Hi everybody, just thought I’d join in, I’m 54 years old, 55 in May and getting married on June 18th.
A couple of weeks ago I found a lump in my left breast, popped to the doctors, then hospital and tests and on Thursday 17th March I was told that I have breast cancer. They started me on Femara, told me that I will be having a lumpectomy on 18th April and radiotherapy afterwards. I am also having more tests on my right breast this Thursday coming 31st March as they have found a shadow and want to make sure its ok or whatever.
I’m really worried about all of this as I really don’t want all of this to ruin our wedding you may call me shallow but I really want to be able to look nice and enjoy the day, but it just feels like everything is going against us.
Am I thinking rationally or just stressing for no reason ? I’m making sure that everything is done ready for the wedding as much as possible so that I can go with the treatment and not worry too much, but its the tiredness, and skin reaction (allegedly), I really don’t want to be falling asleep halfway through the day do I. I suppose what I am asking is if anyone out there knows if treatment can be delayed for a few weeks ?
Sorry if I’m rambling but I just can’t seem to get my head round all off this.
Hi Saphy,
So sorry you’ve joined the club no-one really wants to join.
A lot of your treatment will depend on what they find when you have your lumpectomy and do the histology to see what type of cancer you have got.
My best advice would be to talk to the help line people, who are really very helpful, the number is at the top of your screen.
Good luck with your wedding and treatment and I’m sure some others will be along shortly to welcome you to here too.
XX Helen XX
Sorry about your recent diagnosis. Like Helen has already said it depends on what they find and what your treatment plan will be. The waiting is the worst bit of it all, whether it is for results or what is to come next. I do think you need to speak to the Specialist about your treatments and tell them about your wedding plans. Personally I wouldn’t delay any treatments but you really need to speak to them to see what they recommend. Wishing you all the best in your forthcoming marriage. Val
Hi Saphy,
I have had a lumpectomy and will have radiotherapy/ tamoxifen. The surgery was only a day surgery and a bit sore but had it happened to be the case there was nothing that would have made it impossible to enjoy a big day even very shortly afterwards.
We are all different and have a differnt diagnosis/ combination of treatment needed, but your proposed treatment sounds similar to mine (I also had underarm lymph nodes checked which was sore for a while but not unbearable. I did need a re-excision as there was still some pre-cancerous crap around it that needed clearing with a second day op but from first operation to now (about a couple of months) I am absolutely fine.)
I haven’t even begun my radiotherapy yet, so if your timescales are anything to go by, it wouldn’t be a great delay to wait until after your big day if that is the only follow-up treatment needed?
Of course you will know better when you get your more detailed treatment plan but the operation itself shouldn’t cause you any problem (and the rads is cumulative anyway so even if you had had a little, I would hope it wouldn’t interfere too much)xx
Hi Saphy.
I echo what the others have said. And even if it’s not brilliant news and you end up having to have chemo, it would not be unusual for chemo to start after your special day in June. I was diagnosed at the beginning of December and because of needing two lots of surgery like marygrace and some other stuff going on in my life (nothing as exciting as a wedding) I didn’t start chemo until the beginning of March.
Very best of luck for your results, and also for your wedding day. The Waiting Room is the worst place to be because you feel so completely out of control and don’t know what you’re going to be facing, but it DOES get easier to deal with once you have your own personal treatment plan. I’m sure you have told your specialists about your wedding, and they will bear that in mind when working out your schedule. Meantime you’re doing the right thing in getting as much organised for your day as you can, so you know things will all be ready even if you have to have bits of treatment between now and then.
shallow my eye!!! ( if you want my story you have to read I cant believe it in this link) It’s your wedding!! and I hope you have a lovely dayxxx I am worried incase I can’t get my wedding rings On!!! that’ s shalllow!!lol I bin through this before and Been well (till now!) but have had lymphodeama in my right hand and was worrying in case it happened in the other??? worry can be a funny thing eh??? best wishes on your married life xx
Thanks for your kind words everyone, my breast care nurse phoned today and left a message on the machine, she said that she’d see me when I’m in hospital on the 13th, well thats a surprise to me as I’ve been told its the 18th.
I’ll phone tomorrow and try to get this straight.
Thanks again everyone, this truly is a great site x
Hope all goes well for you and glad you have got a date…or is it two dates!!! I am sure you will sort it out tomorrow. All the best, Val
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I’ve had a call with my nurse and am meeting her tomorrow after I have the tests on my other breast, it will be nice to put a face to a name, obviously I have questions but will probably forget all of them lol, like I have right now, I suppose I need to write them down.
I like the idea of the inbetweeners… have you a link to it please.
