mammogram in July 2015 all clear. Bleeding from nipple started in August 2015. Referred to hospital September 2015. Reassured " this is not cancer,go home and don’t worry,come back if it continues" Went back November 2015. More reassurances. Discharge now random and intermittent and brown. “Come back in January 2016.” That visit a biopsy was done in clinic. February 4th 2016 I go for results of biopsy to be reassured that all was clear. Discharge now still random and infrequent." Come back in 12 weeks but don’t worry." So now it’s April 20th and I go to clinic again. Yes the nipple is still discharging not very often but hasn’t stopped. So an operation to remove the milk ducts is scheduled for 6 days later. Op goes fine,feel really great. Not worried just relieved. I lose my holiday to Menorca to have this op. So looking forward to being discharged and getting on booking a new holiday. Back to clinic for post op check 2 weeks later may 11th. Told I have breast cancer. Bombshell. Not expecting diagnosis or even prepared to hear it. Now told I am back at hospital on weds 25th may to have lumpectomy also to remove nipple totally and a sentinel node biopsy. Then radiotherapy and hormone treatment. So devastated I can’t stop crying,I lost my son 6 years ago and so I am well practiced in one day at a time existence. I have no faith or trust in my consultant,the hospital,my nurse. I don’t know how to deal with this fear. Sorry to ramble on. Thanks for reading though
That’s awful. I’m really sorry you find yourself in this situation. The coming to terms and waiting is the hardest part believe me and once you get to your operation date, you will feel more in control. In the mean time, try and do some nice things that you enjoy and can fill your time a little. I’m a very social person, so spent a lot of time seeing friends and going for meals and I asked them not to talk to me about my cancer. It helped me.
wishing you all the best with your op and journey x x
Goodness Julia, I’m not surprised you are so shocked and upset. Being diagnosed is a shock in itself I know, I fell apart when I heard those words “it is breast cancer”, but if you have been reassured that all is fine then you probably haven’t really had to prepare yourself mentally, we believe the doctors and nurses and what they tell us as they are the experts right? But maybe there are exceptions to every usual scenario and unfortunately this time it was yours. You will get your head round it and look to the future and will be glad when treatment starts so that you feel more in control and that something is being done about it. I had a 2cm lump removed which did not show on a mammogram but was confirmed by ultrasound. I then had a re-excision due to an area of dcis at the margin. I have been taking Tamoxifen for just over a month and have had 7 radiotherapy sessions so far, 13 more to go. The way I see it now, the cancer has been removed, the radiotherapy is killing any cells which may have been left behind and the Tamoxifen will stop a new cancer growing. I have to be positive otherwise it will in my thoughts all the time and I don’t want that! I am sure you will be amazed by how strong you really are.
I hope it all goes well for you Julia, all the best to you, Michelle x