Hi, new here but have been reading all the helpful information on here for about 3 weeks now.
Nearly 2 weeks ago I had 2 mammograms, first went okay but the consultant wanted a set of 5 pictures instead of the normal pictures taken, then went and had an ultrasound which included 5 biopsy’s in the end, 3 on the lump, one didn’t take though, the lump is so hard it bent the needle and bounced off hiring a nerve, so painful but still had to have 2 more plus 2 under the armpit. Went to see the consultant for results and got told it is probably cancer, I know he said probably but felt he might as well had said it was cancer, the way he spoke to me and he got another nurse to come in, who then supported my husband and I, whom spoke to me as if I had it, explaining about the care plan etc. Anyway, tomorrow I get my results, so many people have gone through this wait and it’s so tough. My family surprised me Saturday by arranging a get together, can’t call it a party for obvious reasons, which cheered me up and reminded me how much support I have, I am so lucky.
Today I am back to worrying and very tearful. I’m I right in thinking there is a good chance it is cancer? The lump is large and hard and my nipple is inverted. From the moment the consultant looked at my breast I knew it was serious and that’s when it hit me hard.
Not sure what else to say apart from if anyone is in the same boat as me tomorrow, I wish you all the luck in the world and hope you get good news.
Hello and welcome to the forum, not the place you would choose to be but as you have probably seen through your readings, there are a lot of lovely ladies on here who will help and support you.
I just wanted to wish you all the very best for tomorrow, if you can let us know how you get on and remember we are all here for you xxxx
Please let us know how things go today, I know how awful this waiting period is especially how hard today will be but if it is cancer then you will at least know and it ends the terrible speculation you would have been going through. We are here to help if you need us , not much we have experienced between us all! Xx Jo
Hi Jo, thank you for your kind words. I am counting the hours down now. I feel sick and shakey but I will get through whatever they through at me. I have already had cervical cancer and got through it so will do the same again xx
Hi, just thought I would give you an update. I have invasive Lobula cancer so spent the last few days in a daze, staying positive and strong for my husband and family. Not sure if it’s spread so having MRI Sunday, pre-op Monday, then depending on my MRI results, which I get on the 6th March, they are hoping to remove the lump and follow with radiotherapy, so fingers crossed it all goes to plan. I hope you are all well x
Thank you so much. Yes, so many appointments but in a way it helps because I am concentrating on each appointment at a time the operation doesn’t seem so far away, whereas if I had to wait 2-3 weeks and nothing was being done it would have worried me more and like you say, I just want it out of my body now and get on with our plans for the future. I’m sure I will have loads of questions but at the moment everything has been explained well. The only thing I’m sure about is should I be aware of what grade it is? I keep reading it’s this grade or that type on here and I realised I know very little about the cancer
Hi Sue,
Sorry to hear you’re joining us, but thankfully it can now be sorted out.
You are quite right, focusing on the next appointment does help to manage the anxiety a bit, I did this & found it did help, although an odd meltdown day is quite normal too as getting a bc diagnosis is a shock.
Things do get clearer as test results come back, but waiting for the full picture does take a bit of time, but it will all come together.
The biopsy might give an indication of grade, but the final results are only obtained after surgery. Mine initially was grade 1 from the biopsy, but grade 2 was finalised after surgery. For me, it did not make a difference to the treatment plan.
It is a crash course that we would rather not go on, but we all tend to get to grips with the terminology quite quickly.
It can help to write things down that you want clarified & to take someone with you to the appointments as another pair of ears. My husband was very good at asking things I hadn’t thought of. As long as you ask their permission first, most practitioners are happy for consultations to be recorded.
I too remember that feeling of wanting it out of me!
Come back & chat or vent whenever you need to.
ann x
Thank you Ann, you have all been such a help and so has this site, it’s very re-assuring too. Everything is going to plan and had my pre-op yesterday, MRI the day before, which means my consultant will have the results back in time for my next appointment next week to discuss which operation I will need, so all moving in the right direction.
I have 2 questions, my first is that I am feeling weak most of the time, is this normal or is it nothing to do with BC? You read up on the lumps etc but not read anything about whether you will be feeling ill in yourself. The second is that I have but had a cry, intact I’m acting if this is happening to someone else, is this a defence mechanism do you think? I am supporting all my family members don’t seem to be needed support myself, is this normal? I keep thinking it will hit me soon, even taking myself off for a bath and wanting to have a good cry but no, nothing.
