scared.
Mic80
Member Posts: 46 ✭
hi all, I have just recently been diagnosed with what they are saying is stage 2 breast cancer. Mastectomy and chemo is needed. I have a strong family history so they have been showing concern and the need to act promptly. Friday just gone I had my ct scan and bone scan but have not heard any results from this. The medical team at my hospital had their appointment today and called me to organize my appointments to get all results and hoping they will have a plan for me. Terrified that the bone and ct scan has shown that the cancer is else where even tho mammogram and ultrasound showed no spread to lymph nodes. Just wondering if anyone else in similar situation?
worried sick!!
worried sick!!
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I am so Sorry to see you here, @Mic80 - but we'll help you get thru these early days, as we've been there ourselves & know how it feels. It does your brain in a bit too .... try not to google too much info - everyone's case is different & you could be reading the wrong stuff.
Try not to pre-empt the scans/tests ..... it is what it is - and your medical team will explain it all to you & help you deal with it. Do you have a close friend or relative to attend the meetings with you, for support and an extra set of ears? It takes the pressure off you a bit - and they can drive you to & from appointments too. My sister in law has come to all my important meetings, including my 1 year review last week with the surgeon - and I recorded a lot of them on my phone too. My surgery was in Jan 18.
Take lots of deep breaths .... you can do this. Try & take one day at a time. Feel free to scream & shout & react in any way that you feel - all that is totally normal too. You'll have your ups & downs - but it will get better, once the surgery is over.
I hope you have family & friends around to help support you - just the waiting between appointments & for results is one of the worst bits. They won't really know about the node involvement until after the surgery & the pathology is done (another wait!)
If any of your friends offer 'help' - maybe suggest a frozen meal or two, to help get you thru after your surgery, as you won't feel much like cooking to start off with and also may not be up to driving for a wee while either, for getting in supplies?
Have you been assigned a breast care nurse yet? They are a great support & fountain of knowledge. They can help organise your appointments & followups .... and a sympathetic hear as well.
Throw up any question that you have here - we'll do our best to answer it for you.
Take care, thinking of you xx
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Hi there @Mic80. I'm so sorry that you've found yourself here in a group nobody wants to join. I'm not in your position now, but was almost three years ago. I was diagnosed with stage 3 grade 3 invasive ductal carcinoma with spread to one node. I remember the horror, fear and disbelief as if it were yesterday. The bowel clenching fear between having my full body scan and bone scan and being at the multidisciplinary team meeting to discuss the results, was just awful. Your feelings are entirely normal, although horrible, and nothing anybody can say will allay those fears until you hear the results and have a plan of action. Others, I'm sure will add their comments, but in the meantime, I'm sending you a big cyber (((hug))). Ally.1
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It's a long time ago now but I can still vividly remember that when I was waiting for my biopsy results and in that awful mental seesaw between 'it'll be alright' and 'it'll be everywhere', the realisation that I had not had my pap smear on time haunted me. I did have breast cancer (mastectomy, chemo and herceptin), my pap smear was clear and I am now six years with no evidence of disease. It's the most natural reaction, to fear the worst, and the hardest one to talk yourself out of. But if terror and anxiety worked, none of us would be talking to each other here on this site! A plan of action helps immensely, it gives your mind something concrete to focus on. A mastectomy is usually remarkably straightforward, you can look at the options if you are considering reconstruction (there's a specific group for that on this site) and chemo - well, no-one likes the idea, but some handle it relatively easily so it's hard to tell till you start. A plan A and a plan B are useful. This isn't a chapter in your life that you would choose, but it can be just that - a chapter, not the whole book. Best wishes.
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Hi @Mic80, I was diagnosed on 15th Feb, stage 2 lobular cancer, everything just seems to be a whirlwind....I too waited with much anxiety after MRI, ct scan and full bone scan, the results I received last Tuesday, and it looks like there is no spread, .
I am booked in for sectional mastectomy Thursday and my lovely surgeon has explained everthing including the wait for results up to 2 weeks for the margins and lymph nodes.
I have a breast care nurse locally who has visited, she organised a bra for after surgery, then when she found out about the reconstruction she organised a visit to a local lady who has ordered a different bra with far more support for me, hoping it arrives today. There is also a breast care nurse at the hospital which is 2 hours from home, and I am lucky Hubble is staying at accom at the hospital.
I have been taking sleep aid to help me sleep, and working to keep me busy, in between appointments.
It's very hard waiting each time for results, but, I cannot wait for the cancer to be removed, just knowing it's there is haunting me!
I wish you luck with your results and future procedures, we are in it for the long haul. Keep your family close and talk about it rather than bottle it up. XXX
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The fear is so overwhelming @mic80. We get it. We've been there and come out the other side. I was diagnosed with Stage 2 lobular carcinoma on 5th December 2017. Well, I say I was diagnosed with it but at the time, all I knew was that it was lobular and there. It had spread to 3 nodes but my doctors believe that they have got it all. I went on to have chemo and rads and am now on Letrozole. I also have a family history of BC. As @allyjay says, it is what it is and now you are doing something about it. Try not to overthink it (hah!) and avoid Dr Google if you can - remember that a lot of what you read there is old. This is probably about the hardest time emotionally as you've been hit with a sledgehammer of news. Once you have a plan, while you won't feel overjoyed, you will feel more in control of things. Take care and remember we're here and we get it.1
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Thank you so much for sharing your stories. It has left me with a calmer feeeling for my day ahead. Off to the hospital for my results today so I will let you know how you I go xx
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Aaah @Mic80...we will be with you in spirit today as you go to your meeting. Hopefully you'll have someone with you for an extra set of ears. Take a notebook and make sure that the questions you ask are answered. Remember, for them, this is their "bread and butter". You are just the next one on their conveyor belt of misery. But you are you, and your needs are specific to you. Take one step at a time, and also remember this one. "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time" Ally xoxo.1
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The ct and bone scan are called staging. The specialists use it to come up with a treatment plan. The bone scan in particular is handy as years down the track you may have another one and it will be compared to the first one to see if you have any osteo troubles brewing.
My sis in law had pains in her side and they thought maybe a hidden hernia so had a ct scan. They found cancer in a kidney. They did a quick op, took the kidney out and she never had any more cancer happen. Never did find out what the pain was in terms of the hernia though. That scan saved her life.1 -
Thinking of you today @Mic80.
The ladies have said it all above and you know you can always come on site for information and support.
Let us know how your appointments go.
Sending big cyber hugs
Anne
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Good luck Mic80. One step at a time. Good advice not to go to Dr Google - but also limit what you read on this site. While this forum is wonderful, and supportive, there are a fair few scary stories which may not help your mental health. So, just learn what you need for the stage you're at.0
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Hey@Mic80 hope today was OK. I’m a recent joiner of this forum and think the support, care, wise words, and humour, even when things are not going ok, from everyone posting are amazing. I must admit I do a fair bit of Googling, mainly trying to decipher some of the “peer-reviewed” articles. But there is a lot of changed information over the years - ultimately leading to better treatment and outcomes. So don’t look at anything over 5 years old!! The waiting for results is the worst. We’ve all been there. Xx2
