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💗

First of the EC chemo this morning. I feel ok. Bit spaced out, slight headache. I was warned about the red urine. I have steroids and anti sickness meds, and injections from Tue.

@cancerycaramelbear You had chemo on Easter Sunday morning? Poor you!

Keep drinking lots of water to help flush out your system - the more water you drink the paler your pink urine will get. It used to take 2-3 days for mine to completely clear.

Take all the sickness meds as prescribed - even if you feel ok. It’s much easier to stay on top of the sickness by preventing it from starting, rather than trying to play catch up once it’s begun.
Paracetamol is your friend for headaches.

Top tip for the injections - an hour before take paracetamol and an antihistamine (Clarityn is the brand name but you can get generic loratadine much cheaper from any pharmacy). People say it helps prevent bone pain associated with the injections, and I have to say it seemed to work for me.
I also got some Emla numbing cream from the pharmacy and applied it an hour before. Squeeze a big dollop on your tummy and cover with cling film. You can also get this on prescription for free from your doctor going forward as it’s not cheap.

Half an hour before take the injection out of the fridge.

Wipe the Emla cream off with an antiseptic wipe and inject slowly at a 45 degree angle.

Good luck with it all - you’ve had your first one so you’re now on the way to the finish!

@PoptartPoptart thank you for those excellent tips! Sunday chemo means dh can always come, and the volunteers gave us an Easter egg each! I’m feeling ok, out for a walk just now. Still just a bit spaced out. And yes, one down, five to go!

For those of you that did the Zolandronic acid did you find that 7 to 10 days after a treatment you were absolutely wiped out. Like it’s an accumulative effect treatment.

Did my second about 10 days ago and have felt absolutely wiped out again but more just so in the past few days. (Fortunately no pain this time).

@Thirdtimeunlucky2025 I had my third Zometa (zolendronic acid) last Tuesday. I was more tired than usual the couple of days after, but now, just over a week later, I'm fine.

I had a horrible reaction to metoclopramide, made me feel so wired and agitated. They have given me a different anti sickness medication now.

Just completed second lot of chemo. it took forever as the oncologist has ordered everything to be done super slowly and with extra steroids via infusion. Four more to go pre surgery. Now all l need is a latex free cotton post surgery bra with none seamed cups.

Thanks to a spectacular flare up of eczema for week three on top of other side effects I now have steroids for the following week and not the usual three days post chemo. I cannot use anything other than dermol to wash with and have zero base to try and make my world a tad nicer. IT was one thing to think I had chosen hats and headwraps over wigs but quite another to have my skin take that choice completely off the cards. Now down to cotton and some bamboo fabrics only.

lets just say I have now ordered the specilist cotton eczema pjs with built in mitts after a week of doing everything I could NOT to scratch and risk damaging skin and skin infections. My nails are now kept so short it’s depressing and the next person who sends me a helpful fb message about stick on eyebrows and eye lashes is going to get it with both barrels.

At least today’s chemo nurse who watched me like a hawk for any hint of an allergic reaction understood. Poor soul is so reactive to even traces of gluten in food they accidently eats they ends up in A&E and off work for two weeks.

Truly hope the rest of you have had a far better week.

@triballeader - sorry its been so shit, I dont know what to say - chemo is shit, and having had a reaction I had long infusions too so it does drag it all out. The eczema is dreadful, I have had some but nowhere near as bad as yours sounds - I hope it clears up for you really soon, best wishes to you I know its really hard to get through without all these extras.

@triballeader

Sending hugs, sounds like such a lot to deal with.
I had my second chemo yesterday. The chemo itself has been ok. Ive had some lovely side effects which I imagine will build over time but manageable for now.
It has however revealed that my blood pressure is through the roof so will need to get that sorted.

Not posted for a while but I now have all of my various biopsy results and am scheduled for surgery next week. I have bilateral cancer, so am having lumpectomies in both breasts. I'm grateful that I had an MRI as that is what identified the second tumour.

Because of having bilateral cancer I've also had a genetic test but won't get the results back for another month at least.

I need to think about bras and clothes for post surgery - any ideas welcome. I've not been very organised.

I had bilateral surgery. Clothes wise, I just bought button front pyjamas, I was getting dressed pretty quickly, needed a bit of help first few days but that was because of a battery pack on the wound dressing. The hospital put me in a post surgical bra and I bought M&S flexifit ones. I bought a cream deodorant in a jar which I still use, as it felt so moisturising and soft. Good luck!

