Hi, after losing mmy mum to breast cancer on the 14th April 2011 I myself was diagonsed 6 days later…I fought so hard for so long for my mum’s care and for screening for myself, I was given a mammogram Jan 2010 which showed nothing and told I wasn’t at high risk and to start screening when I was 40. I am so frustrated at medics not doing more, I have to now go through fertility treatment to try and preserve my chances of having kids, Genetic testing to test for BRAC1 and Chemo and radio. I am only 32 have an 18mth old son and emotionally am a mess:( I do find it encouraging to hear young women coing through thiS …
Hi Clara, blimey, what a situation for you. So sad to hear of your loss of your mum, and your own news as well of course.
I’m also grade 3, 2.3 cm, but HER2+ . Done half of the chemo so far. It has been do-able, and a fair number of people cope pretty well with it. Also, though it doesn’t help with the initial shock and worry, the odds are good and getting better all the time with new ideas. Especially if they get it in the early stages.
Hope we can all be here for you…
Ann x
Hi Clara
Just wanted to say how sorry I am to hear of your position. I hope you can get all the support you need. This site is a life saver, and a huge crutch for everyone who finds themselves on here.
Good luck for your treatment.
I am TN with a 3cm grade 3 lump, but I have to say that after one round of chemo the sucker has shrunk so that I can hardly find it!! Hope treatment continues positively.
Good luck with preserving your eggs etc - I think there is lots they can do now, so it shouldnt be an issue I hope for you.
I have a 2 year old, although am 43, so in the same boat as far as having a king or queen to deal with!
Michaela x
Hi Clara, so sorry to hear your sad news about your mum and then your diagnosis. Such an emotional time for you. I was diagnosed exactly the same as you Feb 2010. I had a lumpectomy then chemo and rads, finished treatment Nov 2010. I was told that it was caught earlyI am 47 with 2 sons so not as young as you but had always thought older women/men had bc. How wrong was that?
I found the waiting for the treatment to start was awful but once the chemo began I felt I was on my way to fight this c**p disease. My friend (dx exactly 1 yr before me) told me to count down the chemo which helped. Also, I took the anti-sickness tablet few hours before chemo and that helped with the nausea. I found this website so helpful and everyone is so friendly supporting each other. I hope the egg harvesting is successful and your treatment goes well. Will be thinking of you.
Love & Hugs,
Kiti x
Hi Clare im so sorry for your situation, Ive not been here long myself Im not sure if im triple neg as my hospital dont test if the other 2 are neg, but im Stage 1 grade 3 IDC.
I find when im feeling a bit low there is always some inspirational posts here that make me smile & you feel comfortable to have a good moan & let it all out. Always lots of support
Lots of love
Mekala
Hi clare
its so rubbish to find yourself here isn’t it? I’m really sorry about your diagnosis, and about losing your mum too. I just want to tell you that you WILL come through the other side of this. You are not alone, even though you may be feeling isolated as a young mum with breast cancer. There are loads of us in here, sadly. I am 37 and was diagnosed last march, but with no family history. I had two sons then aged 2 and 4, and was trying for a third. I went through a lumpectomy, chemo and radiotherapy. I was a right state this time last year but now feel good. It was hard, but not consistently hard and there were plenty of good days when i felt well and reasonanly happy. You will too this time next year.
i have just come back from the manchester young womens forum that this charity orgsnised and there was a room full of nearly 30 ladies just like me, and you! You are very most certainly not remotely alone. As for the fertility issues, go and see the specialist. The bloke from liverpool who gave a fertility talk at the forum said they have a 72hr referral programme for ladies in your position now. The ivf cN be done quickly and didnt have as much impact on your oestrogen levels as i had thought. Once they freeze your embryos they stay at the age they were when you were diagnosed, ie, if you are 32 when they are taken and frozen then they remain the eggs of a 32 year old even if 10 years pass before they are implanted.
Anyway, i just wanted to send you a hug and tell you we have walked where you are walking and we will hold your hand if you need us too.
Vickie
ps. Big well done for sticking to your guns and getting checked out
Hi Clara
As well as the support you are receiving from the other forum users if you would like to talk things through with someone please do give the BCC helpline a call on 0808 800 6000. Here you can share your feelings and concerns with a trained member of staff who will offer you emotional support as well as information if required. The lines are open Monday to Friday 9 to 5pm and Saturday 9 to 2pm.
I hope this is helpful.
