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💗

Waving back at @BatshitCrazyWoman KBO compadre!

Thank you. It would seem I’m one of the odd ones that it just wipes out. It’s a week today since I had it and my knees and my ankles are still delicate for want of any better way to describe them.

We were talking about it today just before my radiotherapy session and it’s likely I’ll probably have pain MEDS a few days beforehand. My next one is not for five weeks or so. Then I get another one six weeks later. Then I get another one is six months from the first one. Then they are six monthly till I’ve had a total of nine which should take me to about three years in.

No one seems to know how I will be affected by number two so I’m going to have someone come and stay with me that weekend as I get it on a Friday.

Radiotherapy two for me today all went well, so far I feel okay, quite glad I’ve got the weekend in between it and the last three.

Today l really want to give heartfelt thanks to my hospitals lovely breast care nurses who went above and beyond after I hit way too many flashbacks from hospital appointments for the last of the baseline tests this week that became full blown panic attacks. (Ìt is down to all but one of my family dying over the height of covid and me not realising going numb over so many deaths indicated I had gone into survival mode instead of grieving) They got me in contact with a lovely acute oncology nurse who took time to explain which drugs to take when for my first chemo on Weds and I could not control my panic and got into a mess with what to take when. they have also contacted the chemo ward staff to let them know why I am such a wreck and ask if my DH can wait on the ward in case he is needed and encouraged me to take in anything that helps me to feel safe and helps distract me.

Cancer Care Centre have made me an appointment to speak with a specialist bearvement counsellor who has specialised training in EDMR and traumatic bereavements.
After a shit few weeks I am starting to feel I have some people in my corner.

If anyone else feels they are alone on this unasked for journey, let the Breast Care nurse team know. From experience they will do what they can to support encourage and signpost you to who can help.

I hope you’re feeling better. I found myself in a similar situation. I’m currently in the same place (ie wards) as my DH was two years ago. He sadly passed last year after a long battle with leukaemia.

I do believe we really need to be kind to ourselves at the moment I’ve pulled out of so many things that normally soldier on with. And I’ve also taken up a good many offers of help. I had two wonderful cancer nurses sit with me for a good 40 minutes and one suggested that I may benefit from cancer counselling. I didn’t even know it was such a thing.

💐💐💐💐

@Thirdtimeunlucky2025
Thank you from my heart for sharing your awful experience.

Your doing so has left me feeling less alone. I am the one who has cracked and collapsed at every single appointment. That has been a whole new experience as I have never had issues with my MH before. My parents died in less than 18 hours of each other in traumatic circumstances. that was rapidly followed by seven close family and very close friends over the height of covid with full covid reg funerals which felt like waste management. NO chance to say goodbye, no chance to hold a meaningful funeral, no hugs, no support nothing but bleakness and being alone. I have meet one oncology nurse who was working over that awful time who lost close colleagues who when I explained it was not a needle phobia that had me crying and shaking but the enormity of what had happened to my family we both held each other as we cried and agreed it was an awful shit time that unless you had had too many die so rapidly in such a pandemic you would not really get. My Eldest DD who is a specilist burns nurse is of the opnion I have trauma related PTSD and has encouraged me to reach out to staff for extra support and has continued to encourage me for trauma bereavement counselling. At least my PTSD comes out as grief as if it has all just happened again and again rather than the complex PTSD from being badly injured whilst fighting she has to deal with with from some injured service personal.

I am so sorry you are in the same ward as your much loved DH was in. Reach out and ask for support as and when you need it and remember it’s okay to cry and if the nurses are anything like my daughter they will continue to give you all the support they can. IF they have offered to put you in touch with the speciliast cancer psychology supportive services and counselling….let them. They are there to support and give you a safe space to talk and having access to such can make a world of difference, admittedly not straight away, but over time you can start to catch moments of gentle joy amidst the sorrow.

