I am 53 and had a routine mammogram a little over 3 weeks ago. There was some pain in the right breast when the X-rays were done. On the screen I could seen a round dense white mass but was too scared to ask. Afterwards I had a good feel and was shocked to find a lump about the size of a grape ! How j had missed it before l have no idea. Two weeks later had the recall letter which was not unexpected. Last appointment was last Thursday. BCN explisnrd there was an area of concern and showed it to me in the screen, the same area as the lump I had found. Had further mammogram and ultra sound which showed a solid mass over 3cm on the outside quadrant described as suspicious and told it would definitely have to be removed. Core biopsy taken and booked in to the breast clinic next Friday for the results. It all seems rather unreal at the moment almost like I am in someone else’s nightmare. I only told my husband after the recall letter and did not take him to the 2nd appointment as he was more likely to cry than me ! Struggling to sleep and concentrate at work, dreading the results !
hi capelmum,
Waiting for results is always the worst & there is no easy way through it, but although it doesn’t feel like it, the mammo has done its job in picking it up, so that, whatever it is, it will get dealt with.
Easier said than done, but try not to think beyond Friday & google is best avoided.
Do have someone with you when you go, crying is certainly ok, but it may not even come to that.
let us know what happens.
ann x
Thank you Ann. Just knowing someone else is out there helps. I will take your advice and avoid Google. Trying to bury myself in work between now and Friday. Please tell me about your situation too.
Thank you x. Struggling to concentrate on anything at work , as it is at the back if my mind. I think the worst of it is “how the hell had I not noticed the lump before the mammogram !” I do check myself periodically but had not noticed it at all. Now I feel a complete idiot for not having picked up on it earlier. Thank god for the mammogram. Thank you again for your kind words and support. It definitely helps.
hi capelmum,
Like you, mine was a screening find which I had no idea was there, last Feb.
It did turn out to be a small invasive bc, so I had a wide local excision (wle), sentinel node biopsy(snb), followed by a course of radiotherapy & now tamoxifen.
For me, it was all straightforward & I now feel back to normal.
So glad I went for that screening!
This is the worst time, but whatever it is, you will feel better once you know what it is & what, if anything, has to be done. Let us know what happens.
ann x
I am so glad to hear you are pretty much back to normal now. Slightly better at concentrating at work today and only 2.5 more days to go to find out what happens next. Normally I am a very positive person but I do have a bad feeling about this. Have kind of resigned myself to it being bad news. Is that normal ?
Fffflip Capelmum, I’m sorry you’re here. I hope like mad your results are good. If they aren’t, you’ve got tons of support here.
Sounds like you’ve a good, loving, sensible, supportive husband by your side.
My first lump back in 2005, at 46, was found because, my now somewhat famous sponge that was falling to bits, was “chucked” and meant I had to soap myself down in the shower by hand. There it was, that lump. Probably wouldn’t have found it if said sponge hadn’t disintegrated. So, it was good you had a “routine” mammogram.
Like you, I stayed positive thinking it may just be a harmless, a benign nothing. There’s a lot to be said for keeping +ve. I’m from a medical background so knew what it could be, but STILL stayed +ve. Couldn’t believe it when it turned out to be a +ve cancer result. That isn’t what you want to hear right now, is it? And the waiting on results is horrible. “UNREAL” says it all.
BUT . . . you’re having to face the possibility too, that it may be the dreaded “C”. Do you gird yourself for the worse and it be good, or think +ve and it be bad? With experience, I’d go for the first. Yeh, I know that’s negative, but at least if you’re expecting the worst and it isn’t, that’s good.
If however it is, as Charys said, concentrate on the fact that so many women survive. She and I are testament to that along with 1000’s of others. I’m a 10yrs survivor of two breast cancers - yeh, one each boob!!. I hope that gives you some +ve HOPE.
Please let us know how things go on Friday capelmum.
Loadsa love and a looong Delly hug
xxxx
You are all amazing and such an inspiration to me. Your strength shines through in your inspiring words. I hope to god it’s good news on Friday but if it is not at least I know that I can face it with the support and understanding I have found here. Thank you to Delly and Ann-m and Charys for sharing. It really is helping me through what feels like the longest week of my life. X
Morning ladies !
Thankfully now only one day to go to R day. I had a bad dream last night about the results appointment where I came out of it not having any idea what the results meant. Although I am reasonably intelligent, although my children might disagree, I didn’t, remember to ask any questions at the last appointment and do not want to make the same mistake again this time. So, if the result tomorrow is B.C. what are the obvious questions I should ask ? Any suggestions of questions, particularly those you wish “you had asked” would be gratefully appreciated. This time I am going in with it all written down so as I don’t forget to ask.
