I was not sure whether to reply to one of the other threads or start anew…I am new to the forum and possibly not coherent in what I am about to say as I was diagnosed two days ago and feel in total shock.
My whole body feels full of symptoms as if the cancer must be everywhere. I am 45.
I had a sudden kind of mastitis and everyone was sure it was just a cyst. Well, on came mammogram, ultrasound, biopsies, MRI, more ultra sound and another biopsy. I went from the rather comforting DCIS diagnosis after the biopsy to the news two days ago that I have to have a masectomy of my left breast and three lymphnodes removed as they found a microscopic amount of cancerous cells in my first node. I dont really care about loosing a breast to be honest, if it means recovery but am soooo scared about the finding in the node, it seems to make it all so much more serious. This is why i imagine the cancer must have spread. As they have not found evidence of invasive cancer in my breast (but there must be some otherwise why would there be any in the node…) I will have to wait till after the operation to know what the treatment will be afterwards and what kind of cancer it is. I have two sons (13 and 16) and i have not yet dared to tell them. Sooo terrified.
Hi Sabhope I’m like you new to all this and totally unsure how to feel or what to do? I feel like I’m a bit of a robot and I gotta hold it together cos my husband has lost it.
My name is Leanne I’m 39 and I was diagnosed today with breast cancer, I’ve got 3 children 8,6 and 4. I found a lump and went straight to the doctors who thought it was hormonal and said to come in a few weeks. Went again and was refereed to hospital where I had mamagram and ultrasounds done. Dr was amazing but the way he was talking I knew something wasn’t right. Anyway had a biopsy done and got the results today. I’ve got a 1.5cm cancer and have been booked into have it removed on 14th November. Will then have to wait a few weeks for tests to check what my course of treatment will be.
I’m typing this and really can’t believe this is happening to me. I had a brain tumour (benign) removed 14 years ago so feel quite hard done by.
Anyway sorry I can’t answer any of your questions just wanted you to know your not alone. XX
Hi Sabhope, I’m so sorry you find yourself here. It is such a shock to be diagnosed and knocks you for six. I was diagnosed in Feb with invasive ductal carcinoma and after a lumpectomy the pathology report said the margins weren’t clear and there was a small area of dcis so I had to have more surgery. I didn’t have any lymph node involvement. After I was diagnosed I suddenly seemed to have so many aches and pains which I thought must be the cancer rapidly spreading, but I think that actually I was very stressed and anxious as the aches did subside after a while. Whilst it must be worrying for you that some cells were found in a few of your lymph nodes, your nodes have been doing their job and have been stopping the cancer spreading and lots of the ladies on this site have had node involvement and are now very well after their treatment.
I was 49 when diagnosed and have 2 boys, 11 and 14. We told them the day after diagnosis as it was the start of the half term holiday so it gave them time away from school to be upset, angry, ask questions etc. They were very upset and my oldest did ask if I was going to die and the youngest was angry with us for telling him and said that he didn’t want to know. By the end of the half term they had both got used to the idea and things were pretty much back to normal, as much as possible anyway.
These early days are very scary and overwhelming, but you will feel better once you start treatment as its like you are actually doing something to kick cancers butt!
Wishing you all the best as you start your journey. There will be light at the end of the tunnel before too long, I promise you. Take care, Michelle xx
Hi Sabhope.
Firstly so sorry you have to join us here. It’s such a shock when you are diagnosed.
Like you, after diagnosis I felt every ache and pain and was convinced it had spread (it hadn’t) If you’ve been assigned a Breast Care Nurse already then make full use of them, they are there to answer any questions you may have. Mine has been invaluable. If you don’t gel with one, ask for a different one.
I’ve had a single mastectomy and for me personally it wasn’t such a big deal. I also like you had a tiny amount in one of the Sentinel Nodes. My surgeon said they would be extremely surprised if it had gone to any other nodes, but I was advised to have full node clearance which I did, and it hadn’t spread.
