Likely breast cancer after ultrasound- thread 3

[SpartanRunningGirl]

Welcome. Previous threads :

Thread 1
Thread 2

The original thread was started after I had a mammogram recall and was told at the ultrasound that it was likely I had breast cancer - before biopsies were taken, and before I was ready to hear that (if you are ever ready to hear that).

Two full threads later we are still sharing support, experiences, and advice. We’ve celebrated breast cancer wins and thrown virtual hugs around those who’ve needed it. (We’ve all needed it 💗)

This is a hugely kind and caring bit of Mumsnet - where we’ve all felt that awful fear waiting for scans, tests, results, or with an early and uncertain breast cancer diagnosis.

You are not alone.

This is the awful club - full of awesome women💗

Operation anxiety is completely understandable and normal. I was a wreck in the weeks leading up to my lumpectomy.
I thought about every worst case scenario and had this looming feeling of dread hanging over me. But you know what? Turns out that was the worst bit - the waiting and the fear of the unknown.
The actual reality was a doddle compared to what I had made up in my head. I guess I’m trying to say that of course you will worry, but honestly - and so many others will verify this - the reality is never as bad and actually it is all quite manageable.

@cantbelieveIamherehopefully sticking with the cold capping will be worth it, I have one EC after this and then go on to docetaxel so be interesting to see what effect that has.

@PoptartPoptartamazing that your half way through and you get a bit longer of a break to enjoy Xmas.

I had my second EC on Friday and it’s kicked my arse this time, I am absolutely exhausted so tired and lethargic, be glad to start feeling better for Xmas xx

Had a follow-up appt today. Yes to cancer, yes to surgery, not clear what exactly and whether chemo after needed until the results of yet more biopsies done today, looking at lymph nodes I think. I recorded the consultant because I couldn't take in all the acronyms being thrown at me but can't yet face listening back. ER-positive, still waiting to know if HER2 positive. Very sore breast/arm, very teary/angry. Took a friend who has been through it all with me and very glad I did, she was amazing.

Gah.

So sorry to hear that @JustGoClickLikeALightSwitch you will find lots of advice and support on this thread.

@Lovewine1975 My second EC was also worse than my first - hang in there. Funnily enough the third was better than the second - there is light at the end of the tunnel 😊

@Lovewine1975 yes I had chemo on friday too and day 4 is the day when the energy has gone. So very very worn out. Bashed my foot and hurt my little toe I am covered in bruises on my foot now and am so clumsy while having chemo its dangerous to be near me!

@JustGoClickLikeALightSwitch so sorry to hear your news its shit. Do not google, hope you get a plan in place soon so that you know whats going to happen. Did you get to talk to a breast cancer nurse? they usually explain everything afterwards because the consultants words go over your head.

Thank you. Yes, spoke to the nurse and was given some written information which is easier for me to process (I’m autistic and I battle with verbal info at the best of times). Objectively it all seems early, treatable, under control, but it’s not sinking in properly yet.

Not spotted this thread before. I've been posting on the general cancer board with the lovely ladies there.

I was diagnosed with ILC in the summer estrogen and p pos, her2 neg.
Had lumpectomy and additional surgery 2.5 weeks ago to get wider margin.

I have kids aged 9 and 12.

Appointment friday for results of new margin and oncotype dx test.

Doesn't look to have spread to lymph. I've had CT and MRI.
Getting to first surgery took a while as my case was quite unusual.

Lump had been there a while and noone thought it was cancer, especially not me!

