Likely breast cancer after ultrasound

[spartanrunnergirl]

Hi all after routine mammogram I was referred for an ultrasound, which I had today and the radiologist said it's likely a cancer, thus did a few core biopsies. I did not know that cancer could be detected at ultrasound stage but she was pretty certain it was cancer and said the biopsies were to see what they were dealing with. Has anyone else had this? Thank you

I am so happy to have found this thread. I had a recall mammogram on 7 December, a biopsy and now having a lumpectomy on 30 December. Apparently I have a grade 2 DCIS, the magseed was implanted on Monday.
I feel like I'm in a bit of a dream really with so many thoughts and questions. I'm not too worried about the surgery today ( who knows about after the Christmas chaos is over) but find myself worrying about stupid things like what bra to get? I made an emergency trip to M and S but the front fastening ones were uncomfortable and difficult to do up so I opted for 2 x crop top ones. Now I am worried they won't be enough for my 36Gs 😫
So many random thoughts !

The future will be different from the past- maybe use this period to re-think how you want life to be, where you want to invest your energy and where you can cut yourself more slack

Thank you @PemberleynotWemberley - this is a very wise observation. I was already coming to the realisation that things would need to be different, and the cancer diagnosis and everything that leads from that is just emphasising it. My brain isn't currently well enough to work out exactly how, but that will come in time.

Welcome @Yamyamabroad - sorry you need to be here, but there are lots of helpful people here to hold your hand through the next steps of the journey.

Not pleasant to have had things happening over the holiday season - I hope you managed to have some relaxation and enjoyment in between the stressful things.

This is just where I feel I am over this Xmas period. Really well articulated by @PemberleynotWemberley . I've had a few tearful moments over Xmas, alone after 'holding it together' with others, and I feel like everything has changed. The mental shift that a cancer diagnosis and treatment provokes is huge and feels like I am set adrift not yet sure of where my next safe harbour will be. When I am feeling positive and strong this feels like a wonderful opportunity to reassess the next stage of my life, on more fragile days it is upsetting and I feel like I don't know how to live anymore. I suppose time, talking and kindness to self will help.

Hi @Yamyamabroad welcome to the shitty club of awesome women! I hope you are feeling ok in the run up to your surgery.

Random worries are I think are badge we all wear when going through this, you are not alone!

Like you I was stressing about the bra situation before the op - I bought stuff from m and s but then the breast care nurse gave me a bra to come home in and I ended up returning the m and s ones. You may have read on this thread that different women have had different experiences of bras post surgery. I suppose that's normal because the surgery is different for different circumstances, and breast size is so different. I'm a size F and the only thing I would say is that I needed something to keep me in place and feel secure so some compression and firm hold if that makes sense is what worked for me.

Thank you for the welcome and advice. Made the mistake of watching Outnumbered last night which was a bit too close to the mark with my situation- even down to having a young adult child heading off on a gap year in a few weeks. Then spent the whole night " thinking" instead of sleeping 😴
It's good to have others on MN to talk to

Oh @Yamyamabroad I watched outnumbered too and thought oh bloody hell 😂! Telling the adult kids then trying to be all jolly holding it together, aaarrgh !

I never noticed cancer really before but it's bloody everywhere now. Xx

@Yamyamabroad sorry you’re having to be here but pleased you’ve found the tremendously named shitty club for awesome women.

re the bra, I got a post surgery one from bravissimo (including getting a vat reduction as it was a surgical item 🙄). https://www.bravissimo.com/products/peony-front-fastening-bra-tc100/#black-tc100blk
being able to do up the front and also the shoulders was really helpful as I was limited in shoulder movement after surgery - also told not to lift my arm higher than my shoulder.

I agree on compression and firm hold. Hopefully they’ll fit you with something but they couldn’t find the size I needed after surgery 🙄

Hi @Yamyamabroad and welcome. I'm sorry you've had to come aboard, but the fact you are here tells me you have courage and can look this thing in the eye. We none of us control the ultimate outcome (and no-one is fortunate to have BC) but we can all determine how we navigate what we have to. The good news, which you will already know, is that survival rates are greatly in our favour and getting better all the time. What you might not have discovered yet is the wealth of help, support and loving kindness awaiting you, to make every stage the easiest it can be. I remember, pre-surgery, going to look at mastectomy bras and realise this was to get used to saying the word and facing what might be down the track. In the event, I didn't need the bra, but I did need the kindness of strangers, and received it.
We are all different and cannot meaningfully extrapolate someone else's clinical experience to our own. That's why you will be advised NOT to Google- it's not your friend! And we will urge you to take things at your speed and do what works for you- whatever that may be.
We'll all be thinking of you when you go in for your surgery and wishing you the best possible outcome. Let us know how you get on- if it helps- and take it one step at a time.
💐

Hoping all is going well today @Yamyamabroad

how’s everyone doing? I’m off for bloods ahead of chemo tomorrow.

and yes, outnumbered, wtaf were they thinking?!

