How did you find out you had cancer?

[user87009883]

I was diagnosed with cancer 4 years ago and was told by my consultant just before we went into lockdown.
I was told on my own, I had no one with me it was just the consultant, no macmillan nurse.
I had travelled to my appointment on the bus, a 2 hour bus journey. Felt like the longest journey home after been told.

I'm sorry. That sounds awful. I hope you're OK now.
Mine was found almost by accident when looking for something else. I had two different scans where they hinted that something sinister had been found. Then I met a consultant a few days later who confirmed it was cancer. I was kind of expecting it because of the way everyone was acting. I brought DH to the appointment with me. After the consultant told me, a cancer nurse sat with us for an hour while I cried and asked endless questions.

I'm so sorry you were on your own when you received your diagnosis. I can't imagine how hard that must have been for you.

I was diagnosed nearly a year ago, following a hysteroscopy, when I was told they suspected I may have pre-cancerous cells. I received a call about 10 days later asking me to come in to speak to the consultant. I don't remember them specifically saying I should bring someone with me, but my sister offered to take me, and I'm so glad about that, as I don't drive, and it would have been 2 bus journeys home.

I will say the way I was told wasn't perfect even though I wasn't alone - I was introduced to the oncology nurse on our way to an empty ward, where I was told I actually had stage 1 womb cancer. I felt like I'd been hit by a brick.

I hope you are through it all now - I had a hysterectomy just over a month after my diagnosis and fortunately the cancer was contained within my womb and I didn't need any further treatment. I did find it very difficult emotionally, but I feel I am through the worst of that now.

I was seeing an out of hours nurse practitioner about an unrelated problem, she opened the wrong result on the computer screen (opened a biopsy result when she was meant to be opening a sputum result) and the carcinoma report leapt up onto the screen in front of me. She closed it quickly, but not quickly enough. I pretended not to have seen it because I couldn't face dealing with complaints/apologies/paperwork. Luckily I was due to see the consultant only a few days later. Not the best way to find out. Though at least as a HCP I knew that this particular sort of cancer usually had a good outcome.

Mine was discovered while being treated for something else, and the tests took several months, so I was pretty much prepared, it was just a matter of deciding what I had (blood cancer). It was finally explained to me what it was, that it was eminently treatable, and I'd have a normal lifespan.

I was also being looked at for a benign thyroid issue, and when I saw the consultant for the last time he looked at my record and said 'Ahh, x condition? yup, we can deal with that.' Then I went to my GP for something, she looked at my record and said 'Oh, it's x? yes, no problem treating that.' I reckoned if they were that unfazed, so should I be.

I regard myself as very lucky indeed.

I had a routine mammogram, then recalled for a punch biopsy and then another appointment to discuss the results. I asked my best friend to come with me, and as I was called into the consultation room, I said to my friend "If I come back for you, I am in trouble" not thinking anything was untoward.

The nurse asked I had anyone with me, and I told her my best friend was in the waiting room, she said "Can you ask her to join us". I thought 'shit', and when I went to get my friend, she turned paper white.
Upshot was I had NICIS, it was good my friend was there because as soon as I heard the word 'mastectomy ' I sort of checked out of the conversation, but she took everything in. (My DH would have gone to pieces)
This was 20 odd years ago, and after my mastectomy and reconstruction I was fine. No chemo, no radiotherapy or any medication as it had been caught in time.

Now the same darling friend is on end of life with ovarian cancer and has less than a month to live.

Life is cruel.

Routine mammogram, called back the same afternoon, for a closer look.

The radiographer's face was enough. I didn't need telling.

Looking in the mirror whilst brushing my teeth and seeing a pronounced lump just above my breast which has suddenly appeared. It was my DDs 4th birthdays the next day and I had a house full of small kids and an entertainer in, was the hardest 2 hours of my life

@Tootytoot78 - that's so sad. I'm so sorry about your friend.

I was on my own, my friend dropped me off and was picking me up later because I thought I was having a polyp removed from my uterus, they prepped me and I thought they were taking me into the op but the consultant told me that the biopsy had just come back and I had endometrial cancer. The CNS spent a bit of time with me then I had to sit by myself in the waiting room for an hour and a half before my friend could come back and get me whilst they arranged CT scans to see if it had spread.

