A new member and really wishing I wasn't
Received diagnosis on Feb 24th of Ductal Invasive Carcinoma Grade 2 in left breast after Mammogram with Breastscreen. Fortunately Dr de Viana was the one who gave me my results and I later found out ...
Forum Discussion
Dear Sandra, so sorry for your diagnosis.
You sound like a very brave and strong woman and you will come through this.
One thing you wrote really resonated with me - you said you never wanted to go to an oncology department. I often said to people treating me, I didn't plan to get cancer. These things just happen. I always thought I would get dementia like my mum, not cancer. My cancer counsellor said to me cheerfully, well you get both, quite right.
Getting some good counselling is important, via the Cancer Council is one avenue. Just being able to talk about your cancer, your fears and not having to be brave, is a great release. I once apologized to my counsellor about crying to her. She said, I am a cancer counsellor, people cry all the time, it's ok.
I would not be so brave about not telling your family about the newly found lumps. You need their support badly and won't get it if they don't know about it. Few of us can read minds.
I am guessing that you have looked after after other people all your life. Now it is your turn to be looked after through treatment.
Getting cancer is dreadful, the treatment most unpleasant but breast cancer has good statistics for survival. It also turns out many of us cope surprisingly well with baldness, illness, surgery to our breasts and the side effects. We don't like it but we go through with it and come out the other end. Try and take every day and every hour as it comes.
Very best wishes Karen
You sound like a very brave and strong woman and you will come through this.
One thing you wrote really resonated with me - you said you never wanted to go to an oncology department. I often said to people treating me, I didn't plan to get cancer. These things just happen. I always thought I would get dementia like my mum, not cancer. My cancer counsellor said to me cheerfully, well you get both, quite right.
Getting some good counselling is important, via the Cancer Council is one avenue. Just being able to talk about your cancer, your fears and not having to be brave, is a great release. I once apologized to my counsellor about crying to her. She said, I am a cancer counsellor, people cry all the time, it's ok.
I would not be so brave about not telling your family about the newly found lumps. You need their support badly and won't get it if they don't know about it. Few of us can read minds.
I am guessing that you have looked after after other people all your life. Now it is your turn to be looked after through treatment.
Getting cancer is dreadful, the treatment most unpleasant but breast cancer has good statistics for survival. It also turns out many of us cope surprisingly well with baldness, illness, surgery to our breasts and the side effects. We don't like it but we go through with it and come out the other end. Try and take every day and every hour as it comes.
Very best wishes Karen