Hello everyone! am new to this site.... and new to this blogging... I am 41 years old with a new granddaughter due any day now! Think i may be in some denial that all of this is happening and really dont know what i am in for... found this site helpful as i spent all night on google finding out what a biopsy is, different stages etc (scared the hell out of me) I have been joking, keeping positive and sharing as much love as I can to the people around me who will be affected by this diagnosis... been the hardest thing to tell those you love dearly that you have breast cancer! Not sure at this moment what stage or grade I am! Not sure how this will affect my life.. find out on Friday and then having the op on the 26th of this month! But one thing is for sure I will beat this! (-;

Welcome to this network but sorry to hear that you have to join us in this bc journey.How hard for you to be waiting for a joyous event at the same time as a dreaded event.No wonder it all seems unreal for you at the moment. You might still be in abit of shock -that bc diagnosis takes the rug from under you doesn't it.The waiting is awful and we have to do a fair bit of that.Hopefully by Friday you will have a plan -ie what sort of surgery you will need. I've had bc twice -a lumpectomy in 2003 and then a mastectomy(same breast)in 2010. Both operations are very similar as far as pain and recovery go.I went back to work after about 3 or 4 weeks post op .Just deal with Friday and don't think too far ahead cos you can't predict pathology. There are lots of us here who have survived bc or are going through it like yourself.It's a great place to come for information and support or to just rant and rave.Ask any questions -hope you have ordered the BCNA my journey kit because it's a wealth of information.As mothers we tend to put on a brave face for our family in order to protect them but you need to cry and let it out too.I held it in too much the second time around,only to turn into a blubbering mess down the track when I had to sign the chemo consent forms.Take some one with you on Friday and write everything down as it's easy to forget when you come out of the doctor's surgery.Let us know how you go and blog anytime-always someone to chat with here. Tonya xx

You are right lanilumps71, you will beat this. Have you received your My Journey kit from BCNA? If not get one, it has HEAPS of useful and best of all TRUE infomation in it (so many site on the net can be wrong and just scare the life out of you). I am the same age as you (41) and was diagnosed on 22/12/11 (at age 40) with Stage 2, Grade 2 - Ductal Cell carcinoma (breast cancer of the milk ducts, that had become invasive and grown into the surrounding tissue), my tumour was 3.1cm when it was removed, and was ER+, PR- and HER2+ and I had a 5mm deposit in 1 of the 2 sentinel nodes that they removed at the time of my mastectomy. On the 03/02/12 I had a nipple and partial skin sparing mastectomy (my choice, was offered option of lumpectomy but with serious deformity, but I decided when I was diagnosed I didnt want my breast, in fact I decided i didn't want either of them. I have a strong family history of breast cancer) with sentinel node biopsy and immediate reconstruction using a silicon implant. PLEASE feel free to ask me ANYTHING, either here or to add me as a contact, and ask me privately. I am currently undergoing chemotherapy (have had 5 cycles and have 1 more to go on 16/07 (YAY!) but will continue for another 9 months with Herceptin, and will also be put onto a hormone treatment such as Tamoxifen,for 5 years, and due to my family history I am seeing a medical geneticist on 01/08 to see if I have the BRCA gene(s). Keeping positive is a good thing - early breast cancer is a highly survivable cancer. The waiting is the worse, it really is, it can really do your head in. Most of us find the waiting worse than the diagnosis. Good Luck with your surgeon on Friday to get your pathology results and to find out what treatment you will be undergoing. Do you know if you will be have a lumpectomy or mastectomy? and have you been told if you will be having any further treatment yet (I guess you wont know until you get your pathology results and find out what your hormone and HER2 status is (ER (estrogen receptor), PR (Progesterone receptor)). Don't be worried if they ask you to have a CT scan of your chest and abdomin and a bone scan (these are VERY common scan to have after the diagnosis of breast cancer). there are a couple of blogs here that you might find helpful with your new diagnosis, your upcoming journey and your upcoming hospital stay. Have a look at http://www.bcna.org.au/user/9395/blog/32567 - Advice for the newly diagnosed; http://www.bcna.org.au/user/9176/blog/28978 - What has helped you through your journey and; http://www.bcna.org.au/user/9176/blog/29548 - Things to pack and do for hospital stays. Again PLEASE feel free to ank me ANYTHING at all, no matter what, I will answer anything honesty and as well as I can, ther eis NO such thing as a silly or personl question I think, the more you know the less scary things are). Stay WEll and busy and again good Luck for Friday and for the 26th.

Hi there, sorry you have been diagnosed with BC:( and believe me the start is the hardest, and all the jargon sounds like doctors and surgeons are talking another language. Just take it one step at a time and try not to get to far ahead of yourself and just wait for the results and then take it from there. I was diagnosed in 2007 at 36 years of age (until BC I thought 36 was old)! I have had a bi lateral mastectomy and chemo and have been on Arimidex since. It was a crazy time and one that has changed my life forever, but life is now back to normal and I am living well after cancer. Chat some more soon, glad you found us, sorry you had to come looking for us:( Tanya xxx

I have just been diagnosed | BCNA Online Network

42 Replies

chipmunk
Member
13 years ago
Hi Lanilumps

That is a beautiful name that your grand daughter has. Such a little angel, for you to focus on.

