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

@Yamyamabroad i suspect chemo is usually way worse, and it clearly differs massively - I have friend doing 15 at the moment and she’s not sore at all, but said that she feels even more sick than early pregnancy! Fingers crossed you’ll be fine. I caught up with another friend yesterday who absolutely sailed through, and then had a few weeks of feeling really sore about 6 months later, a bit like @Arraminta….weird huh? Good luck for Monday! 🤞

Sitting in a gown waiting for the planning CT scan - interestingly sickness has not been mentioned to me at any point though plenty of other side effects have. I wonder if it’s relatively rare.

I had the higher dosage over 5 treatments. I had no sickness or tiredness at all. I did get a massive swollen boob and a split underneath it but was given some fantastic cream called Flamazene which dealt with it very quickly.

During treatment I used 100% aloe gel from Holland & Barrett with E45 lotion. I was also given some cooling patches to put in my bra by the BCN.

I had some side effects for a couple of years in terms of random burning or stabbing. I did read that radiotherapy side effects can last for many years but it's not been the case for me or anybody I know.

@TheFormidableMrsC I had the sharp pains etc starting about a year after RT and they lasted several months. I was also told that my affected breast would eventually shrink to be smaller than my untreated breast. Were you?

@Arraminta i was warned that was a possible side effect (one of many…..!). Have you experienced shrinkage? I was wondering whether that might also be a result of significant lumpectomy removal too?

No I wasn't. I had a wide incision lumpectomy so my surgery breast is about 2 cup sizes smaller than the other one. It shrank back after radio which caused balloon like swelling but took a few weeks.

I think there's very slight shrinkage? But I had a therapeutic reduction & lift on the affected breast (followed by symmetry surgery 2 years later). So it's different to a lumpectomy.

Thank you. I had a therapeutic reduction + lift rather than a WE lumpectomy, so it might work differently?

My cancer/radiotherapy boob is presently bigger than the other one! It seemed to chill out over January after I'd finished radioT and now feels sore and inflamed again 😬. Hanging on until my next oncologist appt but it's like I have this interesting alien stuck to me and each day and I'm like ok buddy whatcha got for me today?!

Eeek!!! @spartanrunnergirl that’s both terrifying and weirdly hilarious (I think in equal measure!) When’s your next appointment? Doesn’t sound ideal, tbh.

Today has been pretty grim. I’m starting a new job in just under 3 weeks and am absolutely determined to be fully recovered by that point. Yup, I know. Best laid plans and all that. Tell that to the universe when I thought I was taking 10 weeks break between jobs to recuperate and have some fun after a fairly difficult couple of years in my last role….sigh…

@quietmaelstrom how did it go?

@dancingwhilstfacingthemusic 🥳🥳🥳 You’re finished! Hope you’re feeling ok?

@chococakey how are you today? When’s your next session?

Oh God, ask your BCN for the cooling pads. They really help. I also froze a flannel and used that occasionally. It was a very hot lockdown summer so that made it worse 🤣. The flannel worked a treat!

Checking in with a non update really. MDT meeting was this morning, BCN rang to say my biopsy results aren’t back but based on pics they have decided to book me for urgent MRI in the meantime, in addition to the CT already booked for tmw.
So still non the wiser really, and next week still feels a long way off. I don’t know what my questions should be, or what I want the answers to be. I’m trying to work and distract myself but I’m struggling tbh and feel v selfish right now…

Oh @PreVerbalGerbil of course you’re struggling - this is really tough! Please don’t beat yourself up, that’s not going to help at all. You’re not selfish, you’re dealing with big scary unknowns. Of course that’s going to take up a huge amount of your headspace. Be kind to yourself, take some time out to unwind and do something that makes you feel better. Sending love and hugs your way xx

@PreVerbalGerbil - everything Fillybuster said. This limbo whilst they get all the info in is horrendous. It is big and scary. Hopefully it’ll feel less scary when you have a plan to deal with it. Distraction is good. I kept a diary / notebook through it all and made a list of feel good things that I would look at and choose from when I was stewing too much.

@Fillybuster I’m on the steroid bounce which makes sleep a bit interesting for a few days. Had a few hours and decided to drink a load of water and listen to an audiobook. The fluids will help to wash this ec through. We had a family meal to celebrate last night and it was lovely. Ds1 (28) met his girlfriend just over a year ago and she has been so good for him and us - helping your boyfriend with his grampa’s death and his mum’s cancer within months of meeting him is no small thing - I have hopes for the future!

My Picc is out. Between the three ops and the picc I haven’t been able to have a decent soak or a swim in about 9 months. I have to wait 24 hours and then it is ON!

@dancingwhilstfacingthemusic my post picc shower was BLISS. I'd say one of my top ten moments of last year 😂 we are so many pancakes on Tuesday I'm sure my niece grew in size 😂

@Fillybuster yep I'm seeing someone on Tuesday to get a referral. I can't tell if it's getting better or not now, but still needs someone to look at it I think. I hope you feel a bit better soon and get some rest. I hope your new work place is understanding of the situation.

@PreVerbalGerbil this is the worst bit, all the waiting and not knowing what will happen. Hang in there, I felt exactly the same way as you do.

@spartanrunnergirl no advice on the swollen boob, cancer is the gift that keeps on giving. Hope you manage to get it sorted!

@quietmaelstrom hope planning went well. No one mentioned nausea to me, I did have it but I put it down to travel sickness going back and forth tbh. I was just quite tired and had red skin. Sailed through it in hindsight, hope it's not too bad for you.

@BatshitCrazyWoman feel better soon! I had COVID at some point in the middle of it all, felt like it was my body telling me to slow down a bit.

