I finally have my treatment plan! I got a call on Tuedady evening asking me to go in on Wednesday morning. They had just had their multidisciplinary meeting and had agreed on a plan!
I’ve posted on here a couple of times, but to brief you on my journey so far - I’m 43, with 3 boys - 16,14 and 7. Diagnosed on 13th November with Invasive Ductal carcinoma, They didn’t know what to do with me as it was presenting in an unusual way, just under the skin, but on the nipple area.
Therefore there was along wait between my last consultation and getting my treatment plan - not great. In fact, I almost started to think it had all been a nightmare and it hadn’t happened.
Now I’m back to reality. We’ve all agreed that I will go in on 7th January to have a lumpectomy then radiation to follow. At first I was a little disapointed because when I was first diagnosed, the consultant siad it would be better to have mastectomy than lumpectomy due to my small size. So I did feel like he was back tracking slightly. However he justified it by saying it is better to work with my real breast first of all, then if they find that there is more or my node is infected, we would look at plan b. He also reassured me by saying I could perhaps have a nipple added a year down the line if I wanted.
For all of you who said that the wait is the worse and I would feel better once I had my plan, you were so right. I do feel so much better. I’m sleeping again (without sleeping tabs) and just feel much more positive.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still scared, but most of my fear is about it returning and not the up and coming surgery. I don’t care about my breast being smaller etc etc. I’ve even got my head around radiotherapy (the idea of radiotherapy before my diagnosis was the most scary thing on earth). What I can’t stop is my mind jumping ahead a year, 2 years, 5 years, 10 years to the possibility of it coming back. I guess this is normal??
I am now planning to tell the kids tomorrow - I’ve said all along that once I had my plan, I will tell the kids. I’m absolutely dreading it. I have no idea how it’s going to go. I have to do it now though asI really don’t want them finding out another way.
I want to add to this how helpful this forum has been, all of you have given me so much strength - those who have replied to my threads and those who have started their own. I’ve learnt so much from you all, so thank you!
Anyway, I have a habit of writing long threads, so I will stop there.
H x