Hi
I’m a mum of three children and 35y old,i found a lump in my breast on xmas eve and went to see my doctor that monday,got into the hospital on tuesday,thats when my nightmare began. I had the test done and was told that i have got Breast cancer .I had a lumpectomy on monday 12th jan thay all so took some lymph nodes,got good news there,no cancer cells were found.I’m still getting over my surgery not as bad as i thought,get pains in my back and cant sleep and is out of breath a lot but at least the cancer is out! Just waiting to find out what is next .Not looking forword to the chemo and the side effects, if anyone is at the same stage as me i would love to talk to you or if you are just going through it now.
I was dx last year in February(I was 38 at the time) and had my lump removed and lymph nodes were clear. I had chemo, rads and now on arimidex. I remember it as though it was yesterday not a year ago. I like you was very scared about chemotherapy as you hear such horror stories about it. It is not easy to go through and everyone reacts differently to it but I got through it without too much in the way of serious side effects. Once you know the treatment you are going to have and the plan of when you will have it, it can help as I felt I had more control of what was happening to me. I had a lot of problems sleeping but I am getting more sleep now. Feel free to ask any questions as I know how frightening it is when you first get a diagnosis and have the lump removed.
how long have you been on arimidex, have you noticed any side effects yet? as I am due to start it soon and it can be a bit frightening reading up on it.
Hi Darron, I’m just coming to the end of my chemo, one more to go, and I too was very scared at the beginning but the not knowing is worse than the actual treatment itself. There is a great thread called Top Tips going through chemotherapy on the Undergoing Treatment; chemotherapy category. I’m sure also that there wil be a few ladies at the same stage as you that will join the thread for moral support.
Take Care Caz x
hi Karron - I saw my gp on christmas eve and he referred me to breast clinic - I had a dimple or dent and wasn’t sure re lump as I’m lumpy and bumpy anyway esp pre period time…was diagnosed on jan 7th and have to have lumpectomy and node sampling on 28th…I have 2 kids, son 10 and daughter nearly 16 and I’m 43 although have prob aged 10yrs since last wed…so your op was this week - hope you’re doing ok and healing well…don’t suppose you’re anyway nr Shropshire? Take care and gentle hugs, mary x
There are loads of us here going through the same thing at the same time as you, so you’ve definitely got company. I had my WLE with nodes on Christmas Eve and will be starting chemo week after next. I don’t have any spread either, but it was a large-ish tumour (3cm) and quite aggressive. Take it easy in this post op period. It’ll take a while to settle down so don’t expect too much too soon. I’m just over 3 weeks post op and still have a little bruising at the scar, tenderness at the side and occasional ouch moments, but that’s all starting to disappear fast now. I’ll be seeing my oncologist next Tuesday to find out what I’m getting for chemo, I know it’s 6 months, then 6 weeks rad, then 5 years drugs. I’m oestrogen receptive so have to do the 5 year thing.
Your world kind of turns upside down when you’re diagnosed. Reality feels quite a bit different. It does settle down, although I’ll admit I wish the chemo could get started right now so I know what that’s like and can just get on with the next 6 months. No patience! lol.
Thanks for asking if im ok…Very sore and very tired at times but trying to keep a smile on my face ( hard at times) just wating now to find out what is going to happen next this is the part whitch is scary for me chemo!!! I have a daughter 13, son 15 who has been an angel helping with house work and cooking the tea and then my little helper megan who is 3, makes me laugh when thay say rest, how can you when you have young childern?
Not sure were shropshire is but i live in Bristol. All the best with your lumpectomy i think you will be supprised after you have gone through it…not to bad keep in touch best wishes
Glad you have got through this and came out the other side ok,People keep saying about a cold cap and it could save your hair? did you try this? did it work for you?or did you keep all your hair? i have got a holiday booked for june and am just focusing on that at the mo,think that is what is keeping me going some times, had this booked before i found out
I used a cold cap through my chemo, only one more to go. I cut my hair into a pixie cut after 1st chemo and I’ve hardly lost any at all. I do lose strands of hair about 5/6 days after each chemo. 2nd cycle was the worst for hair loss, but no one has noticed at all! Honestly. I can notice a bit of a differance it sort of looks thinner aroung the parting but elsewhere it is still growing - I can tell cos I’ve got grey roots lol. It is a bit uncomfortable with the cap - freezing and I mean freezing for about 20 mins but then your head sort of numbs I suppose and you can’t feel it. They put it on about 45 mins before i1t lot of chemo goes in ( I’m on FEC what are you having ) and comes off about half an hour after last one, takes about 4 hours in all. Have kept eyelashes and brows too which does help to make you feel a bit more in control of whats happening to you.