@FcukBreastCancer we’ve already met on the other thread 😊
That sounds very like the one I had 24 years ago. My kids were 11 and 7 and I was 35. Lobular originally mistaken for a fibroadenoma. Even to me it looked harmless on the mammo , all nice and round !! No one thought it was cancer but 8 months later after 2nd check up mammo echo (thanks to a wonderful gynecologist) it was decided after a biopsy that it could turn into cancer over the years so best to take out but no huge rush so op was 6 weeks later and then wham it was already grade 2 lobular inflitrant Highly estro and pro positive ( no mention of herceptin that I can remember) and thankfully no nodes positive. I had chemo , at 35 back then it was all belt and braces anyway and they didn’t have oncotypes of course. Anyway I’m still here to tell the tale even if the sneaky bastward might be trying to make a reappearance atm😊 ( touch wood)

@Nonamelass hi 👋
It does worry me how Lobular isn't detected on mammogram. Mine was reported as normal. Dr said I can get mri at check up. So I'd better get used to having them
Sorry you are back here again. Are you waiting for results?

Mine is a bit of a particular case. After 1st finished treatment chemo rads tamoxifen then all perfectly fine for 15 years, I ‘m in France so here they prescribed mammo /ultrasound every year for ever basically (and blood test every year for first ten years )
Then in 2017 another totally different BC ( ductal)turned up in other breastquite small and only picked up on routine yearly mammo /uttrasound. Grade 2 again no nodes Eand P postive herceptin negative oncotest came out just over the limit , ( I think you needed to be under 10 out of 50 points and I was 11 🤢) so I very grumpily did all the treatment again (and have marching scars on both sides as both near nipple) Life went completely back to normal again

I missed one routine mammo / ultrasound last year ( doing alot of caring, maybe a bit of oh whateverism ) then went in nov and bang there’s a mass in the 2002 breast so yep waiting for biopsy results on that .
As you stay under the hospital for ten years ( just yearly visits) I am still under them for 2017 episode. So I have appointment with the oncologist to get rsults in the 17th
phew thanks for reading 😅 moral of the story don’t worry too much enjoy your life but get yearly check ups for ever basically 😊

I’m having lots of nerve pain ( I genuinely feel like Im being stabbed with hot knives). GP has prescribed me a one off batch of amitriptyline so hopefully that will help.
Hope everyone else is doing ok. I had a letter yesterday for my post op results in 5 weeks. Which will be my birthday too…….. the joy

Balls. Due to a condition I have - they won't do day surgery at local hospital. So am back on a wait list for the major hospital.

Really fed up as I mentioned it in the pre op assessment form- but they don't review the form til you go for the pre op itself.

I have re jigged so much - now lord knows when the op will happen. Blood pressure is through the roof

That is shite timing @LoudSnoringDog . I’m sorry.

I’m here for a moan. Thought I’d get a definitive diagnosis and treatment plan yesterday. No, mri showed some odd pattern of blood flow which can indicate cancerous cells (?) so yesterday was yet more biopsies and what I misheard as “xray” is “xray guided biopsy”, except they couldn’t do it on the day and so I am waiting for that now. Then another consultant meeting, then hopefully a surgery and treatment plan. I’m feeling quite brittle and irritated, the not knowing whether next week will look like x or y is very difficult. It also stops me telling some people who I need / want to tell, because I feel like I don’t have all the info and I don’t want to be on the hook to give updates when they are likely to be negative ones.

I feel like a toddler lying face down banging her fists on the floor.

@LoudSnoringDog , that sounds nasty, hope the amytripteline helps. I am sorry you're getting your follow up on your birthday, that will be an anxious wait. Is your birthday mid Jan? I am the 15th.

@KimonoQueen sorry to hear about the delay to your treatment, I know what you mean about the planning, I am in the midst of trying to sort my work out and cover before my surgery and it would be super annoying to have to reschedule everything again. Hope you get a date soon.

@KimonoQueen I know what you mean. I’m in same boat. Had last chemo on 10/10 now Phesgo only. Had MRI. Then meeting with surgeon who said I needed ultrasound to check lymph node which I had, then another appointment with surgeon, who then said I needed biopsy and now I have yet another appt with surgeon on 18/12 hopefully to get booked in for surgery! Feel it’s dragging on now when I was really hoping for surgery before Christmas. I imagine this will be well into January now. The plus side is hopefully I can have a nice Christmas and not miss out on too much ! My hair has been pretty good til now but still coming out in strands and my eyelashes have disappeared , so I’m trying out false ones and actually went out in them today. I’ve ordered special ones for cancer patients so will see what they are like and report back! Hope everyone is doing well.