GP suggested it; Consultant confirmed he had found ‘something’ following surgery while I was on the ward; he then phoned me with the test results. I was in M & S.
I did not see or hear from a MacMillan nurse during my year of treatment ; not in fact did my mum when she was diagnosed.

I am sorry for your diagnosis Op, and for all the others on this thread. But in my experience it’s shocking whenever you hear it. And Macmillan are nothing like their adverts.

Interesting you say that, the MacMillan nurse at our hospital was a horrible old crone. The breast care nurse took me around to see her just after I was formally diagnosed and distraught and her first comment was 'so which cancer are you' as opposed to what's your name or something equally neutrally. I always wished I'd raised a complaint about her as a lot of the women in her chemo ward had had similar experiences with her

It was in the middle of the first lockdown so I went to my appointment on my own. DH took me but had to wait in the car. I already had an inkling it wasn't good news as I'd had a procedure and biopsy two weeks before and was fully expecting that to be that and never hear from them again.

When the consultant told me I cried. Fortunately I had early stage endometrial cancer and four years on, I'm all good.

I’d had several biopsies taken from my breasts, and been told none of the looked suspiciously. Two weeks later the surgeon phoned my dh (they know each other professionally) and told him it was actually cancer. The surgeon had held off telling us over Christmas. Dh sat me down in our bedroom and told me.

MacMillan were useless for my relative. Relative was asking about finances and was told they’d get less that £1 a week.

When I looked into it they were entitled to pip and esa and relieved a lot of stress about how they would pay their mortgage and bills at a horrible time.

macmillan had no idea whatsoever.

DH and I went to the consultant appointment.
There was a nurse specialist in the appointment, and then she took dh and I into another room (settee / tissues / cuppa) and went over everything the consultant had said, and went through the proposed treatment with us.
I thought it was excellent and something lots of other NHS services would benefit from (though I know that is a money / capacity thing).

This except I was at work.

YOUR doctor told your HUSBAND that YOU had cancer?!

Surely that’s not ok unless maybe your husband was the referring GP?!

I had been admitted to hospital after being sick for weeks. Had ct and mri scan on the Friday. Two hours later a consultant came to my bedside and helped me into a small side room and broke the news I had a tumour in bowel. I was myself. I had operation on the sat. All removed.
After doing a ct chest scan after my operation, I hadn’t heard any news of the results. 10 weeks go by and after my last day of chemo for my bowel. I got a phone call from the respiratory department at my local hospital telling me I had a mass on chest. I was on my own again doing housework. Nothing to do with the bowel cancer . Waiting on operation for this one.

I asked during the mammogram, and got a straight answer - thankfully - cant be doing with a load of pussyfooting around. Yes I was on my own, but that is fine, I am a big girl

I`d had a few odd symptoms which my GP dismissed, I didn't challenge him because I had received the test kit in the post that day.( Happy birthday Cat) I was called in after the screening. Went for colonoscopy and could see the tumour on the screen, didn't need telling. All treated and gone now, officially cured, still waiting to hear from the McMillan nurses, the only tin I refuse to drop a coin into

I'd been for a biopsy thinking it was a repeat of a previous uterine polyp issue. I was called by the consultant and I was on my own (driving) just before last Christmas to be told cancer had been found. The consultant was really lovely but obviously it was a massive shock, I drove home, told DH then melted down into tears

By phone in the car on the way to have a walk on the beach with DH. I was expecting the diagnosis. My DH, despite being primed, was not.

Though that sounds tough. Wishing you the absolute best for the future

TheDogsMother · Today 22:55
Thank you. They think whatever it is, it’s been slow growing for years. Been having regular scans and it’s not changed. But decided to go for the operation to get it removed. So hopefully hear soon. xx

I had four doctors (over a summer period) dismiss my symptoms until one doctor took one look at me, ordered a blood test and within 24 hours I was receiving blood and platelets before intensive chemotherapy for ALL.

I was a young teenager and all my symptoms were batted away with "you're becoming a young woman, this is normal"

This was almost 30 years ago and I'm fit as a fiddle now, but it took a while for anyone to believe I was unwell, parents included.