Starting the journey - Waiting

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24

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  • w_w_w_dette
    w_w_w_dette Member Posts: 156
    edited March 2015
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    Hi Louise

    You sound like an amazing lady already and I love your sense of humour.

    I was diagnosed in May with similar uh oh times, although while still on the table for the ultrasound the lovely lady said "I think the doctor would like to do a biopsy if you've nothing better to do" - I won't add my reply!!! Needless to say I stayed a little longer. After 3 failed aspirations of the enlarged node, it was onto the lump - apparently had used maximum local so I agree childbirth and gallstones were a breeze! In fact doctor decided that was not going to risk an actual core biopsy. The results were enough to know it was cancer but no details-8 days till surgeon visit which we left at 5.30pm with a night to decide and ring about lumpectomy or mastectomy!

    We got home and my husband rang our three children and parents. I hid for 2 days before talking to friends!!

    I went to work the next day and told my immediate manager and several colleagues, one of whom I needed as a repacement for my leadership position. What was really hard was that after that initial rush every anaethetist was off to a conference and my surgery couldn't be for another 2 weeks!! The rest of the work colleagues I told personally in the 2 days before I finished.

    The"Supporting a friend or colleague with BC" pamphlet that you can download from here (or a couple come in your My Journey pack) has been great according to my friends and colleagues. You do have that don't you??

    Don't know if this has been any help but must admit it was interesting to try remembering those foggy weeks even though they're only a month away!

    Take care, Dette xxxx

  • Di_BCNA
    Di_BCNA Member Posts: 896 ✭
    edited March 2015
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    Hi Louise and welcome!  You look as though you already have the site figured out, but if you need a hand with finding your way around just ask. :)

    Here's a couple of links that might help (including to the brochure/page for friends and colleagues):

    Hope that helps -- don't be afraid to ask if you need anything.

    ~Di

  • tabbycat
    tabbycat Member Posts: 33
    edited March 2015
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    Hi Di

    Thanks for the warm welcome...this is such a wonderful site.

    I will indeed look at the links you provided.

    Best Regards

    Louise

  • tabbycat
    tabbycat Member Posts: 33
    edited March 2015
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    Hi Di

    Thanks for the warm welcome...this is such a wonderful site.

    I will indeed look at the links you provided.

    Best Regards

    Louise

  • louiseg
    louiseg Member Posts: 412 ✭
    edited March 2015
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    Hey Louise - great name you've got there girl!

    I love your sense of humour and you will need to keep that while you go through your treatment :)  If you can stay positive and focus on each little step at a time, it makes the journey so much easier.  Don't stress about the big things until you have to - it won't make it any easier and will just cause you to lose sleep.  Control the things that you can control and try to go with the flow for the rest.  Ask lots of questions and listen to your doctor's advice. 

    The mastectomy op isn't too bad but unlike some of the others on this site, for me it took a week to get the pathology results....so just be aware that it may not be the next day that you find out!  The doctor gave me an idea about the pathology when I came out of the op but the final results took about a week.

    Good luck with everything and keep us up to date with how you are going!  Give those pussy cats a big hug too - very therapeutic!  My cat is on my knee at the moment and it makes it hard to type LOL (my cat has just been dianosed as a diabetic so now he is the one that has to have the needles!).  He used to give me strange looks when I first lost my hair but he got used to it, as did I, eventually !!

    Take care,

    Louise x

  • louiseg
    louiseg Member Posts: 412 ✭
    edited March 2015
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    Hey Louise - great name you've got there girl!

    I love your sense of humour and you will need to keep that while you go through your treatment :)  If you can stay positive and focus on each little step at a time, it makes the journey so much easier.  Don't stress about the big things until you have to - it won't make it any easier and will just cause you to lose sleep.  Control the things that you can control and try to go with the flow for the rest.  Ask lots of questions and listen to your doctor's advice. 

    The mastectomy op isn't too bad but unlike some of the others on this site, for me it took a week to get the pathology results....so just be aware that it may not be the next day that you find out!  The doctor gave me an idea about the pathology when I came out of the op but the final results took about a week.

    Good luck with everything and keep us up to date with how you are going!  Give those pussy cats a big hug too - very therapeutic!  My cat is on my knee at the moment and it makes it hard to type LOL (my cat has just been dianosed as a diabetic so now he is the one that has to have the needles!).  He used to give me strange looks when I first lost my hair but he got used to it, as did I, eventually !!