Hi Everyone. I'm having a lumpectomy and need some post surgery bras. Any recommendations with links to the actual bras please? I also forgot to ask the BCN if I just buy my regular size - I am a 34DD. I think I fall between sizes on the Cancer research ones - I am dress size 12/14, but they look very comfy. But I'd rather have recommendations from you guys. I am a bit pushed for time what with the Christmas holidays looming, and associated postal delays. My surgery is on the 30th, so need to get them sharpish. Thanks.

Marks and Spencer do a really good range. I’d suggest having a look online or if you have a larger M&S store near you pop along and have a look.
I personally found bras that fasten at the front much easier to put on and take off, especially if you are having a SLNB and you can’t raise your arm too far. Also,
some bras have adjustable straps at the front, meaning you don’t have to fiddle around at the back which again helps with the arm restriction.

I did buy one from the Breast Cancer Now website (sorry I can’t link). If you google Breast Cancer now CANCER RESEARCH UK POST- SURGERY COMFORT BRA
It’s the one with little hearts around the band.
I found it good to sleep in and size wise it was great as it is fully adjustable at the front and straps. Immediately after surgery I was quite swollen so I had it on the loosest hooks but as the swelling went down I could use the tighter hooks. I still wear it to bed now, 3 months post surgery.

Primark also do post surgery bras but they’re sized as 12-14, 14-16 etc. as a twin pack, front fastening.
I got mine from there as wasn’t sure what I’d need in terms of size for lumpectomy reconstruction and reduction .Im a couple of weeks post-op now and they’ve been very comfortable and supportive.

I got the M&S front fastening and the primark front fastening too. I have found the primark ones more comfortable as they are softer. The M&S one was harder at the seam and irritating my SNLB site a bit more

I got this Cancer Research one. I wore it in hospital (I was in overnight) as it was handy to fasten/unfasten every time the nurses wanted to check me. Wore it a couple of times for post-surgery appointments, until all the hooks and eyes to do up did my head in 😂 Then I switched to stretchy cropped tops for a few months. Back in all my normal bras now. I had a lumpectomy in February.

I had a lot of time between diagnosis and surgery so managed to try a couple of types from Vinted, I got three of these and found them very soft and comfortable (https://www.theyahealthcare.com/products/peony-hook-eye-mastectomy) plus a front zip M&S one which was tighter so good for the first few days.

Thanks everyone for the bra recommendations, that's really helpful.

Sainsbury's do soft front fastening ones..theyre in a pack of two and in small, medium and large. I find them very comfy and still wear them, get the large ones to start and work your way down sizes if needed

I also recommend the Sainsbury's ones.
I tried the m&s one (as Amy dowden was wearing) and found it difficult to do up and uncomfortable. My scar was too near band.

Hi lovely ladies, another member of the club here. Felt a hardness about 4-6 weeks ago, went to the GP and got referred to breast clinic. Thankfully only had to wait 8 days for my appointment. Had a mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy done at the clinic and was told on the day that it was cancer. Follow up appointment was yesterday after the longest 2 weeks of my life. I was told it was ILC ER&PR +ve, HER2 -ve. It is around 5cm in size but lymph nodes appear to be clear. Treatment is a mastectomy and hormone suppressants. Radio/chemotherapy will be decided on after surgery. I had a CT scan with contrast dye first thing this morning, then immediately over to a different (bigger) hospital for an appointment with the plastic surgeon who would be carrying out the mastectomy and reconstruction, if I go down the the immediate reconstruction route. It's feeling a bit overwhelming having had so much information in the last 24 hours.