hat. I feel very proud of myself for being brave this year, and dont see why i should hide what i have been through. lots of luck with your treatment, and however bad it might be, just remember there is a kight at the end of the tunnel. You will be there before you know it. Sharon x

Hi Julie

I am posting a link to the BCC publication about hair loss which you may find helpful to read, just follow the link to order or read a copy, there are also details of other support services BCC can offer you in the back of the booklet:

breastcancercare.org.uk/healthcare-professionals/publications/treatment-and-side-effects/*/changeTemplate/PublicationDisplay/publicationId/12/

Best wishes
Lucy

Hi this is my first post,i had a mastectomy on 8th sept it was not as bad as thought it would be,i thought the drains were more uncomfatable than the operation! Having difficulty with chording in my arm at the moment,seeing Oncologist tomorrow to chat about Chemo this is my next fear but most stay positve, have cried the odd time but am sure this is a normal process.

Hi Booncy,

Good luck with your appointment tomorrow. If all goes to plan with my operation on Thursday, I think I will be starting my chemo at the end of October, so will have to support each other.
If you have only cried the odd time it sounds that you have coped better than me so far!

Julie
X

Hi Julie, iam sure you will be fine, i bet you have heard that a lot but you will xx

Julie I was gutted about losing my hair but like Sharon I’ve actually found it ok. People who have seen me bald say it really suits me and I have a nice shaped head and even that I look 10 years younger! I wore scarves for the first couple of weeks but now I’ve bought some wigs off ebay which were quite cheap but really nice so I wear them most of the time. My hairdresser cut my NHS wig for me and it looks very glam so I save that one for going out somewhere special! In the house I go commando but keep a wig to hand in case anyone comes to the door! My 15 year old son was freaked out by it at first but he’s used to it now.
At the end of the day, baldness is inevitable (unless you use the cold cap but even then it may not work) so we have to embrace it. If it wasn’t so cold I would be proud to walk about and show my bald head to the world!
I hope it doesn’t upset you too much losing your hair but these days wigs are so real looking and scarves make quite a fashion statement. Just slap on a bit of extra make up and feel feminine.
Debs
x

Well start Chemo on 20th Sept (gulp) going to hairdressers in the morning not sure to get a trim or have a bob cut lol
A friend of mine started her Chemo today, said it was not bad at all, fingers crossed eh, will go look at the wigs when i get the voucher thinking i would feel a little better if i had it ready for when the hair comes off.

Hi everyone had my surgery yesterday and feeling ok. Sentinel lymph gland biopsy was clear fingers crossed that nothing is found in lab testing. Good luck to all awaiting treatment or results

hello everyone
this is my first post!!! i am a married 40 year old with a 7 year old son, alfie. i had planned to have an elective double mastectomy in November as i have a family history of breast cancer (although as i have no living relatives they were unable to test me to see if i carried the defective gene). i had my MRI and final appointment with my surgeon to make sure everything was in place for my op. unfortunately, the cancer beat me to it as it has already appeared in my right breast (15mm, grade 3). last week i had a lymph node biopsy and i get the results tomorrow (fingers crossed!!). I will be having my double mastectomy as planned but i expect to be offered chemo and am not sure whether to have it. The one bit of good news is as i now have cancer i can be tested to see if i carry the defective gene! i plan to have my ovaries removed if this comes back positive. look forward to hearing some advice! x

Hi Cornishroo
Sorry to hear of your diagnosis. I’m sure others will be along soon to offer advice but all I can say is that the thought of having chemotherapy is much worse than it actually is. As a lot of people will tell you, it is do-able. If you have good friends or a partner who can help out with childcare at times when you are not feeling so great it would help and you may be lucky like many of us and not suffer any really bad side effects.
Talk to the Breast Cancer nurses or phone the helpline here for more info to help make your decision. I was never given a choice of wether to have chemo or not but if I had been I still would have chosen to have it as anything that can kill it off for good is a good thing as far as I’m concerned. My hair will grow back and this time next year I will hopefully be back to my old self. The alternative is not an option!
Good luck with your op anyway and if you need any more advice about chemo you can always shout on here.
Debs
XX

After reading many comments, I realise that most treatments have started with surgery first, followed by chemo. My doctor told me yesterday that I’ll be getting chemo for 6 months first, then surgery, should I go back and ask why it’s the other way around from most cases? all so confusing

Mine is that way round too. The chemo is to shrink the tumour (and any other stray cells lurking about)then they will remove whats left. I don’t care which way round they do it as long as they get rid of it all!!

Hi everyone got hospital results yesterday and path lab results show no spread to the lymph glands. I just need radiotherapy now and have to take tamoxifen. Recovering well from op but still very tired surgeon says this is normal. It all feels rather surreal a few weeks ago I was fine and healthy and in a short space of time I have been diagnosed with invasive cancer-had operation- now all removed and awaiting radiotherapy. Thank goodness for routine mammograms or who knows what the outcome would have been! My mother had a similar problem and although she eventually died from secondary cancer it was about 18 years before it reappeared in her lungs. I feel very lucky indeed.

Hello everyone,

I was diagnosed a week ago and am scheduled for surgery
on Tuesday the 26th. Have a lumpectomy and sentinel
node biopsy. I am really quite terrified of the surgery, as
have never had surgery. Am scared of procedures in general…
I went through 5 labors and delivery with only gas and air
*because* I was more terrified of the epidural. (And
everyone thought I was brave : - (

I have two areas of cancer, I am 50 years old, my GP
laughed at me when I asked for a mammogram at age
45 (I am American, have lived in the UK for 16 years, have
only been back to USA twice in 16 years.) He said, those
silly Americans, they over-screen.

So I found the lump myself, 1.5 cm, then ultra sound found
a further area of cancer nearby.

My husband is refusing to take *one* day off work for the
surgery, which is really stressing me out. He is taking the
morning off only. He is a professor and has seniority and
really only has to *ask* for the day off, but refuses.

Well, thanks for letting me rant on and on. I’ve got no
family in this country apart from my husband and four
children, so feeling isolated at the moment.

Hi mumx5inuk and welcome to the BCC forums

I am sure your fellow users will be along soon with support and shared experiences, in addition BCC have compiled a newly diagnosed booklet which you may find useful, you can order a copy via this link:

breastcancercare.org.uk/healthcare-professionals/publications/diagnosed-with-breast-cancer/*/changeTemplate/PublicationDisplay/publicationId/82/

Our helpline is open 9-5 weekdays and 9-2 Saturdays and you are welcome to call for further support and information on 0808 800 6000.

Take care
Lucy