The Start

Youre right it really does make feel better that you have replied to my first acknowledgement of having breast cancer.  Its great we are the same age, and I can relate to how much I loved the gym and used to go 5 nights a week religiously.  I only stopped when I met my husband, and had to replace that with walking and the bike as we shifted continuoulsy once a year over the last 7!  We havent had time to form new friendships along the way, so having isolated ourselves was always a tad risky, but it wasnt something we had control over.  

You have helped straight away, friends are avoiding the phone, and the aquaintances I have met here over the last 6 months in Tas havent been seen for dust!  My husband has just spent 3 days at home following the Op to remove tumour and 3 nodes, but now back to work to try to keep some normality at his job.

Grade 3 ductal cancer, not sure what Mums was, doesnt really matter now, I beat her, mines worse apparently!  She skipped the Chemo and Rad, lopped off one boob, and went on Tamoxifen, and is about 73 now!

Having been sent home over a long weekend was a little isolating, but I made a phone call this morning to the Breast Cancer Council to get some advice on our immediate needs.

I had a friend who had breast cancer 2 years back, she was brutal when I told her with the description of what Im in for.  I just hold onto the fact that I need to just go through it one day at a time.  

Appreciate your response,

Bel

Hi,

It's really hard when you don't have family around you - a similar circumstance as my hubby and I moved from QLD to come down and look after my aging Mother, she passed away five weeks after we moved to Victoria....as a result we moved to a small town (we were thinking of moving to Tasmania) but I landed a job at the local Council and whammo! Guess what......lump, doctors and all the rest.  So my hubby and I had to go through it all with no family around...mind you at the time I wasn't thinking to much about our isolation, just trying to plough through each day.  The ONE thing that kept me sane was this website! The ladies on here helped me through my fears, rants and general raving.  I needed to vent, and it was so good that the women on here are used to it, we have all done it, we all needed to do it - so even though you are isolated in geographical terms......here - you are not alone. Don't be afraid to put down your thoughts - you will get responses and they will benefit you in many ways, just remember we are 'here for you'....big hugs and lots of love from Josie x

Hi Belinda, I am really feeling for you right now. It's such a shock finding out isn't it - really hard to get your head around especially when you're relatively young and healthy. So much of what you've written reminds me of my own diagnosis 7 months ago. I am 46 too and I thought going to the gym 4-5 times a week would stop me getting any nasty diseases, at least for a couple of decades. My mum also had breast cancer but she was 61 so I didn't expect to get it in my 40s. And I sent my husband off to work on the day I got the biopsy results thinking it would be nothing to worry about.

I know you must feel horrible right now. I think the waiting and not knowing where you stand is probably the worst part. And its a shame you don't have your family and friends nearby. But I am glad you found this site. I have found the support and information I've got here invaluable. While my family and friends have mostly been terrific sometimes it's easier to share your fears and frustrations with other women going through the same things.

I had  a 2.4 cm hormone positive tumour that was thought to be low risk after the biopsy but found to be more aggressive after my surgery. On the positive side my surgeon got clear margins and there was no spread to my lymph nodes. I've had chemo (lost my hair which totally sucks) and I am now almost finished 6 weeks of radiation therapy. Soon I will have to start taking tamoxifen for 5 years. While none of it has been fun, I suppose through reading other women's stories on this site I've come to realise that I've been fairly lucky overall. I haven't suffered any dramatic side effects and my cancer has been treatable and my prognosis is good.

Unfortunately there are no guarantees with this crappy disease but I do feel pretty confident that I will get past this and life will go back to normal. I just say this to let you know there is light at the end of the tunnel. You will get through it. Be gentle on yourself, accept any help that is offered and don't hesitate to ask any question at all or just express how you're feeling on this site. There's always lots of amazing, caring women here willing to respond.

I will be keeping my fingers crossed for you Belinda and hoping things go as smoothly as possible for you. Take care, Janet. :)