I'm in shock

Thanks Lisas, My GP was a little shocked and so were all the girls there at reception, they have known me for ages. Of course they all knew before me as my pathology report had been faxed 5 times!! 

I'm looking forward to commencing the treatment plan and feeling like I have control back.

Yes, I've been very impressed with my breast team. I've only told a couple of the mums at school and they have been wonderful. Like you, I don't need them yet. I will do at some point, just not right now. 

Yes. My GP, who I have been with forever, got goose bumps when we got the news. She was more upset than me! I was in complete denial.

Once you have your treatment plan in place then the stress goes down. You can start to plan your life. So, yes, that feeling of being in limbo sucks.

I've had so many offers of help from all the mums at school. I don't need them yet but it has been a real blessing to be surrounded by so many awesome people. Including all the lovely nurses and doctors. I love my breast care nurse.

best of luck

Hi Karen, 

Thank you. Yes, I can only imagine how hard it was for you with teenagers. My baby is 7 and we are treating it as business as usual while we can. I was suppose to have surgery the following week after the clinic, however a have a haematoma from 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock so they couldn't get a clear view. 

This week I discovered how stressed I am. I've been sooooo cranky and a short fuse. The haematoma is giving me so much grief that I dream of hacking my boob off. And the waiting. 

Colleen xo

Thanks Tracey ??

Thankful is the word Karen. This was my first mammogram. Under the "risky" age and no family history. I'm triple negative and it's classified as early cancer - which is nice. I'm also having a lumpectomy soon. Date TBA. Had my MR with contrast yesterday and next week have a lymph node biopsy scheduled. I've had at a crappy week this week, don't like walking around with a dodgy breast. Feel like it's out of my control at the moment. 

Colleen x

Hi there beautiful,

Welcome to the network.  I'm so sorry to hear about your diagnosis.  You've come to the right place for support and advice.  The early days are so hard.  I remember it well. 

I was diagnosed end of April.  My GP sent me off for a mammogram after I found a lump. It was expected to be nothing.  The scan showed increased density, nothing conclusive, so it was recommended to have a FNAB.  I had that biopsy the following week.  While the radiographer was swishing the ultrasound around, she was saying things like "oh it looks like fat cells, nothing to worry about". (I want fatty bits in my boob! Right?)  The radiologist jiggled the needle around also saying it looked like a benign cyst.  Of course, you guessed it, my GP rings me the next day at work, saying I needed to come in to see her.  What a roller coaster! I'll never forget that day.  My whole world collapsed. 

Since then, I've had 3 surgeries, finally resulting in a mastectomy.  What was thought to be a rather small tumour on biopsy turned out to be an irregular mucinous (jelly like) tumour.  Full breast pathology showed a second smaller similar tumour hiding elsewhere.  I'm starting 4 cycles of chemo tomorrow over 12 weeks followed by radiotherapy. 

From the beginning, my doctors (and there is a whole team now) have been really positive.  It's doable, it's curable, I'm not going to die from it.  The early weeks are so difficult though.  There was a lot of tears, trying not to cry too much in front of my teenage kids.  The shower and walks by the river were the best places to cry.  I'm finding I can cope with it all now that I know what the treatment plan is.  The waiting for results, waiting in drs rooms, clinics, is the worst.

Have you ordered your 'my journey kit' from bcna? I found it to be so helpful.  Information helps.  A good support network helps as well.  I have a few friends who are my rock. Made me laugh so much in hospital, I thought my stitches would burst, as well as delivering meals to my family.

Make sure you be kind to yourself in these early days.  It's not easy on the emotions.  This network has been a great help to me.  Reading about some amazing women who have come out the other end, going through treatment or traveling along with me.

Take care,

Karen xx

Hi Cubbie, it's good that they've found your cancer, as you can get on with treatment as soon as possible. Thus is one of the more treatable cancers, get rid of it surgically and have whatever treatment you need. You're onto a very supportive network, where it's safe to debrief and get some useful info to boot. I hope that you have a treatment plan soon. Take care, Tracey B 

Hi there, I hear you. I developed a cyst overnight and saw my gp the next morning thinking it would need to be aspirated. He booked me in that day to see the surgeon. The surgeon tried to aspirated the cyst but it didn't diappear. He did a needle biopsy and told me to get a mammogram and ultrasound and see him the following week. When I saw him he said it was cancer and that they found 3 more suspicious masses and that I would need core biopsies on them all. It turned out that 3 were cancer. Since then I have had a lumpectomy, 5 months of chemo, 33 radiotherapy sessions and 12 months of herceptin. I have 3 more herceptin to go and then I'm done. What a massive 14 months it has been.  Be grateful that you found the lump and got it checked so that you can work on getting treatment and getting well. My surgeon told me if I had of waited until my next mammogram, that was due in a couple of months , I would have been in real trouble.  It's tough going but you will get there. You will find amazing support on this network. Good luck with it all and take care. Karen xox