Hi. I was diagnosed yesterday(friday 13th!!! - says it all, doesn’t it!) with BC and am still reeling from the news. My husband and I, and all of my family had more-or-less convinced me that the lump I have was merely a cyst!! I had been fast-tracked to my local breast clinic(my doctor faxed my details to the clinic 4pm on monday 2nd June and they rang me 9.30am next day(tuesday) to call me in for a mammogram on the Wednesday 4th June). I had the mammogram, ultrasound and core biopsy done on the wed and went for my results yesterday; as had been away on holiday for a few days. Was totally floored with result; as was the consultant by the look of it!
Am already booked in for a Wide local excision and Sentinel lymph node biopsy on Mon 30th June. Am feeling so scared about the whole thing that it is actually physically hurting. I feel like I am being crushed by it, and my chest is throbbing with the fright!!! I am an emotional wreck one minute and normal the next. Am hoping that this is all temporary and that I will become human again!!! Just letting it out is such a relief. Will I feel better soon?!! xx
Hi Jules40
Welcome to the forums, I am sure your fellow forum members will be along shortly with valuable support and advice.
Breast Cancer Care have published a Resource Pack, it has been designed for anyone newly diagnosed with information to help you better understand your diagnosis, test results and various treatments, it is available via the following link or by contacting the helpline:
breastcancercare.org.uk//content.php?page_id=7514
We also have information publications and services specifically for younger women which you may find helpful, you can read more via this link:
breastcancercare.org.uk/content.php?page_id=5256
You may find our helpline useful to call to talk through how you are feeling at the moment, they can talk to you about our other support services too and also offer support, information and a ‘listening ear’. The number to call is 0808 800 6000 Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm, Saturday, 9am - 2pm. I hope you find this helpful.
Best wishes
Lucy
Hello Jules
So sorry you have had this horrid news, and yes not surprising that you feel so dreadful, think most of us do when first diognosed. It all happens so quickly, you get swept up, head in a spin… I had WLE(x2) and SNB back in Jan, followed by Radiotherapy and now take Tamoxifen. I am a teacher so took the time I needed off work which in the end was 10 weeks, I chose to work during rads as I was climbing the walls at home!
You will get lots of support on this site, I have and still do. Any questions just ask and someone will try and respond. Lots of lovely people.
All the best Alicex
I had lumpectomy for so called benign lump then another operation to remove DCIS (pre cancer) around the lump, then radiotherapy. I took 7 weeks off work, it would have been less if I’d not got a hospital acquired infection following surgery. I worked through radiotherapy but reduced hours (9.30 to 3.30 pm) I had low grade cancer, everyone has different treatment according to how fast growing and abnormal their cancer cells look.
I didn’t realise until I got it how different cancers can be, and how much treatment is tailored. I like to know everything so for me ignorance was anything but bliss but people are very different as well, and some people like to know nothing
it’s all very perplexing at first whatever your attitude. I took the news very calmly then got hysterical after a day or so. I’m now five years down the line and I’m still alive
Mole
Hi Jules,
Just logged on and saw your mail, me too crying one miniute and feel ok the next, I think this is quite normal as we are in a state shock, my consultant says I have a good chance I will be ok, but this does not stop me worrying, like you I will be pleased just to get it out and get on with my life.
I will go to the hospital tomorrow and have my op on Tues 17th., I feel quite numb at times actually, I feel this is not happening to me!.
You were lucky your doctor was on the ball, my doctor misstook mine for an old cyst, I went in Nov 07 as I already had a lump but he said it was the same size with no change, I knew different by a few months later as it started to hurt and swell up, luckily my 3 yearly mammogram was due and I was recalled, had my tests done and booked in for tomorrow, all in all I have had this lump for 6 months that I know of.
Good luck to you, keep believing that you will be well soon and I am sure you will. Lots of great support on this site and lovely people who all share an interest in everyone suffering with this terrible disease.
Love, Carol
Hi Jules
Sorry you have had to join us here on the forums, but welcome to the club anyways. I hd WLE and node sampling in Jan and had 16mm grade 1 tumour with no lymph nodes affected but 1 intermammory node involved. I had 6+ weeks of rads and am on tamoxifen for 5 years. I took the news very much in my stride but I think part of what helped me was so busy trying to get everything organised at home - I was told on the strength of mammo and US results that it was cancer and needed surgery and the operation was booked for 8 days later. I worked between clinic and surgery and was back in the office 14 days after my operation - my choice not my employers I hasten to add. I found being home alone was the worst thing as it gave me too much time to just sit and think about bc. I worked right through my rads just leaving early each day and was back full time the day after they ended.
It is a very scary situation to be in and the shock is terrible - so it is natural to feel scared and tearful. I found that once we got started with treatment and I started to get a better understanding of things - and learning all the lingo - things got easier to handle.
I hope your surgery goes well and that your results are as favourable as they can be.
As others have said this is a wonderful site and you will get immense support from the ladies on here. The advice I give to all new ppl on here tho is to be very careful about how much research you do at this stage - there is so much information out there about BC and some of it is very worrying so it is way too easy to read too much and scared yourself rigid by applying all the worst case scenarios to yourself. Take it one step at a time and if you have a question don’t feel that you can’t ask it on here - whatever it is there is usually someone who can give you an answer.
Hi Jules,
Sorry you have had to join us on here, but rest assured the ladies on here are fantastic and we all know what you are going through.
I too was told mine was a cyst by my GP got referred routinely and then had ultrasound, mammogram and biopsy, 4 days later told it was cancer (7th April)
WLE on 23rd April then results confirmed grade 3.
