Went for a Mammogram, scan and biopsy on Tuesday. I was told that I have cancer and that one of my lymph nodes is very slightly inflammed. The utlra scan lady said this was serious - does this mean it has spread. I don’t quite understand how this all works - my lump is 3.7cm. I am so nervous, I feel sick and have feelings of doom. I have been reading your comments over the last few days and they have really helped, but I am sick with anxiety today. They have told me that they will be able to tell me what type of cancer I have and how they will deal with it on this coming Tuesday.
Oh Silverlady, bless your heart, that seems a rather ‘negative’ and harsh thing to say to say when telling someone you think they have breast cancer.
Obviously I don’t know the context or tone of what was said, but I hope I can reassure you a little. There are MANY MANY people on here who have had cancer cells found in their lymph node/s and they are doing just fine. Lymph nodes are designed to filter, and it has been doing its job and doing just that. You’ve been told ‘one is slightly inflammed’, so there is a possibility that the cancer cells are currently contained in that one node. Now, I’m not a medic, but from my knowledge since reading here and meeting people after my own diagnosis, if in the worst case scenario the cancer cells have moved further than the sentinel nodes…so when you read about ladies having a series of lymph nodes removed during surgery, that is the reason why to get rid of any path they may have followed. I didnt realise until I was diagnosed just how different and individual a BC diagnosis can be, but one thing is for sure there WILL be a treatment plan for you no matter what the type! IF they find from the biopsy that your node/s contain cancer cells then you might have a body scan just to be certain that it hasnt moved to other places. I say this not to worry you, but to reassure you that the professionals will want to give you the very best treatments and make sure they know what they are dealing with. They have plans to ‘catch’ any cancer cells that may have moved. Treatments nowadays are very effective, they are targeted, and not what they were even 5 years ago!
I know none of this will probably make you feel less sick, or less anxious, as what you’ve found out something that has knocked you sideways and upside down, but I really wanted you to not feel huge hope that this can be dealt with. Yes, there will be some months of active treatment, and the current waiting and anxiety are horrendous (we know!) but pleased know that once youve had your results the next stage is to deal with it, and then you start to settle a bit. Basically, now is the worst time, sadly. Please ask us any questions you would like, or there is the ‘ask a nurse’ section of the site you can post questions on, or the helpline number above.
I received my test results today, I have stage 3 aggressive hormone receptive breast cancer. The lymph node that was enlarged tested negative for cancer. I have to go for a CT scan on Sunday morning, with results on Monday. If my scan is clear I will be having a mastectomy & SNB then chemo & rads. I did ask for a double mastectomy but he explained that as I am a large lady it would be better to have only one breast off at the moment, so that I can heal faster and we can get on with the chemo. He did offer that I have chemo first to try and shrink the lump and then have a lumpectomy, but I said that it would worry me too much that they hadn’t got all of it. He also said that at the moment my lump is mobile, which is a good thing and if I did have chemo first and it didn’t work it could give the lump time to grow and attach itself. I told him I didn’t want re-construction yet, if at all - I just want to live. I feel a lot better now, although I’m sure that by Monday I will be anxious again hoping that it hasn’t spread. What I didn’t know was that even if the lymph nodes are clear, there is still a chance it can spread.
Surprisingly, I feel really good at the moment. I said to Hubby that this was positive news, but he said he won’t be happy until it’s all sorted. I told him that we have to enjoy the good news as it comes. Thanks for your hugs. Onwards & upwards.
I was as surprised as you about that information Pam75, I was so happy when he said my lymph node was o.k., but I still had to have a scan to make sure it hadn’t travelled. He said that the worse thing he could do, was do the operation and then find out that it has spread, as he would have put me through the operation when it wasn’t needed. He said that if it has spread (and he could see no reason that it had), then the mascetomy wouldn’t be necessary and we would alter the treatment plan accordingly. I still feel positive though that the lymph node is a good sign and if not, I will deal with that on Monday.