Finally just want to add that it does get easier once you have a care plan, you find yourself focusing on that and appointments rather than the disease and I wish everybody all the luck if you are also going through this testing time.
Hi Sue,
Getting a bc diagnosis is somewhat emotionally exhausting, so it is quite usual to feel tired, experience aches & pains etc.
Fortunately, as bc tends to be picked up early, it does not make you ‘ill’ as such, as it is usually contained in the breast at diagnosis. It only makes you ill, if other parts of the body are affected.
Did you have a breast MRI only? as this is usual practice for lobular bc, as it shows up better on MRI, so the surgeon knows exactly what surgery is necessary. I also had one as mine initially was mixed lobular & ductal.
Yes, I think we’ve all been there in supporting other family members & friends, as well as having that detached sensation as if it’s happening to someone else.
I didn’t cry particularly after diagnosis either, what you report is quite usual & we usually go through variations of what you describe.
Also, having meltdown days is quite usual, I had mine on a nightmare journey to my MRI appointment, so if this happens, go with it, it does pass.
ann x
Hi Ann, thank you for the reassurance of my emotions, I am a strong person and always put others first, which annoys other family members because they say I should put myself first sometimes
Yes, I had just the breasts scanned, which was a weird experience having to put them in cup shaped molds but it was pain free. I’ve been told by the consultant that the type of cancer I have is sneaky and therefore may not show up on the MRI either so won’t know if it’s spread or not until the operation on the 14/3, a bit of a wait. The consultant said I am on the fence as far as chemo is concerned so I am not looking forward to the results of the MRI on the 6/3 but keeping positive still.
I will come back and update you of my results. I just want to keep others informed because I am sure there are ladies out there reading these posts and taking comfort from them even if they are not posting themselves.
Thank you again Ann and I hope you are well yourself .
Having seen my consultant, I was told the lump is bigger than first thought and therefore I will probably have to have chemo.
My first question is, how long does a lump removal take, people are asking me how long the operation will take but I don’t know .
My second question is, if I have to have chemo, how long does it take roughly for the full treatment? We have a big family holiday to Florida in October and was wondering if I am right, is there a chance I will have to cancel or delay the holiday until next year?
Thank you for any help. I didn’t get a chance to ask any questions because the consultant told me I also have a suspicious area in my right breast and had to go for an ultrasound.
I was just hoping someone could help me out with the questions below please. I know everyone is different but if the operation is straight forward am I looking at it taking a couple of hours? Also, again not an easy answer but I’m I right in thinking if I have to have chemo, which it is looking like I will, I will not be able to go to Florida in October? I can deal with the pain/sickness but whenever I think about having to cancel our holiday and telling the grand kids, it breaks my heart, they are so excited and I really don’t want to let them down.
Hi Sue,
As with lots of things, it depends…it’s a bit of a difficult one this as treatment plans generally get finalised once the results are back from surgery.
I did not need chemo, so hopefully one of the other ladies will be along to advise on this. From what I’ve read here, chemo regimes can vary. It might be worth asking on ‘chemotherapy’ board in ‘going through treatment.’
I had a small lump, so had a ‘wide local excision’ which was done on the day surgery unit. I think my op once put under was about 45 minutes, but mine was small & straightforward. I was back home a couple of hours afterwards.
Is it worth having a word with your bcn?
Sorry not to be more help on this & hopefully you will soon be able to confirm your holiday plans.
ann x
Ann, thank you once again for your help. I guess you are right, they probably can’t tell me at the moment. All I’ve been told is that they will remove and test the lump and go from there. Like so many people say, it’s the uncertainty that gets you and the wait of course. If I knew what they were going to do during the operation, I would feel more at ease.
I think I’m going to see if my consultant has anymore of an idea about chemo after my op, I’m trying not to get too far ahead but it’s hard when it affects 9 other family members who have told me they will not go on holiday without me.
What usually happens Sue, is that you will have an appointment with the surgeon about 2 weeks after surgery, when the final results are back from the lab. This is usually when the treatment plan is finalised, although they will give you as much info as they can about what’s likely to happen beforehand.
You are right about not trying to look too far ahead, I remember that it helped me to cope at this stage by only focusing on the next appointment, otherwise the mind tends to go into overdrive with it all.
ann x