lymph node involvement

Hi Afraser

I am hoping to work through chemo as well, as I find being busy and engaged distracts me from my emotional mood swings and as I enjoy my job it is also therapeutic in a way. Having said that I also need to be prepared that I may need to miss lots of days and unfortunately that would probably increase my level of distress. 

Dear Narwoo

It's frightening stuff, but your doctor is doing the right thing. Two emotional people doesn't help at this juncture. I had a similar experience, looked like lots of affected lymph nodes, turned out to be only one, buy yes surgery and chemo.

Everyone is different in how they react to chemo ( physically and emotionally) but everyone will give you similar useful advice about preparing. Take someone with you when talking to your doctor and oncologist. Preferably someone not so emotionally involved, you want them to take notes and help you remember the important questions.

One or two days to think over important decisions may be well invested. Sometimes you can feel rushed to make a decision Try and give yourself a bit of time.

Very hard is to take things one step at a time - we all want to plan ahead, it's one way of coping with months of treatment, but you won't know till you start how you will go. I worked throughout my treatment, my choice and a good one for me,had no fatigue or nausea. Had a few other things, but by the time they happened I was better equipped to deal with them. One of the "advantages" is that you go from someone who is overwhelmed to someone almost blasé quite quickly!!

Think about who can support you best - friends can sometimes handle things better that family members (who are emotionally involved).

Very best of luck

It certainly is a roller coaster. Just so you know I believe the bone scan and Ct scan is standard diagnostic done at the beginning and wouldn't  be because you have a lymph node involved. I'm  havibg chemo even without node involvement, so each case is carefully considered and best options put forward. Although dreaded...chemo is your friend...as it will treat micro cancers that cannot be seen. Best of luck with your upcomibg treatments. I agree with others comments...the wait is the worse. Once treatment starts...whatever order it is, you feel more in control. I read a lot, but at some stage it's  good to pull back a bit as it just can add to the stress. Knowledge though helps you when they talk about options. I ended focussing on other things...like checking out chemo hats and wigs. I bought some inexpensive scarves. I organised a dental check and clean. It gave me the feeling I was preparing myself as best I could. Take care. Kath

Hi Brenda

I do have osteoarthritis really bad in my neck but was not sure what the connection was between the positive lymph node and bone scan but at the time I thought about metastasis and then thought of my work collegaue who is now palliative. Went into a bit of blind panic at that stage. <sigh> 

Your explanation has helped. I am 52 and generally fit and healthy. I rang the breast nurse yesterday and she also said it is unlikely the cancer has spread but if it has they will give me Chemo first then surgery. My 2 lovely breast nurses are my lifeboat and I always feel better after speaking to them.

Don't get too worried about the other scans results yet. They are if nothing else very thorough in checking everything and getting the full picture.

The bone scan may not show cancer at all. It is to assess your bone strength and density see what arthritis areas they need to be aware of. This test is a setting test as a comparison for later on down the track when you are into hormone therapy as some of those drugs can be hard on your bones depending on your age.

The CT scan for me picked up fibroids in my uterus and I was having all sorts of kittens about it especially when I was sent then for an ultrasound inside and out on it. As it turned out, they just want to keep an eye on it in months and years to come and it doesn't have anything to do with breast cancer just at the present time so that's some good news.

They take into consideration your quality of life now and your expected quality of life after full treatment and your age. Some treatments are a bit rough for the really elderly but they still have treatments available for them which will not make them so sick so there is something for most everyone.

So glad my merry-go-round of tests is over now. It was full on at the start and I didn't know if I was Arthur or Martha lol.

Hi Narwoo.  I'm so sorry about your diagnosis :(

I was diagnosed a week ago and still have a lot of that to come before me.  I have to say, when i go looking for information, I usually end up in a worse mood than when i started so i definitely empathise with you on that one.

I wonder if doctors try and put some distance between themselves and the patients given how many cancer patients they are actually seeing.  It must be incredibly difficult for them. 

I'm hoping you get all your results soon.  The wait is awful :(

Best of luck to you, Angela.

Your post has brought back memories of early January. I was then, in the exact same position as you are now. It is scary and you seem to work on auto pilot while you go through the barrage of tests. It may seem strange but once treatment begins you will feel calmer. I am having chemo before surgery to shrink my mass and am already 4 cycles down with another 4 to go. I'm in a routine now, and while I still have surgery and radiation ahead my care team have been really supportive and I feel secure which is reassuring. There are lots of lovely ladies here to offer you information, support and advice. It's also good sometimes to vent your frustration with others who just 'get it'. My best wishes to you as you start your journey.

Hugs MO xxx

Sorry about the blank space above, I am new at navigating this space and was trying to figure something out. Treatments finished 3rd March for me and reconstruction later in the year so still a ways to go before I can put this behind me. I am sorry you've had to join us but I think you will find much support here, I know I have. The medical teams probably do not truly "get" us unless they've gone through what we are going through but I honestly believe they want the best for us so don't be afraid of asking all the questions you can come up with. I found that arming myself with information gave me a sense of control over my care where as I felt so out of control as my body had turned against me.

I spent a lot of time researching things. Some of those rabbit trails lead me to tears while others lead me to places where I discovered options such as ice caps treatments to prevent or reduce hair loss during chemo and Mepitel Film for my skin to prevent burns during rads. I presented these things to "my treatment team" and it made me feel a part of my treatment plan.

Friends can be invaluable in providing the best distractions ever so take every opportunity to get out with them. There are so many things to prevent side effects nowadays and many only report a slight feeling of perhaps "coming down with something" so I hope that gives you some hope. You will get to a point where you just get tired of being touched and will only be one second away from tears at any given time but take heart these moments will pass and crying is therapeutic. We are all here for one another in this reluctant sisterhood and we do "get" each other.

Hugz,

Karen