    Take care,

    Louise x

  • Peggy
    Peggy Member Posts: 7
    edited March 2015
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    Hello Louise

    Just stopping by to say Hello and hope you are doing well?Keep in touch and take special care - Love and rainbows of blessings  Peggyxxxxxxxxxx

     

  • tabbycat
    tabbycat Member Posts: 33
    edited March 2015
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    Hi Louise

    great name indeed....thanks for your message of support. Tomorrow is the big day (surgery) so I am starting to feel b...dy nervous! But will try to heed all the wonderful advise I have received on these pages!

    My cats will become mighty suspicious of things when I'm not going out to work each morning! If I'm ever home sick they tend to follow me around like puppies or else curl up on the bed along side me, which is always very comforting (not to mention warm)

    Talk soon

    warmest regards

    xLouisex

  • tabbycat
    tabbycat Member Posts: 33
    edited March 2015
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    Hi Peggy

    thanks for dropping my, I haven't quite gotten into the routine of checking in with everyone else yet, but will in time. My Masectomy is tomorrow, so it's all finally happening.

    Keep your fingers crossed for me....

    Thank you for the blessings, I  need all I can get.

    xLouisex

  • Peggy
    Peggy Member Posts: 7
    edited March 2015
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    HI Louise - Good luck for tomorrow.  Everything will go well - you have all of us storming heaven for you!  We will be thinking of you and sending you Rainbows of love and blessings...Hang in there, it will all be over soon.  Have a good night's sleep - try...take special care and lots of love Peggy

  • w_w_w_dette
    w_w_w_dette Member Posts: 156
    edited March 2015
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    Hi Louise

    All the very best for your surgery tomorrow - I'm sure it will go well with all the good vibes, wishes and prayers that are coming your way from all your bcna team!

    Will be thinking of you constantly, Dette xxx

  • JJoy
    JJoy Member Posts: 350
    edited March 2015
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    Hi Louse - Yes I lost that 'part' of my 59 years too - so any help or support I can give let me know - wishing you all the best, Josie x x x 

  • tabbycat
    tabbycat Member Posts: 33
    edited March 2015
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    Hi Debbie, Dette & Josie,

    Thanks for you wishes. Surgery over now. I'm home and getting around with my two drainage bottles safely tucked in their carry bag and hoisted over my shoulder! I won't know the full extent of my treatment until I see the doc on the 13th, but she has said I will ned chemo...oh joy...lol...really looking forward to that NOT..much more pain than I was lead to believe, my left arm feels like it has a red hot poker in it jabbing away to remind me its there. ouch..

    Josie, I can understand how you felt and I will see a councellor as I feel I am being way too calm about all this. It's as if I'm a third party looking on at it all (apart from the pain) I just know I'm going to fall in a heap at any moment, but I'm taking one day at a time and will not let it get me down.

    Nice to sleep in my own bed last night, with my two beautifull cats curled next to me. They know somethings amiss and are lavishing all their love on me. My sister and my partner have been watching over me like eager eagles..but I have 10 mins to myself at the moment as it's the "changing of the guard" wippee...wondering around doing my own thing and checking in here without all the "can I do that forr you?" nice as it is to be cared for, I'm just not used to being clucked over!

    I hope you are all doing well and staying strong? Much love xLouisex

  • JJoy
    JJoy Member Posts: 350
    edited March 2015
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    Oh Louise, isn't your own bed such a delight - the things we take for granted!  I remember when I got home from hospital, the feeling of snuggling down in my own bed was nothing short of bliss!  I hope you are recovering well and not feeling too much pain.  Dont forget this site when you feel a big blue - I kind of think sometimes you feel like you are alone on an island and this site is the rescue ship!  Absolutely no one any where can relate like the ladies on this page can - keep healing, love and hugs Josie x x x 

     

  • TonyaM
    TonyaM Member Posts: 2,836 ✭
    edited March 2015
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    Glad to hear you are back from the dark side.Keep up the pain killers,don't wait till you are in agony.Once the drains are out you'll go ahead in leaps and bounds.I think it's kinda normal to feel detached.It's like your body is telling you to stay strong for the battle and then when it's over you can relax and fall in a heap.Takes awhile to adjust to a missing boob, psychologically but at the moment you are just trying to get past surgery.I'm not so sure if this site is a rescue ship - more like a life raft that we are all clinging to!Best wishes for a qick recovery.

                                            Tonya xx

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