Best wishes Sam, BCC Facilitator
Hi
Just wanted to add to the ’ you are not alone’ chorus. I am a bit older at 39 now ( dxlast year kids 2 and 4 at the time). It is hard when even you medical team are more used to dealing with older women. Am sure you will getlots of support on here. Take care, Debx
Hi,
just wanted to add to the “you’re not alone”, I was diagnosed Feb 2011 just 6 weeks after giving birth, I had a 2.8mm tumour removed from breast and am just about to have my 3rd chemo and 20 rads to follow. The chemo is doable, belive me I am the worst patient in the world (I have even had hypnotherapy) to help with my needle phobia - but it will be OK, I know its easy for me to say as when you’re first diagnosed it is horrendous, lots of things go through your mind. Please don’t be afraid to ask the lovely ladies on here anything, there is always someone who has been there and dont it before you (and me). I have found this site and the ladies who have helped me absolutely invaluable.
thank you to you all
Jo x
Hi,
Wow you have had a really horrible time! I was diagnosed at 35 in 2009. 1.6cm, grade 3, triple negative. I had the chemo and rads and was back to work and very nearly normal 7 months after diagnosis. It goes quite quickly once it all starts and you will get back to normal,even though your world has been turned upside down! I haven’t got any children and so am unsure how all that works, am hoping to give it a go …so fingers crossed! x
Hi Clara,
I was diagnosed with a triple negative Grade 3 tumour 2cm last September, I was 34 at the time. I have had 2 ops, one to remove the lump, and then the reconstruction, followed by chemo and am now 18 sessions into my radiotherapy.
I had some eggs frozen between the surgery and the chemo, although my periods stopped at around the time of the last chemo (31st March), they have restarted again today. If you want to know anything about my experience of the egg freezing, just PM me.
Jen
hi clara
i was diagnosed at 37 with hormone positive BC then at 40 with a grade 3 1.9cm TNBC… i dont have strong family history but do have a gene mutation in brca 2.
had wle and snb followed by chemo and rads then 8 months ago had a hyst and ooph to reduce risk of ov ca.
was never offered any egg freezing but was a bit of a bummer as was planning to try for a baby when i was diagnosed… i do have two older kids though so im very lucky.
planning double mastectomy next year.
btw if the invasive part of your tumour is over 2cm this will be stage 2… my invasive bit was 1.9cm but with HG DCIS was 2.8cm but still stage 1 (but it doesnt really make much of a diff tbh).
Lulu
Awh thank you girlies for all your messages, they really give me strength, I need to talk to other young women as my experience of my mum’s cancer was so heartbreaking, her journey was so short. I have so much to fight for and will try to turn this into a positive experience as best I can. Regardless if I test for BRCa 1 or 2 gene I reckon I will have bilateral mastectomy next year when treatment is over to try and minimise chance of recurrance…you are all a great inspiration to me…
Clara Bo
xx
Hallo,
sorry for the poor English! I was diagnosed TN in 2008, Grade 3, tumour 2 cm, Stage 1, and after 7 chemos (taxan+ doxorub.), 1 mastect., another breast and ovaries prophilact. removes. I’m fine, my hair is nice, I go to the next plastic surg. in next month. I get HRT “tibolone”, it’s helps. Have strong family problems, too, and my daughter is BRCA 1 positive, too.
I wish many power, good news and health for everybody.
Sysy
Hi Clara,
Another from the same boat. I lost my mum and grandma to breast cancer when I was in my teens. I was diagnosed 7 weeks ago and am 33. It does make it all the more terrifying having watched loved ones go through it. I don’t know the details of my mum’s illness, just that she deteriorated very quickly from when she started chemo, so when I was told I was having to start chemo a week after diagnosis I was terrified and thought that was it and that my life was over and I’d have a few months of feeling crap from chemo and then die. Feeling a bit better now and realise it wouldn’t be that sudden, but still frightened.
I got married a year and a half ago and we’d just started trying for children. Unfortunately I couldn’t store eggs as was told there wasn’t enough time and as I am ER+, so the increase in oestrogen would have fed my tumour. I am devastated at the thought of being left infertile, but know I have to make sure I’m ok before I can worry about that.
I am currently awaiting my BRCA results, but will be having a double mastectomy regardless due to my family history.
I can also reassure you that chemo won’t be as bad as you imagine it will be. If you have any questions let me know.
Really hope you’re coping with everything that’s been thrown at you this year. Life is terribly unfair sometimes isn’t it. However, there are lots of people to support you here and many who understand what you are going through.
X
I can also reassure you
PS I was also denied screening despite my mother having it at a young age and my maternal grandmother and maternal aunt also having had it. All women on my mum’s side! I was also told I was at no higher risk until I was 40.
Hi Ladies, well I am now finished my chemo and decided to go ahead with prophylatic bilateral mastectomy just before Xmas even though my genetic tests for BRCA were negative. Last year was a horrendous journey where I lost my mum, my hair, a tooth(due to neutropenic sepsis and an abcess in my mouth) and then my breasts !!! I feel like I have been chewed up and spat out the other side … still smiling and stronger hope to get back on form soon and return to teaching in the summer term:) thanks to all ur comments and I have met sooo many lovely ladies along my journey … xoxoxoxox