Lobular breast cancer
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This discussion was created from comments split from: Newly diagnosed and need support.
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hello everyone , i am newly diagnosed on 30th november with invasive lobular in left breast, there was found when surgery was done 2 small tumours, 7mm and 5mm very deep in against chestwall both 100%estrogen positve, had surgery the week before xmas and 2 lymph nodes were removed with no cancer found , i start radiation near the end of Jan for 16days and then anastrozole daily for 5 years, i too am terrified and my head is all over the place, not sleeping , emotions are all over the place, crying a lot and then some calmness. do you eventually come to terms with this BC and feel like its going to be ok and be normal again?1
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Crying releases tension so in these early days have a bit of a cry and welcome the calm. I believe that if you stay connected by posting and reading other's posts you will come to terms with the changes in your life. Always ask for help if you are nervous or uncertain - some on this forum have been living with this for quite a few years - you are not alone! Not sleeping? I went to my GP and asked for a mild sleeping pill - it helped and there's nothing like a good sleep to boost your energy. Life won't ever be the same again but by staying connected you will learn that you can cope with the 'new normal'.4
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thank you for your support1
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mg2
I understand how daunting it is and how scared you must be feeling. Also, there is so much to learn and get accustomed to with regards to your journey with BC. However, you have us, you have the BCNA community to lend you a hand when you feel like it is too much. We all have our personal experiences with BC and All of us have walked the path and still walking. If your medical team is giving you information that you find confusing or not clear, don't hesitate to keep on asking until you are satisfied or that you understood what is being advised to you. You will have moments of ups and downs but this too will pass. You were asking if "its going to be normal again?" My answer is, There will be "New Normal". BUT, You will come out of it braver that you ever thought you could be. Like I said to Liz on my previous post, we have the right to feel our emotions. Feel them and acknowledge what you feel, then let that feeling go just like when you watch the seashore where there is ebbing and flowing of the waves, emotions are like waves on the shore.2 -
Hello @mg2 🙂.Yes, you will come to terms with this whole bc thing, and you will feel normal again. Perhaps not like before, but life will resume again without you constantly thinking about it. How long that will take depends on you, the individual, and how much work you do on your mental and emotional self. That includes crying when you need to, being angry, scared, all those negative emotions, acknowledging them as was advised above as they are a part of us, and releasing them. You are in the initial stage of the bc ride so what you’re feeling is to be expected. I’m pretty sure we all felt like that at the beginning. I know I did. I was pretty petrified. Took a while for me to be able to say I had it without crying. Now, almost a year on, I feel completely different, confident and very happy. It wasn’t easy, I had to see 3 different psychologists for about 9 months, but it was worth it 👌🏻. Stay in touch, and post whenever you feel down or scared, or need advice on anything 🍀♥️.3
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Dear @mg2
Surgery done, no lymph nodes affected, you’ve already come a long way! It’s natural to feel emotional, a cancer diagnosis throws you into confusion and fear, but bit by bit you will find more calmness as you accept that it has happened, but also realise that you can get through it. At this stage, you want to go back to how your life was before but none of us can, cancer or no cancer. Life is uncertain, but that means it can be full of good things as well as lousy ones. I’m 8 years from my diagnosis and they have been really good years. Look forward, not back, take one step at a time, breathe. It will get better. Best wishes.4 -
thank for you encouraging words, im also from melbourne0
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Dear @mg2
4 years ago I too had lobular breast cancer - 12mm tumour deep in the chest wall.I had a lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy - 2 nodes removed micro metastasis. Followed up with 16 days radiotherapy on my left breast.I have been on Letrozole now for 3 and a half years - bit difficult at start but things settled after 3 months or so partly helped by a daily one hour walk.
I basically shutdown to get thru it all helped also by feeling cocooned with kindness by all staff involved in my treatment.Once it finished I was terrified that my life was over. People saw me looking the same but I was not the same I had lost confidence.
Luckily for me I rang the Cancer Council who arranged Cancer Connect with a woman who had had my type of cancer and treatment years beforehand. We spoke for an hour and the lilt in her voice and reassurance lifted me out of the darkness a little. A couple of friends who knew I was struggling but had not had breast cancer put out feelers for what help was available in our community. They told me about a local breast cancer group and “Look good Feel better” program - thru these I met others and learnt more about what was available to help me including the YWCA hydrotherapy course of 6 weeks ( not sure if run atm due to covid),
In my opinion and experience it is important to reach out even if it is hard - you have started that process by joining the blog as I did.There is so much support out therefor us in the community and thru it I gradually learned that life does go on.You have no idea how uplifting it was to know there were others in the community like me - I recall being excited to see them out grocery shopping or having a coffee -they were still enjoying life and I realised I might too.
