Hi, I am new to the forum and was diagnosed 8 Oct with Grade 2, 35mm IDC ER+ 8/8 and PR+ 8/8, soon followed by a WLE and SNB on 16 Oct. The results weren’t encouraging (words of consultant) with no clear margins at all, upgraded to Grade 3 and size now at 60mm with SN positive and signs of vascular invasion. Underwent MX 8/11 with AN dissection - results on 26/11. Approx. starting chemo mid December and will have hormone therapy after. I am having a ‘suspicious’ mole removed from my back tomorrow (am disappearing bit by bit) as they wouldn’t want to do this whilst having chemo and didn’t want to leave it several months, so now have that to worry about on top of the results following MX.
My daughter has now discovered another lump in her breast and is also going to the BC Clinic. She had a previous lump examined under ultrasound and was informed it was just fatty tissue and nothing to worry about, but this was before my diagnosis. She’s petrified and although I try to reassure her, I have to say it’s getting to me too with worry. All in all I’m feeling pretty low with all the rubbish news I’ve had over last couple of months and just hope something positive will come my way soon.
Hi shellebelle
Firstly, welcome to the discussion forums, I am sure you will find them a great sourceodd information and support.
Whist you are waiting for others to reply, I just wanted to let you know about our Helpline, they are available for support, information or just to listen if you need to talk. The number is 0808 800 6000 and they are open weekdays 9-5 and Saturday 10-2.
I also thought you might be interested in our Resources Pack which is full of Information to help you understand your diagnosis and treatments. It’s available to order here:
I do hope this helps.
Kind regards
Louise, Facilitator
X
Thank you Louise, I have some BCC booklets from my BCN and they are invaluable. Flori35 I appreciate your comments and can imagine how you must have felt having to have another biopsy. The stress and worry whilst waiting for results has been the most difficult to deal with.
I had my mole removed yesterday and so now am stitched both front and rear! I feel a bit like a Blue Peter project held together with glue and sticky paper 
and it isn’t easy to get comfortable, but at least it’s done with. Just hope that if it was something bad, they got enough away.
With a bit of luck both MX, AX and Back will be healed enough to start chemo.
Hi Shellebell
You seem to know a lot about your cancer. I only know I had a very small cancer (size of a pen top nuse said) and pre cancerous cells which were all removed two weeks ago.
Get results tomorrow - lots of questions to ask.
Hi Jennifer63. I hope your results were encouraging for you this week - it sounds like you caught things at an early stage. I only know what I’ve been told so far by my consultant up to the stage where I had the MX and that had changed from the WLE and SNB op 3 weeks before and also from the biopsy results 2 weeks prior to that, so it could all change again on Monday when I go to see him for my latest results. I am hoping that there were no more nodes involved or very few at least and that there were good clear margins after removing all the breast tissue. Have been trying to keep myself occupied metally and focusing on my exercises to pass the time. There have been up and down days but I am getting more and more nervous the nearer my appointment gets.
Hi Shellebelle
My diagnosis has changed when I got results on the 20th. Now to have MX with immediate implant and then chemo because I am triple negative. I feel they give you information a bit at a time so it doesn’t sound so bad. My tumour was 8mm grade 3 but they could’t get a clear margin and if they took more tissue I would be left with a very deformed breast.
Have to see plastics nurses on the 3rd Dec to give me my options for reconstruction and then surgeon on the 6th Dec when I will get date for mx surgery.
Really worried and scared of the chemo!!
Hi Jennifer63
I am so sorry to hear that your diagnosis has been upgraded and are now having to have MX and chemo. It is a knock back when you get this news, but you can only take each day as it comes and keep going forward. 8mm tumour still sounds quite small and hopefully when you’ve had the MX the total area of cancer found won’t be much bigger. Mine was 60mm without clear margins, which is why there wasn’t much option but to go for MX
There was a little more cancer removed during the MX (so probably 65mm in total) but clear margins were obtained. 2 More nodes had micro cancer in them and the SN was fullly cancerous. The other 10 removed to Level II were clear.
I am seeing oncologist tomorrow to plan chemo (very scared too), but know this is the best plan for me to try and beat this thing. I will also be having radiotherapy after and hormone treatment. Reconstruction wasn’t offered immmediately to me due to the treatment - I guess everyone’s experience is different.
A colleague of mine is also undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer (spooky coincidence) we were both diagnosed at pretty much the same time. Her tumour was also upgraded to a 3 (38mm) and SNB positive - she is also triple negative. She managed to get away with WLE only and had first chemo on Monday so I will be following in her footsteps.
I hope you have the support of good friends and family, but know that you are not on your own anyway. There are so many of us going through this and we are all fighting together x
first time i’ve been on this but feel in good company and reassured to know i’m not alone. Had biopsy after discovering a lump by chance in the shower at the end of aug. Had WLE in october but like so many others on here there were no clear margins so last wk i had mx n ax clearance. Now out of hospital and going from settled amd comfortable to panicky and struggling. I hate the softy so not even bothering with that. Lopsided will have to do for now. Problem is with this is that no sooner do you get over one hurdle then you have yet another one to get thru. Our next is appt to give us results of mx op. There was cancer in the 2 lymph nodes they took out when they did WLE so now i have to wait once again to see how many are affected. Expecting to have chemo starting in the new year so how much worse can it be? If its in all lymph nodes does that mean the strength of the chemo is stronger?
Hello Mary49. I hope you are recovering well from your MX. The waiting for results is difficult I know and I found that even when I tried to keep occupied to take my mind off things, I would often ‘wander back’ to the what if’s and why’s, convincing myself it had spread everywhere, then telling myself to get a grip and not panic!
I am sure that once you have your results the Consultant Breast Surgeon and your Breast Care Nurse will advise you on the next step and you will then get an appointment to see the Oncologist.
The Oncologist will be able to explain in detail about your cancer and the treatment recommended for you as this is tailored to each individual case. I was told and given information to take away, about the type of chemotherapy I would be having and it’s side effects etc. I was also shown statistics and graphs of the potential benefits of having treatment as opposed to not having any - nothing is guaranteed of course, but for me I felt confident I had made the right decision about going ahead with chemotherapy.
I now have a pre chemotherapy counselling session and no doubt plenty of tests on Friday 7th December. Assuming all is well, start my first cycle of chemo on Monday 10th and will be having 3 cycles of one combination of drugs followed by 3 cycles of another, every 3 weeks.
Fingers crossed for you having some positive news when you get your results and I hope all goes well with your continued recovery and treatment.