Warmest wishes to you all and thanks again for you support. X
Morning ladies !
Thankfully now only one day to go to R day. I had a bad dream last night about the results appointment where I came out of it not having any idea what the results meant. Although I am reasonably intelligent, although my children might disagree, I didn’t, remember to ask any questions at the last appointment and do not want to make the same mistake again this time. So, if the result tomorrow is B.C. what are the obvious questions I should ask ? Any suggestions of questions, particularly those you wish “you had asked” would be gratefully appreciated. This time I am going in with it all written down so as I don’t forget to ask.
Warmest wishes to you all and thanks again for you support. X
hi capel,
Charys has said it all really & I had a similar experience.
Having seen the Dr at the breast clinic for the results, I then saw the bc nurse, who went through it all again.
I would also suggest that its a good idea to have someone with you. My husband came with me & was brilliant in asking questions & getting clarification - whilst my thoughts were “what?..me?..!”
If is is bc, it is also helpful just to focus on the next stage, so that you are clear on what to expect next.
If it would help, you could ask the drs permission if you could record the consultation, many are open to this, although if they prefer not to, that obviously has to be respected.
Before I found this forum, I found it easier to deal with by avoiding google, preferring to go on what I was told. As things settled down & when the treatment plan was in place, I then felt more able to do a bit more ‘research.’
Will be thinking of you tomorrow & when you’re ready to, let us know how you got on.
ann x
Hi Charys, thank you for your words of wisdom. Surprisingly I feel calmer today than I have all week. Thank you for your tips, I have written them all down and will give them to my husband to make sure that st least one of us has the common sense to ask them tomorrow. I will touch base here tomorrow when I get back. X
Good luck for tomorrow Capelmum. I’ll be thinking of youhoo
Delly xxx
Thank you Ann. I spoke to a client today whose sister was diagnosed last year with an aggressive breast cancer at only age 23. It has put it all in to perspective for me now. Frankly I am now prepared for pretty much anything tomorrow. Good or bad. I will be in touch tomorrow afternoon to let you know how it went. X
Thanks Delly, I feel surprisingly calm and ready for this tomorrow. To be totally honest I think the wonderful ladies on here can take the credit for having kept me sane this last week. Fingers crossed it will be ok tomorrow, but if it’s not, I know I will cope and really appreciate you having been there for me this week. I will let you know tomorrow how it goes x
Good afternoon ladies. It looks like you are going to be stuck with me for a while longer. Unfortunately it is BC but I am actually relieved. Odd I know, but at least I now know and can get on with my life. You would be proud of me, I didn’t 't cry at all and neither did hubby ! OP booked for the 19th October and at this point only expecting a lumpectomy and radiotherapy and no chemo. Phew ! I honestly don’t know how I would have got through the last week without you all.
The lump is 22mm by 25mm and ductal. They do not believe it has spread to the lymph nodes but will do the sentinel node biopsy when they do the op as the ultrasound is no more than 60% accurate at detecting it. If all as they expect I should only be away from work for a few weeks after the op and should be able to carry on working most of the time through out the radiotherapy. To be fair I think it is no where near as bad as I had expected. All I can say is thank god I went for my routine screening which ironically was about a year early as last one was only 2 years ago.
How are you, in my blind panic I forgot to ask about yourself ?
Thanks Delly. All very sound advice. 40C so yes reasonably big breasted. I am still amazed that I had not noticed it be for. Work are very understanding and said to take today of, not as annual leave, and that they will support me through out. The worst of it WA telling my daughter yesterday. I though if I put a really positive spin on it that she would be ok but not so, she cried a lot and we had to go to London to pick her up as she wanted to come home for the weekend. She is better now she is back. I had had the same thoughts as you and am going to start that diet I have been avoiding for far too long as well as start exercising instead of working all the time. How are you doing now?
You don’t need to do anything drastic Capel.It’s more about building yourself up for. You’ll recover that much quicker. People underestimate the effects of Ops and anaesthetic - both a major trauma to our bodies.
Sorry about your daughters reaction. It’s all so difficult for our family and loved ones too. But she obviously deeply cares!!
xxx
Thanks Delly.
She vane hone for the weekend and it has been lovely. I think we both need to see each other and I have hopefully now reassured her that it is all going to be absolutely fine.
I do have a question though ? At night time I normally sleep on my side or front. Until the op should I avoid lying directly on the boob that has the lump or not ? I was not sure if pressure on it would aggravate it or cause it to grow/spread ? Particularly as it is near to the lymph nodes. As you do, I have tried searching for this information but not found any answers. Any suggestions ?