Eun x
Hi Saphy
I have great encouraging news…I got married in December, after WLE, sentinel node biopsy, and 2 open biopsies just under 4 weeks before, and had 2 lots of biopsies a few weeks before that, and I had a fantastic day! It was something to look forward to and plan and there was so much support from my family as they all wanted it to happen too!
All the medical team were so supportive and made sure my day was clear and all my future appts were made around my wedding. They talk about it still!
My wedding was pretty stressful on the day even! It was the day we had snow…you certainly will not have that problem in June… I was 6 hours late for church…and we had to change the reception during the day as we were not able to get to where we had planned (or at the right time)…and it was still the most amazing day! I was tired by the end of it but Wow it has been worth it ever since!!!
As my husband has said it has brought us even closer as we go through my bc journey!
All the very best for you! You will have a lovely day!
Rachel
Here you are saphy breastcancercare.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=29087&p=517300#p517300 - I’ve bumped it for you as well so if you click on “Latest posts” on the left it should be near the top.
I’m an inbetweener too!
Jane xxx
Hi all and thanks for all your encouraging comments, its amazing how it helps the 'chat’on here.
I popped along to the hospital for the further tests on my right boobie, all in all I ended up with 3 ultrasounds and 9 mammos, everytime the ultrasound showed a shadow then the mammo’s didn’t, it was like it was getting squashed out of the way lol. Anyways after much too-ing and fro-ing, and me getting proper stresseed with it all, I am now going for an MRI scan on Tuesday, then apparently I now have an ‘urgent’ appointment with my specialist on Thursday, I am getting sick to the eye teeth with back and forth to the flipping hospital, sorry just needed to moan.
Anyways I’m meeting my friend on Tuesday for a bit of lunch and retail therapy afterwards, so I’m classing that as a nice treat.
Has anyone else been sent for MRI’s do you know ?
Whilst I was waiting the other day I did managed to chat to a couple of other ‘club’ members, one who has just one chemo treatment left, then a mastectomy and another lady who hasn’t had anything done yet and is awaiting treatment. They were both seeing the plastic surgeon as they were both having a reconstruction done at the same time as their mastectomies, how clever is that, flaming hell, it all amazes me.
I still can’t get my head round this I have cancer lark though because everyones saying how well I look and to be honest I don’t feel ill at all, I suppose as you’ve all said before on here and other threads that it all takes time to get used to it all.
I also met my nurse the other day, oh how lovely she is, and she said she will be there when I wake up from my operation too. She’ll have company because my OH and my friend are both threatening to sit in the hospital and wait too lol.
Anyways thats enough of boring you all, more laters xxx
Oh and the inbetweeners thread lol, thats right up my street.
Hi everyone, I had my pre-assesment appointment yesterday, and apparently I am fine and healthy enough to go through with the operation next Monday. I must say I am absolutely poo-ing myself at the thoughts running through my head…
Will I have half, whole or no boobie ?
Will I have drains/no drains?
Will I wake up?
How long will I stay in?
Will I be able to go back to work asap? It’s our own small business so not like I can go sick at the moment as our office lady is going to Euro-Disney on Tuesday with her little un. Then she’s off on annual leave May 23-June 3rd, then we get married on June 18th.
I can fit in some sickness between April 22nd - May 22nd then June 20th onwards, hmmmm I wonder if there’s a nice fairy around who will smile on me and make me feel ok till then.
Here’s hoping everyones ok and that you are all feeling well or as well as can be expected.
i have my op on monday too, good luck.
Good luck to you too Sophia, please keep in touch and let me know how you are.
Well I go in hospital tomorrow (as long as a beds available), it seems like the waiting has been forever, I am now totally scared but I know that its all for the best. I am trying to look forward to after the operation and am aiming to be home asap with my feet up, drinking a cuppa and wating tv.
As bit of positive mental attitude is needed here I think.
best of luck!u will be fine and feel so relieved in a day or 2.thinking of u alex xxx
Just posting to saw I wish both Saphy and Sophia all the best on Monday and I hope all goes well. I will be at “my” hospital too so really will be thinking about you both. I had my mastectomy with reconstruction done 22 years ago and it is still a work of art…well I think so at least. Love to you both, Val
Hi everyone I had my operation on Monday, had a few tears etc only to be expected I suppose. Anyways apparently it all went well and I came home on Tuesday afternoon. I’ve been told that they got a nice margin around the lump and took a couple of nodes from under my arm and they are sure it hasn’t spread. I’m not going to start dancing around until I have seen the specialist and Oncologist in a couple of weeks though.
Nice to be back I hope you are all ok.