Hi
I am 33 years old and I was diagnosed last week with grade 2 BC, 3cm, ER+/PR+ HER2-
I am a married mummy with 2 children and I live in Basildon
I have my sentinal node biopsy on Mon and all my scans are booked in so I have a busy week and the waiting is unbearable. My results for scans are on 14th Nov. My treatment will be chemo, radio, surgery and tam
Are there any other similar diagnoses out there?
I am trying to stay positive but every now and then I just get overwhelmed with anxiety and feel so low…but then I try to pick myself up again. My husband has been fantastic, I just hope he can deal with this too. All this waiting to hear more results is driving me mad
Hi,
I was diagnosed 3 weeks ago with breast cancer and I can tell you the waiting is the worst thing.
I was fine until it was time for more tests and results so continuously up and down. I had my masectomy last wednesday and so far my lymph nodes have been clear so just waiting for the results from my op and hoping my nodes come back clear from this so I dont need a further op. im eager to start my treatment which will also be chemo, radio, and tamoxifen.
Im definately in a much better place now than I was in the first couple of weeks so im sure once you start your tests and results come back etc you will start to feel a little better.
In addition to the support here our helpliners are on hand with practical and emotional support just a phone call away, so please do feel free to call on 0808 800 6000, lines open weekdays 9-5 and Sat 10-2
The following link will take you to the BCC ‘Younger women’s’ area of the site where you will find lots of information and further support ideas which I hope you will find helpful :
Thank you for replying. It’s just been so up and down, and trying to act normal around family and friends.
I was told by my doctor 3 times that she thought I had a fibrosndenoma cyst as I have no family history and I am only 33. So you can imagine how I felt when I was told by the surgeon that the lump was cancerous, I was so unprepared for that. And I keep thinking I could have listened to my GP and not gone back at all xx
I was diagnosed yesterday with grade 2 BC. Still waiting for the hormone marker results later today to determine whether I’ll need chemo as well as surgery & radio.
I’m 42 and married with with 2 children aged 7 and 2.
I feel better knowing than I did waiting for results. I’m sure there will be ups and downs, but its so good to come on here and talk to people in the same situation.
I have already been told that I will need chemo first then surgery and hoping to keep my breasts. I initially said please just rid if my breasts but apparently it doesn’t work that way and the chemo and rads still need to be used.
I have all my scans next week (bone, MRI and CT) and my op on Mon to test nodes. I keep trying to reassure myself but I still keep getting so anxious.
I feel ok at the moment as I had a much better sleep and kids keep reminding me of Halloween! Hope you’re ok too xx
I was diagnosed in September 2012 with a Grade 2, invasive ductal carcinoma, ER+, PR+, Her2-. I was 32 at the time and am now 33. I live in Billericay and had all my treatment at Basildon and Southend. I also had chemotherapy, prior to mastectomy, followed by radiotherapy. I am now on Tamoxifen.
I just wanted to let you know that once you start treatment you will begin to feel more in control. I was terrified of chemotherapy, but to be honest, it was nowehere near as bad as I feared. Don’t get me wrong, there were days I really had to grit my teeth and remind myself I would feel better soon, but the 5 months flew past.
I am just down the road from you, so if you ever fancy meeting for a cuppa and a chat, just let me know. I don’t know if I can be of any help, but I can hopefully answer any questions you have about treatment and adjusting to things.
Take care and good luck with the start of your treatment.
I had 2 appointments today, one with Oncologist who went through the chemo procedure, side effects, etc. And the other was a health history check and pre-op assessment for Monday’s Sentinal Node Biopsy. From Sun to Fri next week I have scans booked then results in 2 weeks. Everyday is so hard, but I’m trying to get my head around it all. 2 weeks is ages away xx
Thank you so much for your reply, it’s nice to know you are just down the road from me too and I will definitely keep in touch, thank you.
So glad you got through the chemo alright, I have all my scan test results on 14th Nov then I will know exactly what’s happening. I have been told I need to go to Southend every 3 weeks for chemo. Did you try the cool cap and did you lose your hair?
Everyday at the moment is mental torture and I really just need get on with tests and more tests.