I start chemo next week but like Lilac I have taken most of it in my stride. I’ve only had 2 days where I was teary but then that’s just because that is the type of person I am.
I am actually looking forward to starting chemo as it will be 1 step closer to finishing and beating this thinf.
It is really scary but I am sure you will cope, as we all do.
Let all your emotions out, don’t hold back if that’s what you want to do.
I hope things go well for you in surgery in that you get good news.
Just come on here and rant away, we all do it.
Love and hugs
Lisa
xoxo
Hi Jules
Just wanted to add to what the ladies have already said, coming on to this forum to let out your feelings, fears and emotions is a wonderful help at a really horrible time. Sorry you have had to join us, but rest assured whatever question or fear or emotion you are having someone else will have felt the same and be able to help you along a little with some understanding, and sometimes some answers. Although family and friends can be fantastically supportive there’s nothing like talking to people who really know how it feels. When I was first diagnosed I felt weirdly calm and not at all freaked out or anxious, and actually felt freaked out by not feeling anything, if that makes sense! But I posted on here and had lots of reassurance that this was ok and I was “normal” (whatever that is!), and I can’t tell you how relieved it made me feel. I think we all imagine how we might feel if this ever happens to us, and it probably doesn’t match up with the reality, but we all deal with things our own way and you will get through this your own way.I also agree with Lillacblushes 100%, I wanted to know as much as possible when I was first dx, and got a bit carried away and scared myself, so just research the bits you need to to understand what is happening and ask questions or make decisions.
I was dx at the end of April, and had a mastectomy and node removal on 30th May. Fortunately there was no node involvement so I don’t have to have rads but will have to have a course of chemo just to make sure the little swines have all gone! Am now waiting for an oncology appointment to discuss what treatment I will be having.
Anyway, best of luck with your surgery hope all goes well.
Lots of love, Helen xxxx
Jules - sorry it’s me again (the one with the big gob) - just read the others replied and realise that our replies might confuse you. There am I saying I had no lymph nodes involved so didn’t need chemo but had radiotherapy and then Helen comes along and says she had no nodes involved so didn’t need rads but is getting chemo… now that is bound to confuse anyone at the best of times, but it does demonstrate that everyone’s cancer is individual and their treatment plan is tailored to their requirements.
I would also add some advice that a good friend of mine gave me just after I was diagnosed - her daughter had leukemia as a child and she spent many hours in Yorkhill with other patients and parents and the most important thing she learned was not to listen to everyone else’s horror story and apply it to yourself, listen and empathise but don’t assume that it will all happen to you too.
Take one step at a time and deal with whatever is happening at the time.
Lilacblushes - yes welcome to the confusing world of bc! I had no idea how individual the disease and consequent treatment plans were until I came on this site! I agree it can be confusing (sorry if I confused you Jules!) but I am still finding it quite difficult myself to work out why people with what seems to be the same as me (grade of cancer, nodes affected etc) have completely different treatment plans and have begun to think that some of it depends on your particular surgeon, NHS trust etc. Maybe this is not so, but I find it difficult to rationalise how different some things are. For example, some people seem to have more diagnostic tests than others (MRI, bone scans etc), I have never been offered anything like this, despite asking for it. I suppose this illustrates your point about not applying everyone elses experience (good or bad) to yourself - we are all individuals and wouldn’t we hate it if we weren’t treated as such.
Jules you will be ok, I’m sure you will get through whatever is given to you to deal with. Helen xx
Hi Jules. As you have probably realised no 2people are treated the same but we have all been there and experienced feelings of anger shock sadness tears disbelief and I dont think anyone is prepared for hearing the words cancer or even pre cancerous. I went for a follow up appointment in Jan08 on my own and was told i had DCIS and that there were varios options depending on grade and extent of this. Took my OH for every appointment after this and it has taken me many months to accept the outcome of scans and core biopsy etc.and i am now waiting for date to go in for mast and recon on left breast. breast care nrse has been really supportive throughout and chased up appts and results. I also tend to take each stage of the journey as it happens and not to look into all the what ifs but the forums are great and the infofrom the site is easy to understand.
Good luck with all your treatment
Doreenxxx
Hi all.
Thank you all so much for your kind words of encouragment and your own personal journeys. I have read them all avidly and can say that I now feel so much better just reading about your own experiences, as am now convinced that as most of you say, everyone is different and everyone receives treatment tailored to their own needs and the extent of their cancer. I cannot fault the support that I have received from the breast clinic here on the island(Isle of Wight). They have been fantastic, and I have been given an information pack full of details and been assigned a Breast Cancer Care Specialist nurse who will be available for me whenever I need the support or information. The next two weeks before the Op will be hard I am sure, but with the support of my OH, family, friends and the Breast Care clinic I am sure I will get through it and these forums have been so helpful already that I know you will be hearing from me again. Thanks again all.x
Jules
Everyone is different. The cancers we all have are different. Stay strong. Weep when you want. Take the strengths offered to you by people on her and at home, you will need them. I am a very strong independent person and “I can manage” as always be my watch word, until now. i have called on others and they have been their.Learn to pace yourself yourself, take time out for YOU.
Love and hugs
Bridie
HI Jules
Cant really add to what others have said, other than to welcome you .Like you I have fantastic support and don’t know where I would have been without them over the last 7 months.Use your bc nurse for questions as much as you can.i have a really good relationship with mine.
The next few months will be a maze,but there is always someone here to help and been there,so come and chat, scream and we also laugh and have great banter going on
Take Care
Mary
xx