Lobular breast cancer
This discussion was created from comments split from: Newly diagnosed and need support.
Forum Discussion
Hi @mg2 ...
Welcome to the club that no-one really wants to join! Here, You can raise ANY issue, and get helpful replies from those who’ve gone before you. Nothing is off limits. We have ‘private groups’ for some more personal discussions .... so feel free to join any of them, if they suit you.
Whereabouts are you? City/Town? You can add it by going into your Profile. Others living in that area may be able to put you onto services/support groups available to you xx. When Covid eases, you may be able to meet up for a chat. I’ve made invaluable friends on the forum and can raise any issues with them - and even met up with @"Annie C" for a holiday in Darwin’s before Covid struck!
We all know the absolute turmoil that comes with the bc diagnosis .... specially after a ‘clear mammogram’ and no family history. This was my story. My Mammogram was clear just months before my wonderful GP found it, by accident! I had right breast lumpectomy and immediate recon (fat moved around), Rads and now on AI Tabs.
Your whole world is turned upside down in a millisecond, as you navigate unknown areas of our health system! It is almost a conveyor belt! First you do this, then this, then go there and do that, then come back here and do this .... it may take a year or two for your life to settle down.
It is totally 100% ok to skip between anger, denial, sadness - but if your find the sadness is overwhelming you, please seek professional help! Your GP may be able to refer you ... or your local Breast Cancer Centre May have help there .... where you are more likely to find a bc specific psychologist. Just talking about it openly and sharing it with a professional should be able to give you coping mechanisms ...
Personally I found that it mucked with my BRAIN more than anything else! And sometimes that is very hard to control, as it has a mind of its own! I reckon that Keeping BUSY doing things is the secret .... get back into your hobbies or take up a new one - even more so now with Covid as we can’t get together with buddies as readily as before.
Try not to overthink the Radiation - it sounds much worse than it is! ... most find it to be the easiest part of all our procedures! Just make sure you keep the lotions and potions up to the area being treated, as advised by the Rads nurses. I had 4 weeks of treatment and actually stayed ‘on site’ as I lived over 100k from the Hospital - so it sort of became like a holiday! The staff were all just wonderful. I became quite emotional on my final day!
Try & keep your sense of humour 'up there' - we have a really good 'funnies page' (called Friday Funnies, but we add them every day!!) Just click on the link for a laugh, to add pics and even post your own favourite ‘funnies’ ...
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/19116/friday-funnies#latest
If you are into arts & crafts, we have a 'Creative Corner'
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/14979/creative-corner#latest
and if into your garden, a Gardening post as well!!
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/comment/186078#Comment_186078
For your reviews and annual checkups, here are some ‘tick sheets’ to help you put your questions together for your medical team ... and just keeping track of everything
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/21973/questions-to-ask-post-surgery-of-yourself-to-your-specialists-tick-sheets-self-assessment#latest
All the best with your ongoing appointments. Take care ... you can do this! xx
Welcome to the club that no-one really wants to join! Here, You can raise ANY issue, and get helpful replies from those who’ve gone before you. Nothing is off limits. We have ‘private groups’ for some more personal discussions .... so feel free to join any of them, if they suit you.
Whereabouts are you? City/Town? You can add it by going into your Profile. Others living in that area may be able to put you onto services/support groups available to you xx. When Covid eases, you may be able to meet up for a chat. I’ve made invaluable friends on the forum and can raise any issues with them - and even met up with @"Annie C" for a holiday in Darwin’s before Covid struck!
We all know the absolute turmoil that comes with the bc diagnosis .... specially after a ‘clear mammogram’ and no family history. This was my story. My Mammogram was clear just months before my wonderful GP found it, by accident! I had right breast lumpectomy and immediate recon (fat moved around), Rads and now on AI Tabs.
Your whole world is turned upside down in a millisecond, as you navigate unknown areas of our health system! It is almost a conveyor belt! First you do this, then this, then go there and do that, then come back here and do this .... it may take a year or two for your life to settle down.
It is totally 100% ok to skip between anger, denial, sadness - but if your find the sadness is overwhelming you, please seek professional help! Your GP may be able to refer you ... or your local Breast Cancer Centre May have help there .... where you are more likely to find a bc specific psychologist. Just talking about it openly and sharing it with a professional should be able to give you coping mechanisms ...
Personally I found that it mucked with my BRAIN more than anything else! And sometimes that is very hard to control, as it has a mind of its own! I reckon that Keeping BUSY doing things is the secret .... get back into your hobbies or take up a new one - even more so now with Covid as we can’t get together with buddies as readily as before.
Try not to overthink the Radiation - it sounds much worse than it is! ... most find it to be the easiest part of all our procedures! Just make sure you keep the lotions and potions up to the area being treated, as advised by the Rads nurses. I had 4 weeks of treatment and actually stayed ‘on site’ as I lived over 100k from the Hospital - so it sort of became like a holiday! The staff were all just wonderful. I became quite emotional on my final day!
Try & keep your sense of humour 'up there' - we have a really good 'funnies page' (called Friday Funnies, but we add them every day!!) Just click on the link for a laugh, to add pics and even post your own favourite ‘funnies’ ...
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/19116/friday-funnies#latest
If you are into arts & crafts, we have a 'Creative Corner'
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/14979/creative-corner#latest
and if into your garden, a Gardening post as well!!
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/comment/186078#Comment_186078
For your reviews and annual checkups, here are some ‘tick sheets’ to help you put your questions together for your medical team ... and just keeping track of everything
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/21973/questions-to-ask-post-surgery-of-yourself-to-your-specialists-tick-sheets-self-assessment#latest
All the best with your ongoing appointments. Take care ... you can do this! xx