Can’t sleep,Possibly breast cancer and feeling frightened

[Rockschooldropout]

I’m 52 and on hrt so when I noticed my left breast felt a bit tender recently I put it down to hormones.Ive been a bit negligent with checking my boobs as I’ve had some heart issues and then my DDad died in April

However I noticed over the course of the last week , my left boob swelling before my eyes , the veins have become prominent and the side and nipple area became very tender . I managed to get a gp appointment this morning and after examining me she said she didn’t like the look of it as my skin is puckered and there’s an obvious quite large ill defined lump near my areola. She’s refered me on the 2 week pathway and I’ve made the mistake of falling down the Google hellhole of inflammatory cancer .
This evening DD came to give me a cuddle and rested her head on the side of my boob and it was painful - I’m not feeling very optimistic at the moment ..

@Rockschooldropout onward and upward!
glad it went well 😊

@Rockschooldropout absolutely brilliant. You bloody legend.

I told myself a few times after op 1 that “it was fine I will have no problem if doing it again”.

your team sound fab but not as fab as you.

@Rockschooldropout glad to hear you're home, and pottering
.. whilst I haven't any advice, you have been in my thoughts x

Oh @Rockschooldropout I'm so pleased to read your update! You've done brilliantly, please take good care of yourself and take things as slowly as you need to. Sending you lots of healing vibes x

Oh @Rockschooldropout I'm so pleased to read your update! You've done brilliantly, please take good care of yourself and take things as slowly as you need to. Sending you lots of healing vibes x

You’re braver than me ! 🙈 I’d prefer not to do it again .. but I know what you mean , it’s not so much the unknown any more x

@JimJonesLivesInMyHead
@FairyPoppins

Thank you - I managed a gentle walk over to the park today and now I’m shattered 🤣

Totally agree with you. Ironically I’ve just done my third so am glad that I told myself that after the first one 🙄. I am so extra.

Hope you’re doing ok. A little bit at a time eh?

Your third surgery ?
Im dreading more but I’ve been told I’ll need an axilliary clearance ..

I’ve not had the best of luck with having to make repeat appearances in theatre but hopefully it’s done and we can move on to the next stage. Have they given you an idea when your next steps will be?

take it steady and I hope there’s at least a pocketful of happiness for you every day.

Oh that’s rubbish 😭 did you have lumpectomy or mastectomy ?
I just wait now for pathology results which will indicate if I definitely need a node clearance but next step for me is chemo and herceptin

@dancingwhilstfacingthemusic sorry I’m not with it .. you’ve had a mastectomy , did you have lumpectomies first with no clear margins ?

I’ve had two lumpectomies, neither of which quite got clear margins. I was offered one more go at a lumpectomy or a mastectomy for op 3.

They gave me the option of going flat and later having a reconstruction using my own body tissues or having an immediate implant. I have an expander implant which is gradually being topped up as this is a method of protecting the scar.

Pathology results next week. I definitely need chemo and then 5 years of hormone suppressants. We are hoping no radiotherapy is required and has not been indicated by anything so far, but the histology may give us further unwanted surprises.

Ahh that makes sense , they said the same to me that with so much multi focal disease clear margins may not happen so I just opted for mastectomy straight off . I’m her2 so I know I have to have chemo , ER/PR0 .. Dreading my pathology results .. the waiting for these feels even worse .. did you have lymph nodes removed ?

I had a sentinel node biopsy with my first lumpectomy. Thankfully clear. Originally it looked like one area of tumour. They found dcis on the first op. Hoping for good outcomes for us both on pathology results. I’m hormone + and hr neg

Fingers crossed the results don’t throw anything else up - I’ve described this journey as like being on a Blimmin ghost train !!! A jump scare at every corner .. my nerves can’t stand it 🤣
I have t had a reconstruction so I’m flat .. but I’m 2.5 pounds lighter. Wish they’d taken the other one now tbh