Can not believe it.
Shock, denial, anger - cant imagine how I can move towards acceptance. Newly Dx. Initially was stage 2, then told stage 3 and now looking at stage 4 with lung mets. What the! This roller coaster is insane and I want to get off. Found a lump 8 weeks ago, took a month to get into my rural GP, another 2 week wait for scans and a further possible month wait after this for biopsy (apparently). So instead spent a fortune flying myself to Sydney to the one stop shop at Sydney Breast clinic (they were amazing) scans, biopsies, pathology all on the same day with lovely nurses, surgeons and Breast GPs to consult with as well. Got the bad news of lymph node involvement that day (what a horrible trip home finding trains and sitting in the airport alone with this news). 4 days later with core biopsy results apparently better news of - Gd 1 slow growing highly hormone receptive and HER 2-ve Ca. Staging scans the next week, another week to get into the breast surgeon. Feeling good and starting to get my head around Mastectomy and some Hormone therapy and maybe some radiotherapy. Then the bad starts flowing again not stage 2 now looking at stage 3 with potential Mets in lungs - What!. So Surreal when one is so fit and healthy. Now another 2 weeks wait and long distance travel to have more invasive investigations to confirm or discount this scary stage 4 Dx. On top of this had to go cold turkey off my HRT so everything aches, I cant sleep, I cant breath and the emotions are all over the shop and the anxiety is making this all 10x worse. Meanwhile I am trying to continue work and family life as normal!? So unfair when I have finally got to a place in my life, happy in my newly set up little business, kids almost off doing there own thing and life was finally looking like I could start having some me time. I did everything right - regular and recent mammograms and health checks all good, but somehow this little nasty thing just some how snuck under the radar. Well damn! Deb
New to MBC. How to stay positive when every Onc meeting seems to bring less certainty?
Hi, I'm new to online forums, so here goes. I was diagnosed stage 2 grade 2 BC in 2014 aged 36. Find out 27/12/23 metastasised to my bones at age 46. Married, 3 kids (9,11,12). It's not hormone receptive anymore, so treatment is looking like chemo, after hip replacement and radiation. I enjoy a laugh and some practical tips on how to keep going with this new norm.
Stage 1 hormone sensitive to Stage IV
Diagnosed last week with stage 1, hormone sensitive BC in my left breast after I came across a lump. I am 41 with 2 little sons, 4 & 6- it was a massive shock. After CT, bone scans & MRIs this week, my diagnosis has now changed to stage IV oligometastatic BC after finding it had spread to one vertebrae. To say I’m devastated is an understatement going from a curable stage 1 cancer to this. I am beside myself with worry on what this means for my kids- not being there for them, the battle ahead, continuing to work/pay mortgage & health bills and what being diagnosed with stage IV really means, particularly in regards to life expectancy. I don’t even know how I am going to cope/function with this news. I am meeting with my oncologist tomorrow to discuss what’s next- perhaps this will help. I did have surgery planned for mid April but this may change now. I would love to hear any suggestions on coping with your diagnosis, esp those with metastatic breast cancer. How do you stay positive to get through it? Thanks so much x
Metastatic Breast Cancer
I have just been diagnosed with Metastatic Breast Cancer & trying to come to terms with everything. Starting my first round of Chemo this coming Wednesday & feeling overwhelmed. Hopping to hear positive feedback from others who have been or are going through the same experience.
Metastatic Breast Cancer found just by accident
Hi, I’m 58 years old & was in pretty good health when I sustained a massive bruise after just a small amount of pressure in my pelvic area. I showed a friend (nurse) who told me to go to the doctor sooner rather than later. From there my journey began. After ultrasounds, CT scans, MRI’s & about 25 vials of blood it was found I had cancer in my lever. It was only after a biopsy on my liver & mammogram that my breast cancer was diagnosed. It’s been 8 weeks since that bruise & here I am now trying to come to terms with the diagnosis. I’m off this morning for a biopsy on my breast where a large tumor as become obvious over the past 3 weeks, an Echo after that then a PET scan on Wednesday. My chemo & cocktail will start in a week or so. My family & friends a very, very supportive but everyone has a story to tell & not all of them positive. I hope & pray I can keep up the strength I know I’m going to need to continue on the emotional rollercoaster I’ve found myself on.
My mum has just been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer
Hi, I joined this network because my mum has just been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Mum had left side mastectomy and axillary clearance in October 2018. Mum lives with me and I am her full time carer though I also have a full time job. I hope to find information and support in this forum so that I can help mum through this difficult time. If possible, I would like to join a relevant discussion group. Thanks
Here Goes
Hello. My name is Jenny and I live on the NSW/Vic Border. I have gone to post in here a couple of times but backed out. Denial maybe? On Wednesday I was officially given the diagnosis of BC. I have had a large lump for around a year but I have 26JJ sized breasts and the lump is down along where the bra wire sits. I put it down to thickening because of the bra wire. I recently started Lite N Easy and after loosing around 10kg I noticed that the lump was much larger than I thought. It has its own postcode ;p Its 5cm x 3cm x 2cm. So I did the mammo and ultrasound and knew when I called for results, that the urgency by my GP to get me in to see her, that something was very wrong. That day I had bloods, CT scan and was booked in for biopsy. All along I was doing as much research as possible. Armed with knowledge I have always found it easier to deal with things. Must be part of the anxiety I have day in and out. I met my surgeon on Wednesday who gave me the diagnosis. I was alone at the appointment and was in shock, none the less. I guess I was hoping it was just a mass that they just wanted to remove for safety sake. I do remember asking him what type of Cancer and I vaguely remember him saying Metastatic and that its very common. I am booked in for a lumpectomy and node removal on the 22nd. (Tuesday Week). I am then too do 5 weeks radiation. I've got all of that in my head and ready to deal with. But now I am reading all of the paraphernalia and Metastatic means I have it in other places in my body? Do they know where? Does this mean I will probably have to do chemo after radiation? I know I am overthinking all of this and should take it one day at a time. I work 3 days a week and also on partial DSP. Being at work keeps my mind off things. I am planning on taking vacation leave for the rest of the week after my lumpectomy. I am so grateful that my oldest of 2 (daughter) is able to travel up from Melbourne to bring me home from the surgery and stay with me for a couple of days. Another questions. I had been using implannon rod to control my periods, over the years. The last one was put in around 2011 and is still in my arm somewhere. As I have very thick arms I cant feel it and haven't bothered about it. I believe that it has run out of the hormones anyway after all of this time. Is this something I should tell my surgeon about? I have so many questions. When will I start radiation? Will someone contact me or do I contact them? I met my Breast Care Nurse but she was heading on vacation to France the next day. I have the number of another one and I will phone her and make contact with her this week. It's like my whole life is about the Cancer now. I am being strong in front of everyone else but these times at home alone I am terrified. Sorry if this is all over the shop but that is how my head works. I have been treated and continue to be treated for Depression an Anxiety for close to 20 years and have only recently found a good balance. The Lite N Easy journey was me actually caring about myself. Some days I shake so much it looks like I am having a min seizure. Usually I am upbeat and cheeky and able to find the lighter sign of things. But tonight I am low. Any insights would be wonderful.