Terrified of what lies ahead!

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Comments

  • kmakm
    kmakm Member Posts: 7,974
    Ooh yes @j9kVery Robert Redford! 
  • Afraser
    Afraser Member Posts: 4,352
    Hi and welcone
    I was 3 days from diagnosis to surgery but it can vary a lot and of course assumes you have surgery before any other treatment, which is not always the case. Uncertainty and juggling dates is an inevitable part of this stage, it seems. But once you have a clear plan, it becomes a bit easier to work out what can be done or deferred. How you react to treatment is also very hard to gauge until you start. I don't think there is ever a good time to get bc, but this time of the year has its own practicalities to be dealt with. Sound like your family can help with the unavoidable anxiety and waiting by taking the news in their stride. Best wishes for your treatment and good outcomes. 
  • kitkatb
    kitkatb Member Posts: 442
    Beautiful photo @CathyMac  looking good.  
    @Myrtille  From diagnosis to my first surgery was 5 weeks.  Hope yours is quick and as @Afraser said that determines as well if you have the surgery first before other treatment.  Hope all goes well for you  and wishing you the best. 
  • CathyMac
    CathyMac Member Posts: 65
    @Myrtille sorry that you find yourself here too! I got into my GPon Friday the 9th after being diagnosed on the 8th Nov. Surgeons office was shut so had to wait until Monday to get an appointment which is on the 23rd. Guess there are lots of women in the same boat as me. My surgeon is just a breast surgeon and the breast clinic had given me a list of 10 to select from.
    So I'm having full body scans on the 20th Nov and full bloods. So hopefully when I see my surgeon she will have the whole picture and I'll have a plan from then and like you I'd like to have the surgery over pre christmas. Keep us posted on how you go with the GP tomorrow. If you'd like to chat just PM me. Sending big hugs. Cathy❤️
  • SoldierCrab
    SoldierCrab Member Posts: 3,445
    @Giovanna_BCNA
     might be good to split Mytrille Post into her own so that her answers are specific to her questions. 

    HI @Myrtille
    Sorry  you need to be here but we are a supportive bunch with different stories but similarities in each of our BC ride. 

    Below are a couple of links to help you find your
    way around the forum and also how to find a breast care nurse and how to order
    a MY journey Kit if you haven't got one yet. 



    It can be a whirlwind when we first get a
    diagnosed.... Breathe and take it one step at a time. 



    Navigating the online community
    formerly the what and how thread.

    http://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/14879/navigating-the-online-community-formerly-the-what-and-how-thread

    Breast Care Nurses

    https://www.mcgrathfoundation.com.au/OurMission/OurNurses/FindANurse.aspx 

    My Journey Kits and other
    resources. 

    https://www.bcna.org.au/resources/

    BCNA Helpline 1800 500 258

    If you have any questions, concerns or require any further
    information or support please call 1800 500 258. BCNA’s helpline will now be open from
    9am-6pm Monday to Thursday and 9am to 5pm Fridays.  

     

    How to understand your pathology reports

    https://www.cancer.org/treatment/understanding-your-diagnosis/tests/understanding-your-pathology-report/breast-pathology/breast-cancer-pathology.html

    Soldiercrab 
  • Flaneuse
    Flaneuse Member Posts: 899
    @CathyMac You've received some great advice already. This forum will be your lifeline in the months to come. So many people will offer support and understanding, as well as sharing their experiences. Don't ever hesitate to throw a thought out; you'll get a response.

    aking a friend to appointments is very helpful. There's a huge amount to take in and remember. Some health professionals will let you record consultations; others won't, for some reason. I've been very grateful to those who do, because later I've been able to listen again and pick up things I'd forgotten. Sometimes I transcribed the recording when I got home, and then could refer to those notes later.

    Your son is a star!
  • Giovanna_BCNA
    Giovanna_BCNA Member Posts: 1,839
    Hello @Myrtille]
    Thank you for your post.  I have split this thread so other members are able to see this discussion and respond.

  • kmakm
    kmakm Member Posts: 7,974
    @Myrtille Well done for getting through this weekend in one piece. My son finished his last Yr 12 exam on Friday. Such a milestone eh?

    I was diagnosed on a Monday three days before his 18th birthday last December. Had surgery the next day, threw a big 18th birthday party on the Saturday without telling anyone other than the people in my home. Had a re-excision for margins the following Tuesday and then started telling people. But still held back from telling others until after Christmas. It's the very devil of a time to be unwell December is.

    I was diagnosed at Breastscreen and my breast surgeon was the doctor who broke the news. I went with him because I liked how he handled that terrible appointment. He had a slot open on his schedule the next day, and being bloody keen to get that thing out of me, I was happy to take it. I went from Breastscreen to the GP to get the referral, back to the BS for pre-op stuff and then at 7am the next day, Nuclear Medicine at the local public hosptal for the sentinel node biopsy dye. Then to the private hospital for the hookwire insertion (my tumour was very deep in my big boob) and that afternoon, the wide local excision.

    I didn't need to have it done that quickly, nothing bad would have happened in the next few weeks, other than my mental health. Emotionally I would have been a mess. Well, more of a mess than I already was! If you have private health insurance it can speed things up, but if you are urgent you'll be seen very quickly in the public system, so don't worry about small delays.

    If you have a good GP with good relationships with BSs, he/she should be able to get you seen reasonably quickly. Good doctors understand how desperate we feel when we're diagnosed. I'd be very surprised if you have to wait until after Christmas. Though this can depend on how remote you are if you're rural.

    If you'd like to, tell us a little about yourself, where you are, how you were diagnosed. People who are in the same area might be able to give some recommendations.

    Hang in there love. This is the shittiest bit, hands down. Don't hesitate to PM me if you want to chat. Deep breaths. K xox
  • Shellshocked2018_
    Shellshocked2018_ Member Posts: 283
    That’s awesome he looks so handsome
  • Wonk
    Wonk Member Posts: 61
    Hi @CathyMac
    So pleased the waiting is over for you and you now have a plan. You must be so relieved your scans were good, that’s one thing you can have peace of mind on. So happy you’ll be able to see Tom off to his formal and attend his graduation. I’m sitting in my surgeon’s waiting room right now waiting to hear the results of my surgery. 
  • kezmusc
    kezmusc Member Posts: 1,544
    That's fantastic news @CathyMac.  Brilliant!  xxx
  • SoldierCrab
    SoldierCrab Member Posts: 3,445
    how did you go @Wonk
    @CathyMac
     it is great to have a plan ahead. 

  • SoldierCrab
    SoldierCrab Member Posts: 3,445
    So glad you have results and can plan forward now