Yes, I too went to Southend every 3 weeks for treatment. The unit there is really modern and the staff are lovely. I was terrified on my first session and remember saying to the nurse “I don’t want to be sick”, as I sat trembling in the chair. She assured me I would be fine and would not need the bucket I had placed by my bed in preparation - she was right I wasn’t sick once, which was my worst fear. The anti sickness medication they give you is so good - and if the first lot doesn’t work they will keep trying alternatives until they get it right.
I didn’t use the cold cap. As you’ve seen from
others on this thread though, people have had great successes from using it. It really is a very personal decision. I didn’t want to spend the extra time on the chemo ward (usually a few hours) on top of the actual treatment. Plus I’m not a fan of the cold, so didn’t fancy shivering for hours at a time.
I had my long hair cut into a bob when I was diagnosed and then into a pixie crop when I started treatment - both of which helped with the adjustment. I hated the crop, so when it did start falling out I actually wasn’t too upset. I wore a wig to begin with, but then moved on to wearing hats - it helped being winter time throughout my treatment, so didn’t look odd wearing a warm hat out on the street! I never tried scarves, it was too much of a “chemo” look for me - I know lots of people that lived in them though - again, a personal preference.
I finished chemo at the beginning of March and now have thick, fast growing hair - I can almost tuck it behind my ear on one side!
Like I said, it’s a really personal decision on whether you want to give the cold cap a go - I didn’t fancy it, but it works really well for lots of people.
I’m doing ok on the Tamoxifen thanks. I suffered quite badly with joint pain to begin with, but it seems to be settling down a bit now.
Like I said, anything you want to ask, please just feel free.
Thank you so much, I think I will try the cold cap as I have always had long hair so I will want to see if it will work. And I like the idea of hats over headscarves too, but might buy both as a back up. I’m feeling ok today as it’s the first time in 6 days I haven’t been to the hospital. But need to go tomorrow for blood test for sentinal lymph node op.
So glad to hear you’re doing so well. And it’s nice to hear from somebody so close to home and around my age too.
I have only told family and a handful of friends at the moment, did you find it hard breaking the news? Xx
It was really strange when I was diagnosed as I was just about to fly out to the States for my brother’s wedding. I was determined to still go, but delayed my flight whilst I underwent the bone and CT scans. When I got the results from the scans I then flew out the next day - it was a complete whirlwind.
The strangest thing though was seeing so many people I knew, friends and family at the wedding - you wouldn’t normally see all your friends and family in one place straight after being diagnosed! Word had spread quite quickly though and I didn’t have to go round explaining to everyone.
On the day I was diagnosed, I rang my parents (who were already in the States for the wedding) and my husband rang my friends - a small group I have been friends with since primary school. Other than that, word just spread over a period of time - I didn’t like the idea of ringing people up with bad news, especially people I hadn’t spoken to in a long time.
It is nice that you’re just down the road and that we’re both the same age. Pretty rubbish getting cancer in your early 30s! I’m sorry you’ve had to join the club!
Yeah it is rubbish, I’m so sorry for you too. But so pleased to hear how well you are doing.
I have just booked to go to Euro Disney for 3 nights over New Year and I think I would have started my chemo by then. Do you think I will be up to it? I asked Oncologist yesterday and he said I’d need to see how I am in myself xx
I had my 3rd chemo on 27th December last year, then headed down to the Isle of Wight for New Year with my family. I certainly wasn’t 100%, but I was up out on walks everyday, pub lunches etc.
You won’t feel unwell for the whole 3 weeks, so if you’re going away on the second or third week you’ll probably be feeling quite normal (hopefully!).
I found with the FEC part of treatment I was constantly hungry - anytime I started to feel shaky or slightly nauseous I would eat something (not good for the waistline, but I really didn’t care at the time) and then feel much better.
Docetaxel was a different kettle of fish for me, but some people say it’s a lot better than FEC. There are loads of things you can do/take though that make it more bearable.
Hope you have a better day today. I still remember those early days - I think it’s perfectly normal to feel so up and down (whatever normal is these days).
Hope you manage to have a nice weekend, keeping busy with your little ones. Good luck with the SNB on Monday and the scans during the week - at least you will be ticking things off quite quickly.