Breast Cancer Now Forum

Hi Delly, Thank you for your reply. I'm so glad to hear that you are doing well and living life to the fullest. That's amazing. I appreciate your encouraging words, as well. I'm sure you did not mean it this way, but I did just want to say that not everyone is the same -- we all have different experiences, different personalities, different ways of dealing with fear, etc., and I think it's really important that we aren't dismissive of anyone's feelings, as everyone's feelings and reactions and ways of processing are legitimate. Unlike you, I have zero trust in my GP. They have missed two cancer diagnoses (first melanoma, then breast) within four years, despite me repeatedly going back multiple times and expressing concern in both instances. I was only diagnosed with both after I paid out of pocket for a private doctor. The melanoma diagnosis really knocked me for six because I have lupus and have not been in the sun in 40 years. I was finally finding my footing after treatment for that when the breast cancer happened. After a breast cancer diagnosis, my hospital offers patients a few counselling sessions, which I enthusiastically took up. We mainly discussed living with fear of recurrence. I don't let that dominate my life. In fact, I'd say the breast cancer diagnosis has caused me to live more in the moment and appreciate each day, rather than always planning for "someday" in the future. And, that's a big shift for me, as I have a PhD in planning, and it literally is my job to think about the future! For me, not letting the diagnosis run my life (as you so cleverly put it!) is not mutually exclusive from feeling like it might very well get me in the end, as someone else put it. I suspect that's one reason why hearing news about anyone, celebrity or not, having a recurrence or another primary so many years later has such an effect -- because it's not at the forefront of my mind day to day until such news puts it there, at least temporarily, as a reminder that it can rear its ugly head again. It's perfectly normal to have wobbles and bad days and even really bad days -- it doesn't mean we aren't enjoying life. Indeed, I'd say having such a range of emotions IS life. 😉 Thank you again for sharing your positive attitude -- you've inspired me to remind myself of how much more positive I am now than when I was diagnosed. And, I always appreciate hearing how others have navigated their journeys. I hope you continue to look forward and keep your cheeky and jokey spirit! xoxo       ... View more

Thank you for your thoughtful reply, @adoptedmanc! I will keep your "weight on the shoulder" metaphor in mind -- you are right, some days it feels too heavy, yet other days it's barely a thought. It makes sense that hearing about breast cancer in any way, including a well-known person being diagnosed, would trigger painful flashbacks in those of us who have been down this road already. I just wish I could quickly put such news in perspective, rather than it causing days-long anxiety. In this case, it was the long time (12 years) between her two primary BC diagnoses that got to me - just a not-so-gentle reminder that we're never out of the woods, no matter how much time passes. My mom had triple-neg BC at 56 and survived. At 73, she got another primary BC (estrogen-fueled) in her remaining breast. My husband's aunt also recently got another primary BC diagnosis, 20 years after her first. As I said, being constantly vigilant is exhausting. But, as you said, some days aren't so bad and the weight is hardly there -- I will keep that in mind!! Lots of love, murnaloo ... View more

Agreed that the news about Olivia Newton-John hits hard - maybe because, as you pointed out, she seemed to be living with BC in a way that was inspirational. Any news story about someone dying from BC sends me into a tailspin, even if I know the circumstances differed significantly from my own diagnosis and situation. Grease was the first film I saw in a cinema and I played the soundtrack on my stereo on repeat as a kid, so Olivia was a part of my formative years. Also, yesterday was my birthday, so I was already feeling a bit mortal -- the news about Olivia just underscored that. Doing my best to follow her positive lead! ... View more

Wow, thank you so much for sharing your experience and stopping by again with such a positive story! It is so helpful to hear from people who have made it through and can offer hope to those of us in the thick of things. Understandably, many folks who have had a positive experience move forward and don't want to dwell in a forum all the time. So, it's really supportive of you to remind all of us that we can pull through this and celebrate many milestones, like you have done, in the years ahead. Thank you! ... View more

Hi everyone, I started radiotherapy yesterday, so I've had two of five sessions already. I'm glad to finally start so we can zap any wayward cells. However, I can't stop worrying about the length of time between surgery (lumpectomy) and starting radiotherapy. It was 10 weeks, which seems much longer than what the NHS standard is. I had stage 1, grade 1 ER/PR positive, so no chemo needed. I'll start Tamoxifen post-radiotherapy. I am fit and healed from surgery really quickly. I did have to wait on genetic testing results before radiotherapy could start, but it's been a month since I got those results. Should I be concerned that it's taken too long to start radiotherapy? I read several studies that said waiting more than eight weeks before radiotherapy after surgery is linked to worse outcomes. My breast care nurse said she is not worried, but I still feel anxious. Just wondering what others have been told. ... View more