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💗

@PoptartPoptart sorry to hear you’re so wonky. It is a worry and a frustration when they delay the next dose but I guess that’s because going ahead could put you in a worse situation. I hope the delay gives you the opportunity to recover. My short delay between pacli and EC made a huge difference - I felt ready to take it on and honestly think I’d have ended up in hospital if it hadn’t been delayed (this was due to the amount of sickness at the end of pacli).

Thanks @dancingwhilstfacingthemusic that makes sense

@dancingwhilstfacingthemusicI love Bon Jovi!! Thank you ☺️ I’ve done my last EC so next three are Docetaxel, don’t know much about the side effects yet just that you don’t get nausea thank god! I can see the end now of chemo and it’s made me feel I can actually do this x

@PoptartPoptartthat is so frustrating but they will know what they are doing and by the time you do get treatment your body will recovered and healthy enough to deal with it all!

My chemo was fine but cold capping was hard as my hair is so thin now with a bald patch the back, so I really felt it pretty painful for the first 15 mins. I literally gritted my teeth and counted down the minutes! Feeling ok now bit tired, hope that’s a good sign and I get some sleep tonight x

@Lovewine1975 I am on docetaxel and you do get nausea, its also hard on the hair so you need to keep cold capping, ask for a little cap if your hair is thinning like mine.

As you know mine hasnt gone smoothly and second dose i reacted to, so if your first dose is bad ask for a reduction. If you have questions feel free.

@cantbelieveIamherethanks, did you get ulcers or bone pain? I’m keeping hold of all my nausea tablets!

How are things now for you? x

Hi everyone , hope you are all doing ok. I had my mastectomy and lymph node removal yesterday. All went well and I went home in the evening. District nurses will come in to check the drain etc at some stage. Feeling fine , no pain but taking all the medication anyway! Wishing you all
a happy and healthy as possible new year. Here’s hoping 2026 is good to
us all.

@mightneedalargesniftersending you lots of recovery vibes. Thoughts also to those of you dealing with chemo. I’m still in the wait for surgery period, and also scanxiety after having a CT yesterday. I had to go cold turkey on HRT which I thought was going well but now I seem to have the dual hit of bloating and itchiness which the HRT was treating well. Whether you are ignoring new year or hoping for a better 2026, wishing you all health and happiness. I plan to go to bed at 10 with my bad mood so I don’t inflict it on the rest of the family!

Sending you good wishes @mightneedalargesnifter .

Also still waiting on surgery (and possibly chemo, HER2 results pending). Have spent twixmas reading the Liz O'Riordan book and "Flat and Happy" about double mastectomies, as that's what I'm leaning towards. Feeling a little more informed at least.

@Lovewine1975 I didnt and havent yet got ulcers, I have conquered nausea with a drug called Akeynseo that lasts five days and they gave it to me after projectile vomiting on first dose which may have been docetaxel or may have been the filgrastrim injections or antibiotics - or all three.

I do go red and blotchy on day 2 and 3 and a bit itchy. One of the side effects of the akeynseo is constipation which actually is a good thing because the docetaxel and phesgo both cause the opposite and so one counteracts the other for the first three days. Then when I do the injections it all kicks off and I need loperamide.

Dry skin, and dry nails - so use cream and I use coconut oil on nails of hands and feet. Definitely cold cap as I was told you will lose all your hair if you dont. Good news is that paxman site says on docetaxel it grows back quicker if you cold cap.

Good luck with it, and definitely get dose reduced if your first lot doesnt go well, its been much improved on second and now third cycle.

Ask away if I have forgotten anything.

@Lovewine1975 whoops forgot bone pain - yes I am taking the anti histamine one beginning with l lotradine? is it. Take it every day. Also hot water bottle helps and of course paracetomol.

@cantbelieveIamherethank you so much that’s great advise. I’m currently on the injections but didn’t know if you got more bone pain from docetaxal so hopefully I won’t.

Glad things have improved for you sounded like you were having an awful time! x

Happy New Year to you all and your families.

I didn’t expect to be seeing in the new year from a hospital bed, but I’m just grateful for the care I am receiving.

May 2026 be kinder to us all, and be a year of positive outcomes and moving forward.

Thank you as always for all the support.

@PoptartPoptartsorry to hear that you’re in hospital.
I hope everyone has a better year in 2026 because 2025 has been a bitch in more ways than one.

@PoptartPoptart sorry to hear you’ve been admitted to hospital, hope things get better for you soon 💐

@PoptartPoptarthope you are ok x sending love

Sorry you are in hospital @PoptartPoptartand hope you are getting good care and can rest.

@PoptartPoptartomg I’m so sorry your in hospital, hope your out soon and back with your family, sending lots of hugs xx

Oh bugger, @PoptartPoptart i hope you’re soon sorted and out.

wishing everyone an end to this nonsense in 2026.

So sorry to hear you are in hospital @PoptartPoptart , sending you lots of positive vibes 🙂. Hope you're comfortable and being cared for, fingers crossed you get home soon.

Big scream of frustration here.

Was in limbo over xmas waiting for HER2 results, to understand if chemo would be needed before surgery. Consultant office shut, no comms. I chased today - “insufficient sample to complete the FISH testing. They need a larger size sample to do this. Mr X has said that this does not change your management plan”.

I’ve been waiting three weeks now for these results, and don’t understand what these results mean - that it’s straight to a mastectomy? But then why were we waiting in the first place?

Argh. Argh. Argh.

If anyone has any insight, god I’d love to hear it.

It’s a month and a day since I first went for the mammogram that kicked all this off. Which may be an objectively short time but it feels like a year.

@JustGoClickLikeALightSwitch that is frustrating! I had biopsy and ultrasound and mammogram on 9th Dec and got results including HER2 on the 18th. So just over a week. I’m at a big regional hospital site though.

thank you for replying. I am private, which explains the Twixmas shut down I guess, but not the other stuff. My initial HER testing was inconclusive so they did what’s called a FISH test, and it looks like that can actually take two weeks to turn around.

The consultant called to explain. I feel a little reassured but I have a small niggling concern about some aspects of what he is saying, combined with a strong recommendation for somebody else from a woman who has been through similar and also wanted a double mastectomy, so I’m off to seek a second opinion.

as it stands, surgery on 16 Jan.

I think one of the downsides of private is that they will throw test after test after test at something, for better or worse.

@JustGoClickLikeALightSwitch that sounds stressful- you just want a clear picture and then crack on with it! I don’t think sometimes that the clinicians understand the levels of anxiety that goes with these investigations! And I say that as a health care professional myself! (Completely unrelated field). Hope you have a clear understanding soon.