Hi @"Prime time" - it’s such a whirlwind of information at those first appointments and it’s so hard to take it all in, especially if what they’re telling you isn’t exactly what you were hoping to hear.
The most important thing is to have faith in your medical team - then, it’s absolutely essential that you feel well informed and confident that you know exactly what your diagnosis is, what they’ve recommended, and why.
Make sure you arm yourself with a long list of all your questions when you go back on Thursday. Include absolutely everything you want to know - there is no stupid or useless question - and the surgeons are used to being asked lists of questions. Take someone with you if you can, or record it all on your phone or take notes. Just make sure that when you leave, you feel 100% well informed.
I was so worried before my staging scans! I convinced myself that my persistant cough, my aching knee and my headaches were all signs that my breast cancer had spread. Ultimately everything came back clear - I was lucky - but the scan-xiety drove me nuts! It’s so hard not to dwell on it - but a very wise friend once advised me ‘not to write the story before it happens’ and I’ve tried to just take one step at a time and go with the flow.
No matter what your results will reveal, the anticipation is always the worst part. Once you have a plan, you feel much more in control and can move forward.
My breast cancer was bilateral invasive lobular carcinoma and very big - 10cm in one side, 16cm in the other. I had a full acillary clearance on one side with 2 nodes involved. I wasn't able to have an immediate recon after my double mastectomy because I was always gong to need radiation, and my plastic surgeon didn’t want the recon to be compromised, so I’ve been given air expanders for exchange or DIEP surgery down the track, after I finish chemo and radio.
Best of luck for all your results! Please keep us updated xxx