When the days aren't so good, just have a photo of your grand daughter to help you through. She will make you smile from ear to ear......

Hope all goes well , and please keep posted.

love and hugs Julie XX
Shazinoz
Member
13 years ago
You are NOT putting anyone through anything, you did NOT ask for this, you do NOT want this, this is happeneing to yuo, you are dealing with it and they will too.

You are not selfish, but you will learn that you have to be a little selfish during your journey to get what you need and to recover. It is HARD, but you need to learn to say - No sorry can't do that , or I am going to go and have a nap - look after yourselves until I am back up and about, or no I can't deal with that at the moment, I have to much else on my plate or my head isn't in the right place to do that.

Never appologise for what you need.

It is 100% normal to go from happy to sad to angry etc, you will infact go through all the stages of denial during your journey - from denial - no I don't have this bloody disease, to acceptance - Ok I have this what is next.

Don't be afraid to cry the worst thing you can do for your mental health is to bottle it all up, see a cancer councellour if you need to, that is what they are there for (same goes for partner and his kids), his kids if between 12 and 24 can also join Canteen to get help and fun through them (they are for kids of parents with cancer or who's parent(s) have passed away from cancer (and they qualify for both of those)..

Make sure you take Me time to cope with what is going on - scream, yell, cry, laugh what ever you need to do in the moment, and if it means yelling at 60 yr old men who are tailgating you, then go for it.
serenity11
Member
13 years ago
Congratulations Nanna. Emotional is OK. Rant and rave, cry, laugh it is all natural. Dont hold back as it is quite a big release and you will feel better when its out. Dont feel guilty ( easy to say not so easy to feel). No one asks for this insidious disease. And I dont think there is a pink chick who would want another to have it.

If you havent already start a journal/diary. I find that writing thoughts down helps. Plus as I have gone through the chemo I have found writing down the changes, events, instructions etc have helped build a picture of how my body reacts and the phases to expect each cycle. Also in my diary I write the questions that pop into my head to as the nurses or doctor.

I found Dr Google helpful and overwhelming at the same time. There is alot of good information out there on various cancer sites and some useful links to group suport. There is also some scary stuff, but it all helped me formulate questions to ask my Oncology team. Now I am into the treatment phase I find I dont consult Dr Google often unless I am looking for a book.

Be gentle on yourself. Take care. And remember you are not alone.
lanilumps71
Member
13 years ago
my emotional responses are a litlle all over the shop>.. go from being all loving and mushy and then ten minutes later i am yelling at a man that tailgated me in the car>. slammed my brakes on, got out like a crazy woman and told him he was old enough to know better (was in his 60's) he even apologised haha! still havent cried yet! just keep on telling myself to be strong and the thought of little MYLAH SKYE has me smiling! i know it will eventually come though! i will be listening to your words on here and taking the advice of one day at a time! x i havent told you yet that my partner of four years lost his wife and the mother of his boys to this dreaded thing 10 years ago! she was only 34 years old! i feel selfish thinking i could be putting them all through this again! am hoping for a different outcome
lanilumps71
Member
13 years ago
my emotional responses are a litlle all over the shop>.. go from being all loving and mushy and then ten minutes later i am yelling at a man that tailgated me in the car>. slammed my brakes on, got out like a crazy woman and told him he was old enough to know better (was in his 60's) he even apologised haha! still havent cried yet! just keep on telling myself to be strong and the thought of little MYLAH SKYE has me smiling! i know it will eventually come though! i will be listening to your words on here and taking the advice of one day at a time! x i havent told you yet that my partner of four years lost his wife and the mother of his boys to this dreaded thing 10 years ago! she was only 34 years old! i feel selfish thinking i could be putting them all through this again! am hoping for a different outcome
lanilumps71
Member
13 years ago
my emotional responses are a litlle all over the shop>.. go from being all loving and mushy and then ten minutes later i am yelling at a man that tailgated me in the car>. slammed my brakes on, got out like a crazy woman and told him he was old enough to know better (was in his 60's) he even apologised haha! still havent cried yet! just keep on telling myself to be strong and the thought of little MYLAH SKYE has me smiling! i know it will eventually come though! i will be listening to your words on here and taking the advice of one day at a time! x i havent told you yet that my partner of four years lost his wife and the mother of his boys to this dreaded thing 10 years ago! she was only 34 years old! i feel selfish thinking i could be putting them all through this again! am hoping for a different outcome
lanilumps71
Member
13 years ago
thanks for your words! xx
lanilumps71
Member
13 years ago
thankyou daina! just cant believe it... she is so precious and beautiful x
lanilumps71
Member
13 years ago
thankyou! life can definately have its pay off! so proud and in love with the little angel! cant believe i am a nana! watching my child holding his own child in his arms just overwhelmed me with so much love! what an amazing awesome gift she is xxx
bmc
Member
13 years ago
Congratulations on your new granddaughter!! My Lily and Sophie are just beautiful little girls and I know you will just love your little one to bits just as I, and their Popstar (grandfather) do them. They are also are a good excuse to go shopping!!!

Enjoy her (and ditto the fabulous baby smell), and take good care of yourself., mentally, physically and spiritually.