I got myself front buttoning pj’s from Sainsburys for hospital stay as I thought id likely want to bin them later but actually are really comfortable.

the hospital gave me a zip fronted bra but I moved onto a sloggi zero feel bralette because of the lymph node removal site and the sloggi was softer underarm

i worse loose tops and tracksuit bottoms.

I took my iPad and headphones which I was glad of because I had a delayed start of a few hours. (Today I paid £40 for ad free channel 4 tv, didn’t know it was so cheap. Wish I’d done it sooner as watch a lot ch4).

Hope it all goes well 💐💐💐

Hi, I had bilateral too, a mastectomy and a lumpectomy. The bras I found comfiest were hook and eye ones from Asda of all places! And get a couple of different style bras as I found wearing the same style every day, as they are right, got uncomfortable after a couple of weeks.

And I got a couple basic shirts and cardigans (it was December) from M&S to wear with tracksuit bottoms, jeans etc. I had drains in so showering was a bit of a faff and for the first couple of days I needed help, mainly with washing my hair, but after that I was fine.

if you’re having a drain, get a bag to put it in, you don’t need any special clothes, the drain will come out the bottom of whatever top you’re wearing.

I found my poncho better than a cardigan

How is everyone? I’m now 8 days post chemo one. It’s been ok, I’m up and about now, taking it easy. Managing a wee bit of yoga and walks. Last filgrastim injection today. Next one in just under two weeks.

@cancerycaramelbear I had a fasting blood test this morning and it was discussed my stopping the letrozole for a few weeksto see if it’s that that is causing my fatigue.

it’s good that you are up and about and managing a bit of exercise. 💐💐💐

@Thirdtimeunlucky2025i met someone at a support group who was having a letrozole break due to being unable to sleep 😕. Not looking forward to that stuff.

Stuck home today (post chemo day 5 so tired, aching joints and joy of joy dynorod but with drugs from the hospital to counteract) sick of side effects of bloody chemo.

can I ask a question please…how the hell do you sleep post masectomy with auxiliary lymph node clearance? It’s due this summer. I trialled using my v shaped pillow last night but it cranked my neck which was horrible. Dh has suggested some kind of wedge pillow with my normal pillow on top…beds kingsize does he have to be banished as he offered to sleep downstairs.

TBH more scared of sleeping on my own than with him.

@triballeader I used one of these from Amazon. It’s good for lots of different positions.

@triballeader also, we’ve got a king sized bed and this fits fine on my side with DH next to me. It’s good because it offers me a bit of protection from
him accidentally rolling over onto my side or accidentally hurting me.
I like to sleep slightly to one side with my legs hooked over the side bit.

I didn’t have mastectomy but was only allowed to sleep on back. I made a nest with pillows on each side and two under my head, the top one at an angle. And heart shaped pillow under the arm that had the biopsy. Really hated not being able to sleep on my side!

I seem to have the opposite. I can’t stay awake.

Hi I hope I can join here as it seems a safe place to ask questions and field concerns . I had an appt at the breast clinic yesterday due to having a cluster of small cysts under my right breast . Waiting for biopsy but mammogram showed it’s suspicious and a cyst in the left which u can’t see or feel it and most likely benign but don’t know , but being referred for an mri and ct scan now . Guessing I’m in the dreaded wait for the biopsy which will tell us more … hopeful to hear anyone who has or had a similar situation . If I’m being sent for the scans it’s probably more serious right as surely the biopsy can tell me most of it

Hi @Firework73sorry you are here, it’s a horrible time, the waiting. The scans will be them following protocol and being thorough. My team sent me for CT because of the size of my tumour and the area of calcification around it (totalled 5cm). That was the worst bit.

The best advice I can offer at present is the only thing that helped me at that point was distraction. Whatever takes your mind from going into the dark places.

sending strength to you.

Hi, hoping to join here too. Had my recall appt today after my first routine mammogram, and from googling had thought that was quite standard. But turns out I have a 9mm lump on my right breast which they suspect is cancerous. Had the ultrasound, biopsies and more mammograms, and am booked in with the surgeon for the results on 29 April, but it’s been such a shock.

Wondering, amongst everything else, how and when to tell my 12 year old?