Secondary Breast Cancer Diagnosis

[Gillyflower]

Hi Sazzle,

Just wanted to reach out and send you a hug.  Its an awful shock, I can't imagine the difficulties of this when you've not long had a baby xxx

I'm so glad to hear you have a good support network, that will really help.

I can tell you that things do settle down once you are on a treatment plan and you start to adjust.  It always feels so scary at the point of diagnosis because of the uncertainty and not knowing what any of it means and what to expect.  I find it helps to take one appointment at a time and focus on living each day until you start to feel a bit more settled into your "new normal".

There are plenty of people who live many years after a secondary diagnosis, I find its a massive comfort visiting the forums here and hearing other people's stories! 

Sending hugs and wishing you all the best with your next appointment and your treatment xxx

[sazzle0202]

Hi Nicky,, thanks for replying.

luckily I’ve got a good support network to help with baby and older kids...don’t know where I’d be without my partner, Mum and Sister.

I spoke to my oncologist on Wednesday and she told me I’m her2 positive (not sure if I’ve worded that properly), and I’ll be having chemotherapy and targeted therapy.

I’ve got my first appointment on Monday, where I’ve been told I’ll have a meeting with oncologist and have a blood test, then I’ll be going back on Wednesday for first proper treatment.

Hoping I’ll feel better once I know what is happening x

[kelliebear]

I have just been diagnosed with secondary breast cancer and told I have months without treatment and 2 - 4 years with treatment my new metastatic ER positive/ HER2 negative breast cancer not to sure what all that means as my head is all over the place and finding it hard to except as have young children I am terrified of dying and leaving my children behind. I was told my cancer is oestrogen based and feeds of oestrogen. I have some hope of living past the two years reading stories on this site. I have been told by family I have to cut out oestrogen as the oestrogen is feeding my cancer as they found a 5cm lesion in my liver which they said they maybe able to remove part of my liver with the cancer but they would have to make the cancer smaller and I asked would this give me longer to live if they could remove and they said no it would still be 2 -4 years to live that has left me very confused. my partner has been making me stews and sups but using pearl barley and has bought me loads of antioxidant mixed nuts with almonds pumpkin seeds cashew nuts walnuts brazil nuts to try and fatten me up and give me more energy as the weight has fell off me. but I have been told by family members that all these contain oestrogen that helps feed the cancer. I am so confused what to eat ? I had bone scan and MRI scan and waiting for results as had scans in February that came back clear and the cancer was only in my liver and no where else and was advised that if it has not spread then they maybe able to remove part of the liver where the cancer is and can only do this if the cancer shrinks I am on at the moment Palbociclib and Goserlin and Letrozole but been reading on Miracle cure saves woman with breast cancer given months. the woman was given months after trying 7 types of chemotherapy failed she had tumours the size of fists in her liver and after trying new treatment adoptive cell transfer she has been cancer free for 2 years. has anyone heard of this the article I found was https://www.teegraph.co.uk/news/2018/06/04/miracle-cure-saves-woman-breast-cancer-given-months-live/ as reading the article it says these trials may be a cure for terminal cancer ? I am hoping others have heard of this and could I be a candidate for it to do the trials. . I so please to read about yourself and so many others doing so well and would ask what changes you have done and any help or advise would be greatly appreciated. I apologise going on for so long its just all so overwhelming.

[nicky08]

Goodness, what a shock to deal with just when you’ve had a baby. We all understand how you are feeling about the secondary diagnosis right now but to have to juggle your feelings after just having a baby must be doubly difficult. You don’t say where the secondaries are but generally your treatment will be systemic, ie it will treat the whole body so will almost certainly be something like hormonal treatment, chemo or involve Herceptin based treatment depending on the type of breast cancer receptors you have. Sometimes a more targeted treatment is given but that also depends on where your mets are. I do hope you get some answers from your oncologist soon and a treatment plan is put in place. Most of us do feel more able to cope once we know what we have to deal with and what the treatment will be. Once you know more, or even before then, do come back and ask any questions. This forum is a great place for advice, support and information about specific treatments that we have been through. Somethings you find out that don’t appear on any leaflets or websites, we just share our own experiences and often find common side effects or ways to alleviate certain things that you can’t find elsewhere - even from your own oncologist! 
Try not to search too much on the internet right now as there is a lot of outdated statistics and information out there which is very scary to read. Once you do know more about your own diagnosis you can search for information specific to that if you want to find out more. 
Take care

Nicky x

[sazzle0202]

Hi everyone. 

I’m new to this site and just hoping for some friendly words of advice really.

I had my diagnosis for secondary breast cancer on Tuesday this week. It was a massive shock and emotionally I’ve been all over the place.

I gave birth just over 9 weeks ago too so this has probably added to how scared I’ve been I think.
I’ll be getting a phone call from my oncologist next week when I hoping I’ll get told my treatment plan and really hoping that my life will start to feel a little more normal again.