The outlier
Hi all, I’m back again. In feb this year they found a new tumour which at the time they thought was a bit they had missed from my lumpectomy but now they are thinking is a very early recurrence (2 mon...
Forum Discussion
One thing I learnt along the way that when I was absolutely paralysed with fear is that I would watch every facial expression of anyone who was treating me and I would replay every single word or comment that they made over and over in my head so I could analyse it - trying to search for answers which seemed to take forever to come. Often those people including doctors and the multitude of other people who you come across say ‘off the cuff’ things or they think out loud and don’t realise that we are sitting there recording in our brains every little detail. (It only took a raised eyebrow by a radiographer to send my mind into a frenzy.)
Pretty normal considering what is going on, you may find it really helpful to have someone with you who will be able to be your second set of ears - that could be a breast care nurse, a friend, someone who will be listening for you. Remember that your doctor will also be taking your file to the MDT - multi disciplinary team - so you will have a lot of eyes looking at your case and they will all be feeding in their suggestions for the plan moving forward. Even though I think my doctors are great, I was very reassured knowing that it wasn’t just one person making all of the decisions.
Your doctor may have had one of those thinking out loud moments, but be confident that they will be sharing your situation with a group of highly skilled people who most likely have seen this situation and will be able to give their expert opinions.
It’s hard. Everything that seemed so sure yesterday has been turned upside down today. This is going to pass. You will have a plan. In the meantime try to keep busy - do stuff that brings you joy - walks, sitting outside, reading, puzzles, solitaire on your device, colouring in, chatting to friends - whatever it is that will give your mind a rest. Also, the Cancer Council has a great support service which I totally recommend. Take care x