I was here about a yar ago, having been diagnosed with ductal cancer in the right breast. I managed to get away with minimal treatment - lumpectomy and radiation therapy, with no nodes involved.
I went for my first annual mammogram a few weeks ago and it appears I now have cancer in my left breast - a different type of cancer, probably HER2, and nodes are involved this time. I have had a CAt scan and will have a bone scan tomorrow to see if it has spread elsewhere.
I strode through it all last time without a tear being shed. I had just been appointed to a dream role and was concentrating on that. This time, I am really struggling. I’m not crying (other than when first diagnosed), but I am struggling with lack of motivation to do anything and I am very fearful. I feel like giving up my work, which is madness as I have worked so hard to get to this position. All my work is fee paid, so I don’t get anything if I don’t work, but we aren’t on the breadline, so it is possible.
Has anyone else out there had two different types of cancer. I’m looking for a bit of hope that I can get through this, and that I won’t get it again.
Hi gracie.
Sorry your cancer has returned. I had bc in 2009. Like you had a lumpectomy, rads and five years on tamoxifen. Finished tamoxifen last March. In may 2016 I found my breaat cancer has returned the same type has 2009 but a grade 3. It has spread to the mammory glade and a lymph node in my collerbone. I was told it was inoperable but treatable. Had 3 lots of chemo and a rescan and was told yesterday that all tumors have had a good response to chemo with a marked reduction in all disease. Even talk of surgery now. Lots of treatment now for people with bc and secondaries. Hope you get positive news from your scans.
so sorry to hear that your bc has returned -must’ve been a big shock. So sending you big hugs… My oncologist told me that bc can change its MO -with me they found one sort of bc in the tumour but in the lymph nodes there was a different sort of bc. Some bcs can do this. They treated me for both sorts. Sounds like this is what happened with your bc. Apparantly this is why they test the bc for what type/s it is when it returns -they dont assume it will return in its orginal format. Xx
Thank you, ladies, for your kind responses. I’m so sorry it took so long to get back to you. I spent a large part of Friday having various tests etc at the hospital and then I was told that my operation is to be this Wednesday, which is fantastic in one way, but a bit of a shock.
I have spent the last two days trying to get as much done in the house and garden as possible, and sort out the kids for the new school term, as I am expecting not to be able to do much for a while. Everything seems to be taking me longer - I feel like I’m moving in slow motion.
Weirdly, I am sleeping very heavily, but am having fairly disturbing dreams and wake up with an overwhelming sense of sadness. I was talking to my husband this morning and realised that I was assuming the cancer had spread elsewhere in my body. I’m usually an optimist and nothing has been said to me that indicates anyone thinks it has spread, but that’s how I feel at the moment - sort of resigned to the worst possible news. I want to get all the info ASAP.
As for the type of cancer, I had misunderstood what I was initially told. At the moment, the HER2 result is unclear, so I am either HER2+ or triple negative. It is grade 3, so more aggressive than last time.