Firstly Please dont be alarmed about the speed of your appointment, it is standard to be seen within 2 weeks of a referral so you certainly haven’t been rushed through because your GP thinks you have cancer.
Secondly please take a deep breath and try not to go in to panic mode, I totally understand how hard it is not to but it really isn’t helpful and will just make an anxious time so much worse.
Yes Puckering is one of the symptoms of breast cancer but it could also be something totally harmless, we cant tell you what it will be but I can say that the majority of ladies who are referred to a clinic regardless of their symptoms will get the all clear.
Dont be afraid of the clinic, they are there to help you and will do all they can on the day to give you answers, all you can do now is wait and see what happens.
All of us here have had breast cancer, we’ve had our worst fears realised but we are ok and we have coped, you will do to if it comes to it.
Hi Modo,
You’re not doomed…just breathe.
Jo has said it all really.
Honestly, most women here turn out Not to have bc, whatever their symptoms & even on the off chance it is, then the vast majority of us get through it all & back to life as normal.
Try not to panic, it doesn’t help & will stress you out for no good reason.
We’ve all been there with waiting for appointments & we all get through it. It can help to carry on as normal & keep yourself busy. Stressing only makes the waiting period worse.
Do take care & let us know how you get on.
ann x
Again, MoDo, wise words from Jo below.
The size or otherwise of your breast symptom is fairly meaningless in bc diagnosis, you are just more aware of it - that’s all. There are plenty of breast changes that present with more obvious symptoms that are Not bc related. Many of us, including me, had no symptoms at all, mine was only picked up by routine mammo.
The clinic will sort it out for you & chances are all’s well, it usually is.
ann x
Everything seems so much worse at the weekends, it’s as if the world has stopped and you are stuck in limbo. Tomorrow is another day so start it a fresh and try and see Thursdays appointment as a good thing, it will give you the answers you need and I promise you even if it isn’t the news you want it will still feel better than where you are right now.
Ann and I have both had breast cancer and we are just fine, I know it’s not what any of us want but sometimes we just have to get on with the hand we are dealt because we don’t have any choice.
Give yourself a break, you have a much higher chance of not having cancer than you do of having it, symptoms don’t really have much bearing on a diagnosis, I had no symptoms at all and mine was found through ultrasound by sheer accident while I was having another lump checked out which was just fat and my cancer was elsewhere with no lump, puckering pain etc nothing to indicate it was there.
There is no one size fits all so you can’t assume because you have puckering that you must have breast cancer it just doesn’t work like that .
Make a deal with yourself to not think about it until Thursday, I know you will be saying how the hell can i do that but you can if you put your mind to it, put an elastic band around your wrist and snap it everytime doubts come in to your head to shake yourself out of it!
Come on Five days ago when you originally posted you didn’t think you would be able to cope but hey you have and clinic day is upon you so you’ve done this waiting lark Inspite of not feeling like you could!
You will be fine at the clinic and amongst other ladies in exactly the same boat, I can’t promise you that you will walk away with the all clear but whatever happens you will at least be further forward than you are right now and I can assure you that feels so much better!
You can do this, you have to find out what’s going on for your own sanity and this is the only way, please let us know how things go, we are all here to help never forget that xx Jo
Wishing you calm and strength - shock sends us reeling, and before we know it we start second-guessing results and outcomes - whatever they tell you, you will be able to move forward with it. Sometimes the journey feels too slow, other times we feel that things are racing ahead before our heads get time to take it all in. We are all in this together, and we are on your side. Deep breath in - and c-a-l-m.
I was diagnosed in March and I remember that turmoil very well indeed, so send you a virtual hug to take to your appointment with you.
You know you can keep looking in here and someone will be back to you to give some support . . . . it is step by step, and it will all piece together, and as it does, it will start to make more sense for you, and you will get some control. . .
While we are waiting and thinking and turning things over in our minds, it can drive us quite batty - you’ll get there, and everyone here will be with you. Believe me, you are braver than you think you are.
You’ll get through this, Modo & it still may not be bc, others here have had biopsies which were clear.