I too have pulled out of all commitments for the next 12 months as you are right soldiering on would not be the wise option and will just do what I can when I can. let’s continue to be as kind and gentle with ourselves as we can be, grieve for those we love as we need to and let the support we have around us uphold us step by step.

@triballeader i’m very fortunate that DH is McMillan nurses are all still working where DH spent a lot of his final last couple of years. They were all pretty dismayed to see me turning up with breast cancer. Even more so after the year I had last year navigating becoming a widow.

It’s been a lot bittersweet to see those lovely ladies each time I go to the hospital but when I do have my moments of breaking down, they are so kind. Yesterday I even got the same doctor and because he knew about DH’s bone pain, he was so much aware of my anxiety having had such an awful experience with the bone infusion.

i’m really sorry to hear about your situation. I can’t imagine what it must be like for you. Sending you lots of virtual hugs and hopefully we will all get through this together and come out the other side well.

On a positive note this morning, I’ve actually woken up feeling human once more. I even thought about doing some gardening, I won’t because I don’t want to overdo it but it was nice to feel I probably could if I wanted to

4th radio today, last one tomorrow. Finally feeling myself after almost two weeks of feeling awful. Hopeful it’s going to last and after effects of radiotherapy are minimal or nonexistent would be better.

There a sign outside the radio suite saying “have you managed to exercise today?”, makes me laugh because most days I just about manage to walk from the car and go and do the treatment.

@Thirdtimeunlucky2025 hi ! Sorry to jump in..I was wondering if this was possibly your third time with BC ( as per your name) I am going through it for a third time atm myself!! Sending you very good wishes and hoping you can get out into the garden asap.

hi, no a third different cancer, just missed out on bowel cancer, but wasn’t far off polyps being cancerous, then an endometrial cancer, then this ductal cancer (just because I’m a woman, not inherited).

I’ve had DNA testing and at the moment there’s no link between the three, so just blooming unlucky

Oh poor you!! I’ve had two unrelated BC one in each breast. Then the first one from 24 years ago (!!) came back in breast so have had a double mastectomy. No ( known ) genetic link either probably down to being a woman..dense breasts early periods and ferocious hormones I reckon

Thought I would check in… so I’m on session 6 of my 10 radiotherapy’s today. It’s gone ok so far, I don’t feel fatigue and have managed to go to the gym for classes and also do some walking. My boob is noticeably more “red” ( I’m very pale skinned and this is very much like when I’ve been out with no sun lotion) I have also noticed that it’s shrink slightly, I would say it looks about 2cm shorter than my left boob.
I just have my last few to do and then the joy of commencing Tamoxifen a week after my last radiotherapy.

@LoudSnoringDog that’s great you are feeling ok on the radiotherapy and are managing the gym and walking.
I keep reading how much radiotherapy causes fatigue so it’s good to hear that it’s not always a side effect.

Are white blood cells affected by radiotherapy like they are on chemo? Do you still have a compromised immune system or is this not a side effect of radio?

I’m due to start radiotherapy early April so I need to find out as much as I can!

Chemo #7 for me today. Then only two more left after that!!

I’m quietly hoping that radiotherapy is nowhere near as traumatic or life limiting as chemo 🙏 Although I don’t want to assume and then be completely wrong!

@LoudSnoringDog great your chemo is going well and you can go to the gym etc I have a planning session for radiotherapy in a few weeks after I finish chemo, then start two weeks of radiotherapy in April sometime

@PoptartPoptart isn't it a good feeling finally coming to the end of chemo, I have my final one on Monday, I've struggled a bit the last couple been feeling really tired and aching, how have you been getting on? When I saw the Dr about radiotherapy he said its a walk in the park compared to chemo - lets hope so! x

Honestly having been through both chemo and radiotherapy twice ( both breasts 15 years apart) I would say radiotherapy is a real doddle compared to chemo.. I didn’t go back to work during it and it felt like I was on holiday 😉xx

The dr is right … radiotherapy for breast cancer is a walk in the park compared to chemo…. ime there’s no comparison at all really.

