Recurrence of TNBC with lymph node - panicking

Hello. I need some positivity or reassurance from anyone who’s been in similar.

I had TNBC in 2022, full pathological response after chemo, lumpectomy and radiotherapy.

it’s now back and very aggressive. It’s in lymph nodes in my arm pit and my under breast bone, and up to collar bone. There’s one lymph node near my collar bone / neck where surgery isn’t an option so I have to rely on chemo and immunotherapy, if that doesn’t work I’m not curable. I also havd suspicious activity in my other arm pit.

I’m so panicked and struggling to eat or sleep. If I was told it’s curable I can just crack on with treatment (no start date yet) but I can’t cope with the limbo and I’m spiraling.

I have a very supportive family, but they can’t give me real reassurance

1 Like

Welcome to the forum @florencesnowball I’m so sorry you are having to deal with all this worry. As this is the Ask the Nurses section of the forum you may also want to post in the main sections of the forum for some support ?Diagnosed with breast cancer > Recently diagnosed with breast cancer

Hello florencesnowball

Thank you for your post. It’s understandable to panic when you have been diagnosed with a recurrence of breast cancer and to look for some reassurance from others who have had a similar experience.

It can be very difficult waiting to start treatment and managing feelings of uncertainty about how effective it might be. It’s often overwhelming and it’s normal for this worry and anxiety to affect your eating and sleeping.

You can reach out to others about ways to cope with uncertainty and talk through your concerns by posting a message on one of the threads on our online forum. This link has some tips to help with sleeping better that you may also find helpful, and the following links suggest some ways to cope with the stress and anxiety and how to cope emotionally with a breast cancer diagnosis.

We wonder if your treatment team are aware of how panicked you are feeling. It may help to contact your treatment team or breast cancer nurse, if you have one. They will be best placed to answer any questions you have about your diagnosis and treatment. They can also refer you for emotional support and signpost you to some local support that might be right for you.

It sounds like a very difficult time for you at the moment. While you are waiting to start treatment, you may might find it helpful to call our helpline if you would like to talk this through or have any further questions. The helpline team have time to listen, talk things through and signpost you to additional support and information if necessary. Your call will be confidential, and the number is free from UK landlines and all mobile networks.

Our number is 0808 800 6000. If you have hearing or speech difficulties dial 18001 followed by our number and the call will go through Relay UK. Our helpline has access to telephone interpreters if language translation is required.

If you would prefer one of our nurses to call you. Please complete this form ticking the box agreeing to a call back.

Our usual opening hours are Monday to Friday 9am - 4pm and 9am -1pm on Saturday.

Out of hours you can leave a message and we will call you back when we next open.

We’re continually evaluating this service. If you want to provide feedback, please click the link to complete the survey . It should take approximately 10 minutes.

Best wishes,

Teresa

Breast Care Nurse

Please read the disclaimer Full details on how we collect and use your data can be found in our Privacy Policy

As we are unable to monitor for further replies, this thread will now be closed. If you have any additional questions or would like to provide feedback, please start a new thread, call our helpline, email us or request a call back.