Found a lump 3 weeks ago after a sharp pain in my breast. Doctor did an emergency referral to Brest clinic. Appointment exactly a week later and it’s positive. Biopsy results in and it 17 - 22mm ER+ HER2 neg. surgery is Friday . Hand hold please and advice from anyone who has been through the same. It will be 3 weeks from finding it to surgery. I am holding it together in public but inside I am screaming .
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Life-limiting illness
ElephantsandTigers ·
03/12/2017 16:51
I'm so sorry to hear this. I've been a bit tearful today as it's a date close to my Nan who had breast cancer. She recovered and had a few more years. I hope all goes well with you and you have a few more decades 
.
LapdanceShoeshine ·
03/12/2017 17:57
Big hug for you, OP - I remember the utter shock when I was diagnosed. I had assumed nothing sinister so went to breast clinic alone. Like you I’d been referred very promptly, & after diagnosis had a very short wait for surgery - as a PP says the NHS is bloody good with breast cancer.
My kids were then aged 7 - 18. We didn’t give the 7-yr-old the full story. Older kids were upset but coped very well. Like you I was screaming inside, but kept it inside - I was fine as long as I didn’t have to talk about it!
Mine was 17 years ago (still here 
) & I don’t recognise any of your mnemonics so I don’t know how mine compared. I turned out to have 2 tumours - 1 at the side, which I’d felt myself, & 1 against the chest wall. Treatment was double lumpectomy, 6 months chemo & 4 weeks radio (it would normally have been 3 but the chest wall area required extra attention because they hadn’t been able to take satisfactory margin.)
Both were hormone receptor negative so no tamoxifen or any other continuing treatment. I had 3-monthly checkups for a period & then 6-monthly & then was signed off altogether. Currently I have 3-yearly mammograms like everybody else.
The surgery was ok. They took all my lymph nodes that side out for testing (they were clear, phew) which gave me some lymphoedema (sp?) for quite a while but it was manageable (there are lots of exercises to do).
Wishing you good luck with everything & the best possible outcome
LapdanceShoeshine ·
03/12/2017 18:00
Oh, just read your latest. I was 49 approaching 50 - was probably peri-menopausal, had terribly heavy periods. After the first dose of chemo they JUST STOPPED 
That part of it all was brilliant - the relief! I can’t even remember too much in the way of hot flushes etc although I suppose I was also dealing with the side-effects of chemo at the same time.
Prokupatuscrakedatus ·
03/12/2017 18:27
All the best for you
I had two DC under two when i was diagnosed - 14 years ago last September.
Vierna ·
08/12/2017 07:00
Virtual handhold here too. I realise you're scared, but cancer isn't a death sentence anymore in many, many cases. It's really good that you felt something wrong and had it investigated promptly. That's fantastic.
I've no experience of bc myself, but do have a healthcare degree. I wish you the very, very best, and good luck for the surgery xx 
waitingfortheendtocome ·
08/12/2017 07:07
Good luck
I'm currently going through chemo, my 7th and final one is next week.
My lumpectomy is booked for mid January then on to radiotherapy.
I'm hormone and HER2 positive.
Join fb group UK breast cancer survivors and fighters (?) excellent large group with fantastic support and advise.
You will be given anti sickness tablets.
You are probably still in shock and slowly especially once treatment starts it'll kick in to real life, yes this is actually happening.
Wishing you all the best, surround yourself with positive people and take a pad and pen to all appointments to write everything down...you're likely to forget it all
lamettarules ·
08/12/2017 08:25
There's a long running and very supportive thread in Health
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/3071667-CANCER-SUPPORT-THREAD-60-Here-we-are-again-join-us-if-you-have-any-sort-of-cancer-or-if-youre-waiting-for-cancer-test-results?pg=17
The first pages have a great summary of advice and include this
" Found a lump? 9 out of 10 will be benign.
- Found out it's breast cancer? 19 out of 20 will be just in the boob. And can now be removed/zapped/poisoned successfully.
- Found out it's breast cancer that has spread beyond boob and armpit? If it's in just one other place, we're seeing results where 80% of those can still be zapped/surgeried/poisoned and it works.
- If it's in more than one other place, e.g. liver, bones, lungs, then teams can give up to seven different forms of 'holding treatment' for many sorts. That means that it converts it to a long-term nuisance, similar to living with diabetes or similar. Annoying, certainly. There are no guarantees. Some will have a sort that is truly tricky. We'll never deny that"
from a very informed long term poster
There are lots of people on it with every conceivable type of breast cancer plus cancers elsewhere .
Good luck it's a horrible shock to be dx with cancer
Gumpendorf ·
08/12/2017 08:47
Thinking of you,oakthorn
Strangely calm was exactly how I felt just over 5 years ago. You are in good hands and as others have said, the NHS is really good at early stage breast cancer.
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oakthorn ·
09/12/2017 07:37
Well I got home last night and it’s done. A bit sore but nothing paracetamol can’t cope with😎 hospital as usual were amazing. Sure grey was at 10 awake at 12 and home at 6. Mucky Macdonalds for tea and then bed. Up now and at it. Just feel a massive sense of relief it’s out. Hopefully they have taken a wide enough clear margin that no more surgery will be required and it’s on to hormone tablets and radiotherapy. The bugger won’t beat me
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