@Nonamelass thats really good to know!

@Lovewine1975 Yes to the feeling tired and achy. I’ve also been getting swelling in my feet and ankles which is uncomfortable. But nearly there!

Last chemo for you on Monday! Wow, that’s great!

Taken my first Anastrozole tonight and feel so down and worried about it. I have been so relatively lucky and I am very aware of that as I read your stories. Lymph nodes clear, tumour grade 2 in the end but just 12mm, no chemo. Waiting for radiotherapy. It's the best outcome, the op and recovery were fine and I am sanguine about the radiotherapy. But the thought of heading back to perimenopausal hell again is testing every bit of positivity I can scrape together.

I so feel your pain. I’ve been staring at a box of Letrazole for the past six weeks. I was told I could leave it till after the radiotherapy. That finished yesterday.

I haven’t been great this past two weeks. I can’t think of anything worse than being menopausal again. I was told maybe five years possibly 10 on these tablets.

These tablets ( I have to take Tamoxifen)- are the side effects pretty horrendous?

It's the luck of the draw. Some women have no or very few and manageable side effects, some find them very debilitating and really affecting their quality of life and obviously there are some in between, side effects not pleasant but they find ways to mitigate.

Congratulations on finishing radiotherapy.
Coming off HRT so suddenly has already meant a return to the 2am-4am insomnia and restless legs. It's manageable because I'm mostly working from home, but that won't last for ever and my commute is long and my alarm usually early.
I saw some one mention that they journal symptoms and brands as some brands can be easier than others so I am going to do that and read through some of the post treatment threads for other tips, I couldn't face them before. But this is the one bit that makes me want to stamp my foot and whine that it isn't fair even though I might be completely okay.
Good luck when you start your box.

Hi Ladies, I’ve been quietly lurking on this thread after diagnosis and surgery in Nov.
I’m currently on chemo, just done cycle 2 EC-T and having hardly any side effects ( long may it last!). After radiotherapy in April I’ll be starting on the dreaded Letrozole too. I’m dreading it more than anything else, as I, like everyone else, was doing so well on HRT. The thought of being on it for up to 10 years is awful. It’s like a huge step backwards. @VeronicaWeston the middle of the night waking is horrendous isn’t it ? I don’t know how society expects us to just get on with it as if it’s no big deal ?
@Thirdtimeunlucky2025 I think I’ll be leaving mine till the last minute too.
Someone on BCNow had mentioned taking a turmeric supplement to ease bone and joint pain and they said the oncologist had said it was ok. However, the general consensus everywhere is that no one really knows if it’s safe to take a turmeric supplement with letrozole but maybe ok add to food as a powder.
Does anyone have real life experience of this ?

That's just it @OMGitsthebigC it's a step back just when I was starting to look forward to the post menopause/DC left home/career goals met stage, to get excited about more travelling and a better work/life balance. I lost two close friends to this disease over the last decade and so I really know how utterly fortunate I am with the diagnosis (and for two week pathways and the NHS and all the advances in treatment since they were diagnosed) but there is still a toll to be paid and I am finding it hard.
I don't know re tumeric (currently in my lunchtime soup so hope okay!) but I am finding there is a lot of contrary info out there - collagen is fine/not fine, soya good/not good, never drink again/enjoy a glass. It's all a LOT.

@VeronicaWeston yep, I know. It goes without saying, really that we’re grateful for the NHS, treatment advances as well as hormone positive being a good rather than bad aspect of out diagnosis. But like you say, we are allowed to express our perceived injustice at it all too. I work in healthcare with12 hr shifts and 7 am starts. No way is this doable while awake from 1am.Thats before the other potential side effects. I may have to look into benefits if it continues.

I’m in a similar situation to you … looking forward to a fulfilled life on HRT, travel etc.

Hi all. I got my oncotype back today. It was high - 31. So looks like I’ll be joining some of you on the chemo route. 🙁