I’m 39 with a 6 year old and I’ve told her as much as she needs to know. There are DVDs and a book called Mummy’s Lump aimed at kids to make it a bit easier for them to understand. Your nurse will give you copies if you want them. I didn’t bother using mine as my daughter seemed quite “happy” with our explanation. One thing I did do was inform school as I knew chemo was on the cards. They have been fantastic and are keeping an eye on her and getting her involved with helping out etc.
It does get easier once you know what you are dealing with in terms of a treatment plan etc.
Good luck with everything and please don’t hesitate to ask any questions
Sarah xx
Thank you so much for your replies. It is so amazing and helpful to hear from women who have gone through this. It means the world at this time and helps to not go off into the downward spiral of fear.
I hope to be in the postion in the future to help other women the way you help me now.
Many thanks for your replies and wishing you all the best from all my heart xx
I have another question to you ladies, has anyone had pain with their finding of breast cancer.With me everyone was sure that it was just a cyst. The pain came up with a sudden hot swelling and I am convinced that I did not have a lump before. Well, now almost tow months later and looking towrds a masectomy I am almost glad to loose the breast as it is still painful. And the worrying cells in the lymph node. Does it mean any thing positive that they only found microscopic amounts of cells in my node or does it not matter how little of much?
My node only had a microscopic amount in so they removed the other lymph nodes and they were fine. I know a lady who had a microscopic amount and her consultant said she didn’t need the full node removal so opinions can differ within different trusts. My Consultant said that with such a tiny amount she would be quite "gobsmacked " if it had gone into any other nodes and she was right.
I didn’t have pain with my lump so can’t offer any advice on that score
Sarah x
Hi sabhope I was diagnosed on Wednesday I am having a really down day today. I have loads of family coming tomorrow and I just can’t face seeing them . I’m hoping once I have surgery I will feel better as that is apparently the first step in my case. Rebecca x
Hi Sabhope, am so glad you have beem getting lots of replies and support from other ladies here. This is a great site.
i just wanted to mention…as you were asking about lymph ndes…i was diagnosed in 2001, with 12/13 lymph nodes positive for cancer. I had a tumour 8x6cms, plus the cancer had spread outside the lymph nodes under my armpit…into the fatty tissue.
after mastectomy,chemo and radiotherapy, then Letrozole, I then went for roughly about 10 years being cancer free. I think that it might have been longer, but at that time they were advising people to come off letro after 7 years because it was a new drug and they didnt know the long term effects.
anyway, At the time of my diagnosis, i was frantic and searched websites to see if there were others like myself who had survived a long time…and there were! So maybe my history might offer some
comfort to you. Very best of luck with all your treatmentxx
Oh, and the other thing that occurred to me to mention was…this year,
i had to go back on i/v chemo because my recurrence had got a bit out of control…
just beforehand, i felt really ill.I think someone on this thread said they felt ill as if the cancer was everywhere…well,I had headache, sore throat, cough and sciatica, back and neck ache…
I couldnt understand how they were happy for me to start the chemo when i felt so very ill. I totally freaked out.
but, you know, once i started the treatment ALL the symptoms went away…stress, especially for us ladies going though a major shock can mimic illness.
im glad to tell you the cancer has responded well to the chemo and im hoping to go back on tablets sometime, rather than i/v so take heart ladies.
Hi Eileen and Sabine, thank you, glad it helps. I think probably I was just like you ladies at the beginning, really scared and hearing from the ladies who had been around a long time, made me realise that I might have a good chance of doing the same.
Hi Rebecca, hang in there, sorry you too are having such a scary time, but once treatment has got under way, you will feel better too.
as its half term, there may be less ladies on the forum just now, but believe me there are loads of us about who have been just where you are and you will soon hear from them
keep a look out for the threads, as ive pasted in below, under ‘going through treatment’ which will say ‘Surgery’ or ’ November chemo starters’ and there are threads which offer advice on many other types of treatment too, you will find other ladies who are going through treatment at the same time as you and can share it with them.
Do let us know how things go, I will be thinking of you and looking in.
Good luck xxx
Moijanxx
Surgery
If you have questions about surgery and need support you can talk to others with similar experiences here
3004 Daisy62
25-10-2016 10:55 PM