Yes each time I have my mammogram and oncology I still get anxious but generally life is pretty good.Btw we all get that and we call it scanxiety.The blog was a very important part of my recovery as someone was all ways there 24/7 to talk to. I don’t come on daily anymore as I don’t need it as much but hope on every now and then to see if I can help someone like you to repay the debt I owe to this community that helped me through.
Finally, I found a daily one hour walk very important for my mental and physical well being.Exercise is not my favourite thing so my daughter put my favourite music and some e audio books on my phone which made it more tolerable.Re hormone therapy - it’s sometimes not easy because of tendon/ muscle issues caused by it but it is do- able and the best shot available to prevent recurrence so I stay on it but I just try to avoid things that could cause injuries. I have had tennis elbow precipitated by scrubbing tile grout with a toothbrush , plantar fasciitis by walking daily for an hour plus on concrete in inappropriate footwear and now bursitis in the shoulder after tripping delivering washing upstairs.I still do the first two but scrubbing in stages and wearing good sneakers - the latter well ...guess I need to get my adult kids to come collect.
I hope I and the others have reassured you that gradually your confidence will return and that there are things you can do in the meantime to help that. Looking outwards will require practice initially but eventually it will become normal as it once was.Life is good .
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Oops please ask what you need to know and we will help. Hop on if you want a chat or even a whinge there are no judgments here - we are all in the same boat just different stages in the journey.You are most welcome and you are amongst friends .2
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Hi @mg2 ...
Welcome to the club that no-one really wants to join! Here, You can raise ANY issue, and get helpful replies from those who’ve gone before you. Nothing is off limits. We have ‘private groups’ for some more personal discussions .... so feel free to join any of them, if they suit you.
Whereabouts are you? City/Town? You can add it by going into your Profile. Others living in that area may be able to put you onto services/support groups available to you xx. When Covid eases, you may be able to meet up for a chat. I’ve made invaluable friends on the forum and can raise any issues with them - and even met up with @Annie C for a holiday in Darwin’s before Covid struck!
We all know the absolute turmoil that comes with the bc diagnosis .... specially after a ‘clear mammogram’ and no family history. This was my story. My Mammogram was clear just months before my wonderful GP found it, by accident! I had right breast lumpectomy and immediate recon (fat moved around), Rads and now on AI Tabs.
Your whole world is turned upside down in a millisecond, as you navigate unknown areas of our health system! It is almost a conveyor belt! First you do this, then this, then go there and do that, then come back here and do this .... it may take a year or two for your life to settle down.
It is totally 100% ok to skip between anger, denial, sadness - but if your find the sadness is overwhelming you, please seek professional help! Your GP may be able to refer you ... or your local Breast Cancer Centre May have help there .... where you are more likely to find a bc specific psychologist. Just talking about it openly and sharing it with a professional should be able to give you coping mechanisms ...
Personally I found that it mucked with my BRAIN more than anything else! And sometimes that is very hard to control, as it has a mind of its own! I reckon that Keeping BUSY doing things is the secret .... get back into your hobbies or take up a new one - even more so now with Covid as we can’t get together with buddies as readily as before.
Try not to overthink the Radiation - it sounds much worse than it is! ... most find it to be the easiest part of all our procedures! Just make sure you keep the lotions and potions up to the area being treated, as advised by the Rads nurses. I had 4 weeks of treatment and actually stayed ‘on site’ as I lived over 100k from the Hospital - so it sort of became like a holiday! The staff were all just wonderful. I became quite emotional on my final day!
Try & keep your sense of humour 'up there' - we have a really good 'funnies page' (called Friday Funnies, but we add them every day!!) Just click on the link for a laugh, to add pics and even post your own favourite ‘funnies’ ...
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/19116/friday-funnies#latest
If you are into arts & crafts, we have a 'Creative Corner'
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/14979/creative-corner#latest
and if into your garden, a Gardening post as well!!
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/comment/186078#Comment_186078
For your reviews and annual checkups, here are some ‘tick sheets’ to help you put your questions together for your medical team ... and just keeping track of everything
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/21973/questions-to-ask-post-surgery-of-yourself-to-your-specialists-tick-sheets-self-assessment#latest
All the best with your ongoing appointments. Take care ... you can do this! xx
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