Advice needed on breast cancer

[Wtafdidido]

Found a lump over bank holiday weekend and breast been achy and a little uncomfortable. Saw GP yesterday who said she could feel a 2.5cm mass and due to the size feel and location she was concerned. I assumed I would be red flagged to Consultant and then there would be scans etc before any lumpectomy but she has red flagged it to go straight to lumpectomy as the first step. This has given me major anxiety and makes me feel it is pretty much going to be a cancer diagnosis. Will it really happen like this? She has asked them to contact me by the end of this week. I am so scared I have young Children and no family support and their father would never cope on his own with them. That’s my biggest fear.

I'm so sorry to hear this. That is an appalling wait and I completely understand your anger. Now you have a diagnosis so hopefully you will start to feel more in control. I wish you all the best for your treatment 🙏🏼

I’m sorry to hear this. I was on this journey 3 years ago so ask me anything.

I’m so angry reading your story OP. It’s disgusting. Focus needs to be focused on people and not stats.
Sending you hugs xx

Thank you. The initial shock of being told has worn off and I am now in practical mode and going to keep working until I can’t. Otherwise I will go mad. Today I will be telling our youngest child who is still only half way through primary school. I don’t want her hearing from someone else or by accident as she knows something is going on. I would have preferred to wait but the advice from my consultant is that it needs to be sooner rather than later. Not very reassuring. Our older kids know and are coping. The youngest has less than two weeks left til the summer break so if she needs to have time off for her own. Well being she will - I won’t send her in upset for the schools need to keep their attendance levels up. I will however encourage her to go. The approach by their schools has been completely different. The youngest child’s school has no experience of this and no support available that they know of! This shocks me and I intend to speak to the LEA. I can’t change this situation we are in or the outcome just keep my head down and battle on. I have no faith that the NHS will do right by me or that as a woman I will get the adequate level of pain relief I will need. Sadly it is the same hospital where mistakes led to my father dying the most horrific death possible when he was in for a routine procedure and then failing to inform us he was going to die until it was too late for us to see him and say goodbye. It all just sucks. What the last few days has shown me is the reality of who I will be able to rely and is actually in my corner and there have been a few surprises and a few disappointments. I will keep the post updated for as long as I can. The change in red flag from 2 weeks to seven is horrific and not even my GP was aware at the outset. Women need to know and we need to get it out loud and clear and and fight for each other.

I’m so sorry to hear this OP, sending love and strength to you and your family and willing the best outcome for you ❤️ x

I am so so sorry to read this. I am hoping you will get the treatment that you deserve

Just checking in. Started chemo and immunotherapy four weeks ago. Had two sessions and all went well. Weekly sessions for 24 weeks before surgery and further treatment. Then had a massive gastric bleed and sepsis so been in hospital and chemo stopped. Lucky to be alive as the anti emetics for the chemo meant I didn’t vomit up the blood straight away and it just pooled in my tummy and poisoned me. Long road ahead but hoping chemo can resume soon. I knew this wouldn’t be easy but didn’t expect to almost die two weeks in by grateful to have pulled through .

Oh gosh you have really been through the mill…. so sorry to hear that but have everything crossed that that is the worst you have to deal with on this journey.

How are your children coping, that must have been very tough on them as well, and your parents er/husband (?). How old are your children OP?

I am so very sorry to read this. I am so hoping that you are now recovering from this so you can get the treatment reinstated and get it over and done with without any further problems. I am thinking of you

Hi, I felt a lump in 2020 after having a lumpectomy in 2011. GP said straight away appointment for breast clinic. Breast clinic, I had clear mammogram, clear ultrasound, on examination I had some skin thickening around nipple but doctor reassured me it was nothing! Discharged feeling on top of the world. From then went down hill got so tired, just felt ill, GP did blood tests nothing wrong 😑 2022 the breast went very red GP said infection and prescribed antibiotics. Seemed to calm it down. 7months later so may2023 breast very red and discharge. GP said infection antibiotics and cream. Got worse, have photos. GP just kept prescribing more antibiotics and different creams. Started with tremors couldn’t stay awake, felt so very poorly. Nov 23 rushed in to ITU, they managed to keep me alive, thank god. When I woke on ITU the doctor said to me, “what’s that on your breast” I said GP said it’s a rash/ infection, she sadly put her head down and shook her head. She said I’m going to do a biopsy, and they would get back to me. Of course I agreed. I’d been diagnosed with respiratory failure so was going to be in ITU for a few days then onto ward. Once on ward I had loads of scans/tests, then after a week they came and told me I had breast cancer that had metastasised to my spine and possibly more. Devastation just wasn’t enough of how I felt. They said it is incurable, said to my son, have a nice Christmas with your mum. Anyway, going forward, came through that started on treatment. In may24 went to my GP to ask “WHY” he was very apologetic, and printed off a letter for me that he had received from the hospital from my appointment in 2020, it read….. clear mammogram, clear ultrasound, some skin thickening but think it could be scar tissue rather than anything else. I did not realise the significance of this at the time. Anyway I’m still alive, fighting, desperate trying to save my dignity everyday but alive! ❤️ could add in age but it’s not very nice.