Just a little bit about me… I was invited for a 47-50’s random postcode type mammogram in Nov 15. I knew things were changing in my right breast but as I was due to go on holiday I decided to put off going to my GP until afterwards. In the meantime, along comes the mammogram invitation…brilliant, saves me going to the GP.
After a fabulous holiday, the first letter I opened on my return was a second screening appointment for two days later. I wasn’t too worried, I was 48 and had no family history, reasonably fit and healthy. WRONG. I saw the radiologist’s screens and two areas that I knew didn’t look right. Biopsies taken there and then, assigned a BCN, results in 7 days time.
Monday 14th December 2015 I had my primary BC diagnosis.
Tuesday 29th December 2015 (15th wedding anniversary!) I had my mastectomy and lymph node clearance.
Friday 15th January 2016 Diagnosed with secondaries in my bones.
So thus far it’s been a bit of a whirlwind these last 3 months and although I was recovering well from surgery, the secondary diagnosis really was like a frying pan in my face. My treatment plan changed overnight from chemo & radio to tamoxifen only and our lives turned upside down in a millisecond.
But I’m trying to stay positive. It’s made us evaluate our lives and our future, ‘Live for the moment.’
Thanks for accepting me to your group and I hope to be here for a long time to come.
You have certainly gone through the mill. I had my mastectomy in 2001 and like you surgery was on my wedding anniversary. Where I do differ is that I have had 14 years during which time I thought I was cancer free and enjoyed my life. After the initial shock of being diagnosed with secondaries I have got on with life and now chemo is over we are back to booking holidays. Currently sat in our touring caravan in the midlands, have booked Benidorm and Turkey during the next 2 months and Goa for next January. As we dont know whats round the corner make the most of every opportunity. All the very best to you x
you are similar to me in that my secondary diagnosis followed really quickly after my primary, I went from being a healthy fit 45 year old, with no family history of breast cancer, to having an uncertain future in a very short space of time. It is completely terrifying but I have had a lot of support from the lovely ladies on this forum, I’m now 6 months post diagnosis and life is surprisingly good, Im doing the things I love, with the people I love, back at work part time, and feeling positive, as amazing as it sounds you do learn to live with this new life, although if you’re anything like me every ache and pain will send you into panic. Be kind to yourself and live life to the full I love your positivity and I’m sure you will be here for a long time to come, I know I am planning on being around for a while yet, there are so many ladies on this forum who have been doing amazingly well for a long time, and they give me hope.
Sorry you’ve had to find yourself joining the secondaries Forum. I like your analogy of the frying pan in the face! I explained to my boss, when I got the incurable diagnosis, that it felt like I was trapped in a room with a murderer and with no means of escape. In my head I was running and screaming but it was futile as I was never going to escape.
On the positive side. There was a lady on the Forum who lived with bone metastases for about 17 years and never imagined at the time of the diagnosis that she would reach her mid-late 60s. There are so many promising new treatments coming along I hope this all adds to your positive attitude.
Thanks miller08. Holidays are definitely the right medicine and as I have my own travel business, I’ve certainly made sure we have a couple in the bag! We intend to live the life now!
Thanks Di. I’m still getting used to my diagnosis and a bit tired of going through it with people. But I am being well supported by family, friends and clinically so being part of what sounds like a really positive group is another addition to my well being.
Haha Bongobuns…long story but it still makes me titter ? X
Hi Downbutnotout.
My best analogy is that this cancer thing lives in a box. We keep the lid on the box. Sometimes the lid has to come off, like onc appointments etc but then the lid goes straight back on. Sometimes the lid slips off and we can’t help that, but we deal with whatever made the lid slide off and we stick it back on the box again.
It does help somehow!!!
X
Welcome to our very elite club !!! We all deal wth these things in different ways but in the end we all want to kick the cancer up the bum … but we have to carry on with life everyday and all the challenges we have to face.
Chin up and keep posting as there is a lot of support here.