@chococakey hope you're managing ok, and your son forgot about pancake day 😂

Sorry if I've missed anyone. I've been out of the house for 3 days in a row and I think at this point I'm a zombie, the medication I'm on makes me so tired sometimes. I need a duvet day myself 😂

Hi, I've just found this thread. I have my 4th EC tomorrow, yay! I have felt more fatigued after the 3rd round so waiting to see how this time goes. It's my last EC though and I will be halfway through chemo.

@chococakey tell your team about the acid reflux. I was given omeprezole to help and it made a huge difference including with bloating as well. I was also given Senna.

I second the recommendation for Omeprazole.

Hi Hells Bells, all the best with EC 4. I had EC 4 this week after 12 paclitaxel (& finished chemo). I’m on a load of anti sickness drugs and start my filgrastim today. My phone alarms for drugs are pinging all day!

Finally had a non Picc soak and it was blissful. Having had three operations beforehand to get clearance, I’ve not been able to have a soak since last July. It’s good to get back to some sort of normal.

I’ve to start letrozole in 3 weeks and will start the osteoporosis infusions once I’ve had my teeth sorted out.

Hi all, just checking in after a rough few days. This first chemo made me feel like I'd been hit by a train! I've felt so sick and tired all week. Barely moved from my sofa and bed. Today (day 5) my head finally feels a little clearer and the sickness feels like it's lifting so hopefully things will improve into the weekend. The filgrastim injections are awful. My husband is doing them for me but I think they're traumatising him a bit as they really sting and I'm letting out a yelp each time!

I also got some good news this morning that my genetics results came back completely clear. So despite my age (40) and my strong family history of breast cancer there are no genetic factors like braca to this diagnosis. So that's some good news amongst all of this.

I'm having my picc line done on Tuesday so I'll make sure I have a good soak in the bath this weekend before I won't be able to do that for a while!

I've got some omprezalone for the reflux and also lactulose as I feel very backed up (sorry tmi!)

Hope everyone is ok as we go into the weekend x

Sorry you've had a miserable few days @chococakey but glad it seems to be lifting a bit in time for the weekend. Hope you manage to have some nice family time. Great news about the genetics results 🎉

Every little bit of 'normal' is a celebration of the end of chemo @dancingwhilstfacingthemusic

Welcome @HeyBells - this thread is a wonderfully supportive place to be

@SunnyValemin glad you and your niece had such a good time eating pancakes! Hope you have useful input for your shoulder.

@PreVerbalGerbil sorry you're still waiting for a plan. It is such a tough time, when it feels like we are having more and more tests without the wanted results coming through. You said in one post you are clinical - so am I, and it can be a help and a hindrance. If you feel you're struggling to work, there is no shame in recognising that. You wouldn't expect one of your own patients to work if they weren't fit to do so. (Apologies if you feel I'm overstepping.)

Thanks to all for the radiotherapy discussion - happy to have all the information, including side effect details!

Planning went well, with thanks to those who asked (delay in update due to a couple of other things happening, including meeting a work colleague yesterday which was good but left me exhausted).

I had been a little apprehensive, not least because a few weeks ago I had read a thread on the BCN forum started by a woman who was very distressed about her first radiotherapy visit, where several people seemed to have had a similar experience. I'm pleased to say that my experience was not like hers but was in keeping with the rest of my treatment, with the staff being very professional and focussed on maintaining my dignity as much as possible.

I will put my own thread on the BCN forum at some point but also thought it was worth mentioning here for the sake of others (including any lurkers). As I said previously, my region also provides videos for patients to view in advance to help prepare.

@quietmaelstrom that's good to hear all went well and you're feeling more informed now.
Updates like that help all of us wherever we are in this journey. I've got to get through my chemo before radiotherapy but have been told I'll be having 20 sessions after my chemo so lots of them to get through! So I'd certainly be grateful of experiences to help me feel more prepared when I get there.

Experiences of chemo and what to expect have helped me go into this feeling a little less unsure. So always good to share info around

Hi @chococakey I'm sorry the early stage of chemo was grim. But I just wanted to celebrate the results of your genetic test- that's brilliant news.

Hoping the silence on the thread means that things are trundling along in the right direction for people

@chococakey did you get the PICC line OK?

@Yamyamabroad hope your radiotherapy week went well

@Fillybuster and @BatshitCrazyWoman hope you're feeling better

@PreVerbalGerbil hope you have some results and a useful plan has been formulated

Good wishes to all

Hi everyone. I’ve been having a bit of a break from being online as I’ve just felt really overwhelmed this week. The first 5 days after my chemo I felt absolutely awful. So unwell and it left me in a bit of a dark place as I hated my young son seeing me so unwell and struggling to do anything. Despite multiple anti sickness drugs I really struggled with nausea, sickness, tummy upsets, acid reflux and no appetite. I reported it all back but they told me it was all normal and I just had to get through it.
This week I’ve felt a lot better but just feel so down about it all.

I did get my picc line on Tues but even that took 3 hours and they really struggled with it because my veins are tiny and even just 1 round of EC chemo has made them shrink even more apparently. It’s a bit sore and is annoying in my arm and despite having it covered my son is afraid to hug me :(
I’m sure I’ll get more used to it as it’s still early days.

I had my bloods done yesterday (so much easier with the picc!) and I should be going in for round 2 of EC on Monday if they’re all ok.

Sorry for the downer post, just really struggled this first cycle. Hoping the next one is slightly easier mentally now I know what to expect and hopefully be able to manage it and the side effects better.

Hope everyone is doing ok xx