Scared !!!

Thinking of you today!

x

So...its 3:27AM !!!  Cant sleep so im in the louneroom with the laptop, dont suppose anyone else is as mad as me and wants to chat right now.

Today my surgeon appt is at 11am, so many thins racing through my mind, so many things i want to ask him, in fact i just want him to book me in for surgery ASAP !!  Have to have my right breast off cos I have mulitfocal so Im telling him to take the left one too.

Anyone have any advice about tissue expanders?  Should I have immediate reconstruction if possible or should i wait?

What do i pack to take to hospital, will i need bloused with button fronts, loose tops? Leggings?

xx

Hi Tan - sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I was diagnosed at the end of November last year and have had surgery (lumpectomy) and two doese of chemo so far. The chemo has been OK - I've found queasiness (like morning sickness) for about 4 days and then a bit tired. I've got four more doses of chemo and will then have radiation and tamoxifen.

My kids are 10 and 8. They have been coping very well. We have tried to tell them in a very low key, no nonsense way what is happening and what will happen. As an example I'd like to share how my daughter (8) coped with my hair loss from chemo. When I first told her that I would probably have to get "very short hair" she "didn't want me to have boy hair". By the time I started on the chemo she was itching to shave my hair off - she and my hubby gave me a no3 with the clippers. When my hair was falling out she thought it was great fun to pull it out. Now her friends at school say how nice I look or admire my "pirate scarf".

There is lots of info out there - the "My Journey Kit" is definitely worthwhile - just a phone call to BCNA and it is in the mail. I have made a decision to only find out details about the next step in my treatment. With so much information out there it is easy to be overwhelmed - and sometimes by information that is not really relevant to your situation.

Another great service is "Look Good, Feel Better". This is a two hour session run by volunteers who work in the beauty industry. Lots of makeup companies donate all sorts of makeup, you get to take home a bag with cleansers and a full set of makeup. The volunteers show you how to apply the makeup and then a lady talks about wigs and scarves and other options for if you lose your hair.

All the best! Jo

Hi,

Just read your post regarding telling your children. I was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 36 almost 18 months ago and struggled with what to tell my children who were 5, 8 & 10. It was early breast cancer so I didn't have to have chemo but did have radiation so my talk with them was a little different as my hair didn't fall out so I wasn't going to look any different (from the outside!). I spoke with them after the surgery once I knew what we were dealing with. My biggest piece of advice would be to tell the kids that they will probably have other kids telling them about it and saying stuff to them which may not be true (which happened to my kids) but because we told them early and advised that just because I have breast cancer doesn't mean that I'm going to die and not everyone that is diagnosed with breast cancer will die from it. This helped as over time some kids at school were trying to tell them that I had cancer and I was going to die but my kids said "No that's not right." This made me feel much better that they weren't caught offguard with what these kids said. I asked them if they had any questions and then answered them. I made our talk short and to the point with the facts which my kids seemed to respond to. You can only do what is right for you and you know your kids. You know what they can handle. Trust your gut. Good luck with everything. xx

Glad to hear today is a good day!

I have a 13 and 9 year old.  We sat both kids down and told them I had Breast Cancer and what that meant.   We told them I would need surgery, chemo and then radiation.  My hubby and I then briefly explained what each of these meant and how it would impact on me.

We spent a fair bit of time crying, hugging and it eventually turned to laughter.  We have always been honest with our kids (9 year old has had his fair share of medical problems from birth)  9 year old asked "would i walk funny with one boob"  LOL

You will find the right words when you sit down with them.  

Thinking of you and wishing you a peaceful weekend xx

 

And it will continue to get better as you go along.  When I had my first appointment with the surgeon she had organised for me to see a breast care nurse at the same time.  They offer great support for you along the way and I believe that you can contact them whenever the need arises.  I am in the private system though and don't know if this service is available in the public system.  Someone else on this blog may know.  If they are not readily available in the public system you could check and see if there is a McGrath Foundation breast care nurse available in your area.  The website link for the foundation is:-

http://www.mcgrathfoundation.com.au/Resources/NationalBreastCareNurseDirectory/Nurses.aspx?type=gp

They will also be able to give you some advice on how to tell your children about what is going on. 

There will most likely be a gap of around 8 weeks between your surgery and the commencement of the radiation treatment which gives time for the surgery wound to heal properly.  I would be more than happy to meet you for a coffee and a chat or even go along with you to your first few appointments if you would like.  My mobile number is 0413510991 and I live in Bull Creek.

  

Glad to hear you've turned the corner and feel better about getting ready to tackle this. :-). Because you will. And you will surprise yourself how well you'll do.

I can't really advise you on what to tell your children, as I don't have any unfortunately, but for what it's worth, I would perhaps wait until after you meet with your surgeon, have all the information you need, know what's ahead for you with treatment Iif anything beyond surgey), and then you can look them them in the eye, tell them what you need to and be able to answer the questions they have.

I know chemotherapy has been a big concern for you, but it is not very common for this to be needed when BC is diagnosed at stage 1. Similarly radiation is not usual with a mastectomy unless more than three lymph nodes are involved, which is unlikely to be the case with a stage 1 diagnosis.

Did they give you any more information about the type? They have definitely caught it early and that is something to celebrate when the fear hits, ok? 

Hope you have something lovely planned with your family for the weekend.

x

 

Glad to hear you've turned the corner and feel better about getting ready to tackle this. :-). Because you will. And you will surprise yourself how well you'll do.

I can't really advise you on what to tell your children, as I don't have any unfortunately, but for what it's worth, I would perhaps wait until after you meet with your surgeon, have all the information you need, know what's ahead for you with treatment Iif anything beyond surgey), and then you can look them them in the eye, tell them what you need to and be able to answer the questions they have.

I know chemotherapy has been a big concern for you, but it is not very common for this to be needed when BC is diagnosed at stage 1. Similarly radiation is not usual with a mastectomy unless more than three lymph nodes are involved, which is unlikely to be the case with a stage 1 diagnosis.

Did they give you any more information about the type? They have definitely caught it early and that is something to celebrate when the fear hits, ok? 

Hope you have something lovely planned with your family for the weekend.

x

 

Hi again everyone.

Happy to report that I am feeling good today, ready to tackle this thing head on. I know that Im going to be okay, just have to tackle the journey as well as i can.

I think the initial shock just takes a few days to go away or settle down. But now I'm ready for whatever life throws at me.

I have an appt with my surgeon on Wed next week, Ill know more then i guess. I am in country W.A. Im guessing most of you are in Perth?  I think Im coming to Perth for my surgery as if Radiation is needed I will have to come to Perth for that too.

My children are 6 & 9.....Does anyone have any advice for what I should be telling them.  My daughter is 9, and very switched on, they have already sensed that something isnt right, I just dont know how much to tell them..

xx

If you need more support than we can give you, I would suggest using some of these links. They will have more facts to help you. We can only give you our experience. http://www.cancerwa.asn.au/patients/support-and-services/cancer-counselling/ Remember to remain positive, be a strong role model for your children and husband. They will also be learning life lessons through this journey. My daughter has taken everything in her stride... Just like me. They love you because of who you are and that hasn't changed. Xxx