I’m quite near you, I’m in Swindon.
Hope your okay and taking it as easy as you can after op, try not to do too much even if it feels like you can.
Caz x
Have just registered on site as found this discussion link very helpful Was diagnosed November 08 and had WLE and node removal -luckily I also had no spread. Am due second of 6 FEC next week - no real problems with side-effects so far - waiting for hair loss! After chemo due to have rads and tamoxifen, as far as know currently.
I wondered if anyone else was finding that, rather than worry about chemo, side-effects,etc. they find themselves worrying about totally unrelated things and getting in a panic about them? Its almost like I can’t focus on this so worries are going elsewhere… also feel that i don’t have the capacity currently to deal with too much else - so wish I could stop finding other things to worry about!
Generally, though, I feel pretty positive and am taking approach that now need to focus on getting through treatment so can get on with other,more enjoyable things afterwards. I am signed off work until end of chemo which i think i need but does leave me a lot of time to think!
It is good to have somewhere to express concerns; makes me feel less neurotic!
In addition to the support you will receive here and for a ‘listening ear’ you may find our helpline useful, they can also refer you onto other support we can offer you such as our ‘Peer Support’ service. This telephone service aims to quickly put you in touch with one of our trained peer supporters, who has had a personal experience of breast cancer. Our peer supporters are from diverse backgrounds and ages and have experienced different types of breast cancer and treatments. They are ready to listen, offer skilled emotional support and share their experiences and understanding.
The number to call is 0808 800 6000 weekdays 9-5 and Sat 9-2
hi seasidebabe - I’m waiting for the same as you had on 28th jan - I know too well what you mean re worrying about everything else - I have mini panic times and feel really erational about alsorts, if anyone has a cold then it could be the beginning of god knows what, every ache and pain has to be related to your boob…it comes and goes…I think the whole thing makes you think a lot more about everything and worry about everything, mary x
Yourself and kittenkat summed up some of it for me. I start chemo week after next. Even though I’m going through normal, ordinary life, I feel always needing to swallow back something. It’s not panic, it’s not fear, I can rationalise and deal with the obvious negative thoughts that come to mind. But somewhere there’s something I’m holding in that makes my throat sore, that makes me leak tears when I don’t want/need to leak them. I feel disconnnected. And at the same time know I have to keep going as normal. This site has been an anchor. Ok, all that sounds a bit “Woe is me, alack a day”. Sorry, didn’t mean to bring the whole thing down. I regularly post on bury st edmonds. We’ve got a thread going there that is pretty fun, I love it! I suppose I’m saying, hold the line, stay the course, as Sal says “Always look on the bright side of life, pooh pooh, pooh pooh pooh pooh pooh pooh pooh pooh pooh, etcetera”
Hi Karron, just wanted to say I am in Weston on the Mud so not too far from Bristol and I have to keep returning to the BRI as my surgical wound hasn’t healed (yet!) following my mastectomy and reconstruction in September. Were you treated at the BRI too?
Hi Karron, so sorry to hear about your BC. I have it too. I am 39 with two children 8 and 5. I am at the same stage as you, I had a mastectomy on 5th Jan and will need chemo and poss radio but don’t know when. I am dreading it too, don’t want it to affect my kids, I have managed to be ok following my op and don’t want to scare them with the chemo stuff. Hope you find it out soon what will happen next, waiting is awful. If I can help I am here to talk.
Lisa x
lisa - I sent for the leaflet “Talking with your children about breast cancer” from the publication bit on this site - mine are 10 (boy) & nearly 16 (girl) and its very useful to read, mary x
As Kittenkat has kindly mentioned above, BCC have published information designed to help you talk to your children about breast cancer and treatments, I have copied links to these publications: