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💗

@kayakhala sorry to hear your news, nothing similar but agree with previous post its good that they are being thorough as they can then treat or rule out everything rather than begin to treat with wrong combinationsand have to begin again.

It is frustrating waiting and very stressful but everything I have experienced is that they want to get the right treatment for you so they need all this info.
hope it all becomes clear as quickly as possible. its the worst bit not knowing what you are dealing with.

lots of good wishes from me in the middle of the night

Thank you so much ladies. I really appreciate it.

Post surgery results today. Oncotype not back yet. But margins were all clear and sentinel node biopsy was negative. All good. Got dressings off (huge relief). Needed new dressings under both breasts, back to check them in two weeks.

They said oncotype is taking up to a month just now.

That’s all very good news, phew!

@JustGoClickLikeALightSwitch I’m out of theatre looking very flat under my bandages as far as can tell and for rhe moment NO PAIN 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞 thanks for all your advice , feeling so relieved and I can’t sleep.. I will be copying you and getting out walking asap. Found my way to FFs thankyou 💕💕💕

That is really good news, you must be relieved.

This is great news. I had similar feedback recently. My oncotype test took 3 weeks to come back and fortunately scored 14 with no chemo needed. I will have 10 sessions of radiotherapy from next Tuesday.
Hope you get your full results soon

Brilliant! Lots of rest and sleep for now. Sending love. Shout if you want a chat (or I’m on ff too).

Thanks all. I am very relieved but impatient to find out the oncotype score. I am just trying to focus on the fact that the cancer is gone and now it’s all about future prevention. @Nonamelassso glad to hear you are doing well. Take it at your own pace. I was out walking fairly quickly (although the rain didn’t help). I had to go slower than usual though because I still had boobs from reduction and I felt a bit sore if I walked too fast. Now the dressings are off I’m so impressed at the skill of the surgeon. Scars are much less noticeable than I thought they would be and the shape and uplift is great. The only downside is I can see my considerable belly!

Glad to hear good progress for everyone.

I had my appt this morning. I have a 5cm tumour with some cancer cells in Lymph nodes.
Chemo starts in 3 weeks or so with surgery in 5 -6 months. Surgeon was very nice and clear though there's a lot to take in. I have lots of the right receptors so he was very positive and optimistic.

Being somewhat ample in the boob dept he has a lot to work with so thinks a lumpectomy and reduction would work.

@Ted27I had bilateral reduction to remove my tumour so happy to answer any questions when you are ready.

@Ted27 not so great your now a t-shirt wearing club member but so glad you had it checked out at the point everything is pointing in a positive direction. Hope all continues to go well for you.

Whilst there is not much info out there the stage between actual biopsy results and starting chemo l wish someone had warned me that produces a slew of unexpected appointments at very little notice. Thank all that is good for the weekends when you get some down time. I now hate getting phone calls and can recognise the hospitals number at 20 paces. I do understand the need to get as many baseline measures and info as possible but it can also get in the way of you starting to process all that has happened and is still happening. TRy and make islands where you can make some me time and do something that is not medical even if it’s something quite small like enjoying a 30 minute latte break.

Truly hope you have some kind and caring breast care nurses and oncology nurses who can support and signpost you over the weeks between now and starting treatment. They can make a huge difference as you take it all step by step.

Taking the weekend to just kick back and do me stuff after a week of hospital appointments. Every time I thought it was safe to be back home I got another call for something else. the five extra appointments given yesterday on a day off from hospital nearly finished me.

Spent today at my pre chemo assessment and two more checks next week before chemo can start. these are the last 2 baseline measures they need. Current plan is for chemo once every three weeks for six bouts with oncologist reviews between each session. if all goes well it well then be time to play with the surgeon. then review again. THe oncologist is lovely and has assured me the aim is curative but to accept it could be a gruelling marathon as the whole thing has tipped my mental health into a flat spin. Never had any problems before this. CMHT have my back and hospital staff are doing all they can to give extra support and encouragement.

Downside is goodbye to my hair as the Drs and nurses have advised against a cool cap due to the severity of migraine. Not impressed with being given an NHS wig voucher I think that might have upset me far more than losing hair. Lovely eldest DD who is a burns nurse has said she will ask her nurse friend who works on the chemo ward to show me some of her work hijab under hats that she has for working on for the chemo ward as they are lovely.

@Ted27 good you have finally got some news about what is going to happen, I second what @triballeader says be prepared for many appointments between now and then and good luck.

@triballeader I too try to give myself some headspace from all these appointments, I absolutely am terrorised by the phone calls and letters that come and the sense of me having no control whatsoever. I am sorry to hear they have decided you cant cold cap - as I wasnt going to cold cap but the nurse told me I would be bald in a fortnight if i didnt. The doctors think it will give you a migraine?
Anyway good luck with your treatment too. I am on cycle 5 of three weekly chemo so one more to go. My advice is if the first one is really too much to bear then get them to reduce the dose for the next ones as that is the only way I have survived mine.

@cantbelieveIamhere Sadly l do have chronic migraine to the point l get PIP and l am under a neurologist. Drs decided in my case a cold cap would worsen Ìt. On my more rational moments the idea of chemo and worse migraine at the same time makes me quail. On my less rational moments I am sobbing my heart out at knowing in two weeks Ìt will be goodbye hair. Grateful to the breast care nurse who gently told me this would happen but it’s still hard.

l had a look at the NHS wigs as the hospital gave me a voucher but they look so uncomfortable l asked my DH to order Bold Beanies for me instead to wear underneath wraps etc. Did not like the look of the ready made ones and decided I would far rather have something that can easily be washed and changed for other colours and styles.

@triballeader oh I am sorry thats hard for you when you have no choice.
I agree about wigs I am not sure I would want one - would rather wear nice beanies.
On the plus side you dont have your treatment time prolonged by cold cap pre treatment and cold cap post treatment which for some drugs can add another hour and a half, so you will be able to go home sooner!

Hi all.

Lumpectomy all very successful.
Ive seen the oncologist now and she's given me the list of treatments - radio /AI and maybe zolendronic acid (still not agreed to that)

5 days radiotherapy + 5 days boost. She casually mentioned there might be 'some shrinkage' of the breast as a side effect. I was pretty relaxed about that until I looked at the stats. I have pretty large norks and for those of us with big boobs and small tumours - the shrinkage is up to 30% What the hell?

Has anyone experienced it? Or done anything to avoid it. Or had them evened up? It just one thing after a bloody nother.

Quite the opposite. Mine has expanded post radiotherapy and is now larger than the one that hasn't had a chunk removed.

I was told possible shrinkage from radiotherapy too. My new boobs seem pretty even after the bilateral reduction, although definitely more sore and swollen on the cancer side. I was always slightly bigger on that side but as both sides were enormous it didn’t matter!

3 weeks since my surgery today. Still healing and still feeling tired if I do too much. I really don’t like the being able to see my belly - which is more bloated since I stopped taking HRT. Sheesh. @triballeaderi get ocular migraines and have all sorts of triggers. Suspect cold capping would be one of them. I am resigned to hair loss and beanies if chemo is on the cards. No decision on that for another few weeks.

My radiotherapy starts today. 3pm. Dp is coming with me- they said it will all be quick etc. not sure what else to expect?

@LoudSnoringDog is this helpful?
https://share.google/uOKFgZx3h9Krmx2u9

Thanks for all your kind messages and welcome (if that's the right word?) to those even newer to this journey than me.
I went back to wfh last week after two weeks off and may venture into the office for a couple of days next depending on how my post-surgical results appointment goes Thurs. My sentinal biopsy scar is tender, my usual bras rub it and my post surgical don't give the support I need for a commute which includes 45mins fast walking. Has anyone any recommendations for seamless yet supportive non-wired bras that either finish below or above a sentinal scar (and if not may I recommend an entrepeneur develop some before Mon??).

@VeronicaWestonI am wearing M&S flexi fit bra, which was recommended by the breast nurse. They are very soft. I’ve also found the deodorant cream from the natural deodorant co very soothing on the sentinel node biopsy spot.

Thank you, two brilliant tips, will go and check out!

I used an unwired sports bra as the flex fit didnt give me enough support (big norks)

Early days i wore the surgical bra and then sports bra over the top as the surgical bra came higher up the armpit. Then I went down to one bra and I used a bra cup pad from a padded bikini top to pad/protect the scar side itself.