Whatever the outcome, you are closer to it being sorted out & definitely, one step at a time as you say.
We’ve all been through this & got through it, as you will too.
Do let us know what happens & come back if you need to chat further.
ann x
TBH, Modo, It may or may not be bc. It’s not possible to second guess, but it’s good to be prepared, just in case & it may well not even come to that.
As we said below, the mind goes all over the place with uncertainty when waiting & loads of us have overthought & over analysed it all trying to fill in the gaps.
Again, although it doesn’t feel like it, IF it is bc, then thankfully treatment can start to sort it out, as it’s certainly not going anywhere & the earlier it’s dealt with the better.
Whatever the outcome, it’s never as bad as we imagine.
do let us know what happens & take care
ann x
I echo all that Ann has said, you are in limbo and trying to work out what is going on without all the facts it’s an impossible task!
There is only one way to know for certain if it is BC and that’s by doing biopsies, although they see so many lumps and symptoms at the clinics even they cannot tell your for sure what it will be, some are more forth coming than others but there is nothing they can tell you until the results come back.
It’s a horrible place your in right now we all know that here but what ever the outcome on Thursday I can tell you it is better than being in limbo!
Sorry to hear it’s been confirmed, MoDo. I too remember that being in a daze feeling all to well.
Just do what you feel is right for you. It does take time to get your head around it & do put yourself first.
The early days of diagnosis are difficult, as it is a shock & there is often the worry of more investigations to get the treatment plan sorted out. It can help to just focus on the next appointment & try not to get ahead of yourself or into the ‘what ifs.’
If you want to, do go along to ‘recently diagnosed’ then ‘going through treatment’ parts of the forum, where you will be able to chat, get support & support others as well at a similar stage to you.
We’ve all been there & have got through it as you will too.
ann x
I’m sorry it wasn’t better news for you, I think we try and prepare ourselves but it’s still a shock to hear it.
You don’t need to tell anyone especially at the minute and only then if you feel you want to at some point, other than your nearest and dearest quite frankly it is no one else’s business so don’t feel any pressure to share it with others.
Things will be a bit full on now with further tests and appointments while they get the full picture but it will settle down and you will find yourself coping with what’s to come and we are always here to help and support you Xx Jo
Hi Modo,
Beleive me, we’ve all been there!
Do not go down the hole of thinking ‘nothing can be done.’
There’s no comfort there
Whatever happens, you will get the treatment plan for you. & you’ll move on.
We all do.
ann x
Just to add, what is proposed for you is completely to be expected to get the full picture…that’s all it is at this stage.
Many here have had node involvement, it is quite common & is successfully treated for the vast majority.
Do take care & try not to dwell on the dark side.
ann x
We’ve all found the just diagnosed stage as the most difficult stage Modo, as it’s a shock, there is the stress of further investigations & we dont have the full picture, so inevitably, the mind goes into overdrive in trying to fill in the gaps.
Honestly, once the treatment plan is confirmed, there is more certainly & these feelings do subside.
We all do move on as you will.
ann x
So many of us here have been in the state of panic that you are going through right now and it really is the absolute pits. Our brains are desperately searching for a solution because that’s what they are designed to do, it’s almost beyond our control and we don’t want to be doing it but our brains just won’t shut off and we get stuck in and endless loop of panic and anxiety because It can’t find the answers right now.
Take a breath and try not to write yourself off, Spread to nodes is common so if it has then you are not alone but spread beyond that from the off is rare, ladies here have had up to 20 plus nodes involved and still gone on to be fine years later.
You cannot speculate, you have to let the process happen and trust in the team looking after you, they do this all day every day and will be working behind the scenes to put the best treatment plan together for you but to do this they need all the facts and if they can’t be certain from what they have seen so far there will be the needs for scans.
We don’t all have them but plenty do and it’s just a diagnostic tool and doesn’t mean they think your cancer has spread all over you.
Bottom line is what ever the outcome you are not about to pop off anytime soon and you will get stronger and be able to cope, I could quite frankly have thrown myself under a bus at one point because my anxiety was so high but of course I didn’t and I got through, you will be ok honestly Xx Jo