Forum Discussion
Newly Diagnosed and Anxious
Hi I am 51 and was diagnosed in late April and had a Lumpectomy and SLNB on 13th May after finding a lump in late March. I was shocked to find out about 5 days after the surgery that I had a 2.2cm IDC...
Hi @Molly71,
I can understand your anxiety,the waiting is just the pits! With my first bout of bc(2003),I had to wait 2weeks for surgery and I was shaking like a leaf most of the time.I had visions of the cancer cells racing around my body.I’m not drinker but I was downing the Irish Baileys each night to calm the nerves. I had a lumpectomy,full node clearance and radiation. In 2010 I got bc again in the same breast and had to wait 3weeks for surgery (mastectomy) It’s quite common to wait 3or4 weeks. Looking logically at your situation,here’s what I see- 4 out of 5 nodes were affected so the 5th one was clear and so there’s a good chance that the rest are too. A clear margin is a standard measurement from the cancerous area and if they don’t quite get that then it’s not clear. The incision may very well have cleared the cancer but it’s not enough according to the required measurement. So try and stay neutral rather than thinking the worst.I’m now 12yrs on from my last bout of bc(or 19yrs from first) and you are looking at the biggest sook ever! Hang in there,trust your team and do whatever brings you calm.xx
I can understand your anxiety,the waiting is just the pits! With my first bout of bc(2003),I had to wait 2weeks for surgery and I was shaking like a leaf most of the time.I had visions of the cancer cells racing around my body.I’m not drinker but I was downing the Irish Baileys each night to calm the nerves. I had a lumpectomy,full node clearance and radiation. In 2010 I got bc again in the same breast and had to wait 3weeks for surgery (mastectomy) It’s quite common to wait 3or4 weeks. Looking logically at your situation,here’s what I see- 4 out of 5 nodes were affected so the 5th one was clear and so there’s a good chance that the rest are too. A clear margin is a standard measurement from the cancerous area and if they don’t quite get that then it’s not clear. The incision may very well have cleared the cancer but it’s not enough according to the required measurement. So try and stay neutral rather than thinking the worst.I’m now 12yrs on from my last bout of bc(or 19yrs from first) and you are looking at the biggest sook ever! Hang in there,trust your team and do whatever brings you calm.xx