Hi Silverlady, I didn’t have a ct scan and nor am I having one … I’m booked in for 22nd December for a mastectomy and that is actually my next appointment. I’ve had my pre op this morning so nothing to do but wait now … I don’t know if I will have one after the op, I haven’t a clue about the after, yet xx I do know that clear lymph nodes is a really good thing!! LOL
Hope everybody else is ok and having a good day xxx
I don’t know to be honest but I would imagine that different hospitals have different procedures in what they do … your operation is the same as mine (mastectomy and SNB). I did have an MRI scan though xx
Hi silverlady, I haven’t had my op yet … I’ve got a long wait … 22nd December … yeah, I had the MRI scan last Wednesday. The mri scan is standard for lobular cancer (which is my diagnosis)
I wouldn’t worry if I was you, not everybody has an MRI but I did and at first I panicked about it because nobody I spoke to had had one but then I found out the reason why I had one and it made sense xx
Again, thank you Charys. If I ever get to meet you, you will get the biggest bear hug from a lopsided, bald headed woman. You have reminded me, that when he showed me my mammogram, he said that although he could see my lump clearly, my breast was quite dense and he wanted to check out what the other white bits were, to see if they were cancer, although they were probably nothing. Then when he mentioned it would also make sure it hadn’t gone anywhere else - my alarm bells were ringing. When I asked the Nurse about the CT scan, she said that there was nothing there to make them believe it had spread, but I thought that this answer was very clever wording. I get very suspicious. So in my mind, not quite understanding this BC stuff, I thought that if my breast had cancer in it as well as the lump, he thought it may have spread.
I think I’m getting myself into a tiz and reading more into their words than necessary. My lump is 3.7cm.
I’m going to go back to where I was yesterday when I was really happy that the node was clear. Thank you again, you have been so calming,
Hi Em, you’re so right. It’s so easy to get worried over the slight thing, but I think we are allowed considering what we are going through, thank goodness there are level headed people on this forum. I hope to be one of those people soon.
My consultant told me mine was hormone receptive yesterday, I don’t really know what that means, I didn’t ask as I was more concerned about getting rid of bodily parts.
Big hugs silverlady. I had two suspicious lymph nodes biopsied at my initial recall appointment and they both came back negative to the surprise of the radiographer, i think its the unknown that’s so scary, once a plan is in place, you can manage it in chunks. Xxx
Thanks EJM60 - roll on Monday, when I know what is happening and the worry of whether it has spread gets answered.
Charys - I got worried last night, because apart from the few wobbles I’ve had on here and the sense of impending doom that creeps up on me every now and again when I’m not expecting it, I actually feel o.k. - I looked it up in the pack my BCN gave me and it said that some people look at it as a challenge and I wonder if that is what I am doing. I refuse to cry and I have pushed it down as far as I can get it. I am aware that the bc can come back - as it did with my Mum, but I remind myself how brave she was and I know I have just got to get on with it. How I will be once my treatment has started, who knows. But, for now, I’m gonna beat this parasitic little sucker.
Hahaha lLadybowler - you made me laugh out loud - I remember Mr Blobby, we all use to sit down and watch him on a Saturday night.
That’s what I wonder - will I just blow up with all the emotions I have suppressed. Will I be walking down the street one day, then puff, I just collapse with the terror of it all.
When the Nurse said I should stop taking the pill, I was a bit pee’d off, as I thought, great I haven’t had a period for 5 years or period pains, which I suffer with - so just waiting for the onset of that on top of everything else. I’m pre-menopausal, so I have got that to look forward to as well.
When the nurse said I had to stop my pill as I was hormone receptive, my sister was really worried (she was with me). But the nurse said that when you don’t have cancer it is quite safe, but once you have it, it’s best to stop.
I don’t think you’re mad, I’m looking forward to my operation. I’m not looking forward to the treatment, but I want to start it a.s.a.p. It’s like I’ve got to get to the top of the mountain as fast as possible.
Maybe, bc turns all of us a little dark and twisted, I know my humour isn’t for everybody.
I just wanted to add to the comment below, (as I had to stop as hubby had made dinner). When I was at the office today, one of the lads came in and said to the Contracts Manager, your tyre is bald and flat on one side. I replied, “that’ll be me in a few weeks time”. You could have heard a pin drop as they both stared at me and I thought, obviously not ready for my humour yet, but then they both cracked up laughing with proper belly laughs. I though, yep, I’m gonna be fine.
Excellent ? Silverlady, so good for your colleagues too, you must be brill to work with!
I know about what you & Emily mean by looking forward to treatment, its probably the relief, but I oddly quite enjoyed my surgery day (wle) & then radiotherapy, I did get off lightly though, no chemo or major surgery.
ann x