Thinking of you today @Yamyamabroad

Thanks, I'm in the day surgery unit at the moment. Arrived at 7.30am but should be next in. Starving, a bit chilly but fortunately very calm. I'm treating it as the next hurdle and I know there are lots of others whose diagnosis is much more complicated so I'm thinking of them today.

Wishing you well @Yamyamabroad I hope you are back on the ward now Or even on your way home.

I watched Outnumbered, and found it a bit odd. It doesn't work with the kids as adults, and I didn't really identify with Pete (not that I think the makers of it wanted cancer patients to 'identify' with Pete). I'm pretty pragmatic, and one of my adult DC has a severe learning disability so doesn't actually know what's wrong with me, so over Christmas I didn't really mention anything (have another adult DC who does know everything).

Hope everyone is doing well and your surgery went well today @Yamyamabroad

I'm only just recovering from the bisphosphonates I had last week tbh - I kept getting told it was 50/50 and i'd just feel like I had flu for a day or two if I did feel ill. I'm on day 7 of not really being able to eat more than one meal, if that, which is very unlike me and still napping! As well as the dodgy tummy. The flu symptoms have gone at least 🤣

All for the greater good I know but I had hoped to spend the first Christmas without my dad with my family properly and awake tbh, not shivering under the duvet 🤣

Anyway, hope everyone is faring better than me!

Hi ladies, another member of the shitty club full of awesome ladies here (diagnosed on 22 Nov 23, bi-lateral, 2 primary cancers, lobular on the left - mastectomy and reconstruction, and cribriform on the right - WLE, followed by chemo- 4xEC & 12 paclitaxel, then left lymph nodes removed)

I finished 4 weeks of radiotherapy on 13 December and have a couple of questions for those of you who have finished a bit before me

1. how long did your chest stay sunburned looking?
2. do you know how long it will be before I know if my implant will be damaged by the radiotherapy and need replacing?

sending positive vibes out to all you fabulous women xx

Hope you're safely home and recovering @Yamyamabroad

Sorry you've had such a rough week @SunnyValemin - sounds almost like a proper flu! Hope you manage some better family time.

Welcome @Pixilicious1. You are well ahead of me on this road but someone will be able to answer.

@quietmaelstrom oh my goodness the joys of a proper shower! I had a drain in for 4 weeks and although I did have showers during that time, while contorting myself to avoid the dressings, that first shower where I could just let the water run over my head and get all of me wet was amazing. I hope yours was too!

@spartanrunnergirl and everyone else, an organisation I found amazingly helpful is Maggie’s. I’ve had free counselling with a therapist through them and they run loads of great content both face to face and online, all free. Ans also Penny Brohn, also loads of excellent free sessions.

https://www.maggies.org

https://pennybrohn.org.uk

*edited to add links

Thank you @Pixilicious1 I have had some support from PB at the cancer clinic where I had radiotherapy, but have not looked at not Maggies.

I too am curious about skin after radiotherapy- i finished mine only a week ago. I don't have much colour colour change on my breast but my areola is much darker and feels like the skin has been burned. It's the same sensation as a scab healing and I am wondering if the skin will begin to flake/peel. Oh the joys! X

I'm home, everything went well yesterday according to the surgeon but we will see what the lab results say. I am feeling surprisingly ok today, just managing with paracetamol. Having said that, I'm not doing anything at all, just watching Cunk on Life and eating a custard tart!
Another hurdle over, thank you for your good wishes x

Good to hear all went well @Yamyamabroad wishing you a restful NY xx

Glad everything went well @Yamyamabroad - rest and custard tarts sounds like a good plan!

Proper showers are wonderful @Pixilicious1 - just need to remember not to rub my wound dry, specially as half of it is numb!

Once it knits more @quietmaelstrom , gently massage it to break up scar tissue. I didn’t get this advice from clinic (but from my physio 10 weeks down the line!).

Welcome home, @Yamyamabroad, glad it went well and fingers crossed for your lab results. TV and custard tarts sound a much hetter idea 1dpo than the hike I took across Salisbury Plain (wanting to demonstrate rude health to my children who weren't aware of my diagnosis or surgery...). You are a big step on the road to a clean bill of health- wishing this for you early in the NY.

@Pixilicious1 I think my skin calmed down about 6 weeks after radiotherapy. I finished mine at the start of August and I'm sure it was pretty much back to normal by mid September. Weirdly it had just flared back up again, just one patch of red near my mastectomy scar. I was told to get alhydran from my GP and it cleared up the redness really quickly.