Please hold my hand. Possible breast cancer.

[LoveWins86]

I went to the doctor 2.5weeks ago with two new lumps in my right breast, one which moves around and feels smooth and is closer to my armpit, and the other, moves still but to my touch wasn't as smooth. She said they were probably fine, and both were smooth and movable, probably fibroadenomas caused by hormones. I'm 43, and still give my 4yr old a comfort feed to sleep (not sure they get any milk tho...)
I questioned her saying I felt the main lump in the breast wasn't as smooth and she reiterated it was, but referred me to the breast clinic.
Breast clinic is running behind (their words) in their appts, leaving me panicking by yesterday, so I went for a private ultrasound.
Well the sonographer wasn't very positive, said that the main lump is suspicious but she couldn't confirm either way.
Also some axillary tissue is different or something?
I'm just spiralling. I have three kids who i don't want to leave. If it is cancer, is the smaller, smooth lump already a cancerous lymph node meaning it has spread? The lump in the breast is about 2cm already and has 'some suspicious features'. I can't find a single picture on the internet that looks like mine, not even the cancerous ones. She mentioned a possibility of it being a lactating adenoma that could have been there a while but which I didn't notice until I deliberately lost 1.5stone. It seems unlikely though, given the second smooth lump?
NHS has finally given me an appt with a consultant for mammogram, ultrasound and biopsies for next Friday and in the meantime I am imagining it spreading, and me not being treatable. It's awful.
I really need a hand hold. And I need to be here for my kids.

@biops im trying to find your post was it you who had questioned about tnbc? I’m just getting round to giving you my experience but I can’t find the post, please feel free to PM me if you have any questions x

Hi sorry for the delay.

I would have it on a Thursday and would go downhill a bit on Sunday & Monday then absolutely fine by Tuesday and back in work.

No sickness just felt a bit weak and out of it. Then it would pass.

Drink plenty of water.

Absolutely do the cold cap. I lost my hair but not completely. When chemo finished I had it cut back to its shortest point and it grew back like mad. Don’t shave your head. It’s not painful, just cold to start off with.

Good luck

I had BC in 2020. Cold cap was fantastic and I kept almost all my hair (which was long and thick). Once the initial freeze was done I found it fine. I just made sure I was wrapped up (despite the hot lockdown summer). It adds around half an hour to your treatments but for me it was well worth it. I didn’t have any chemo side effects. I had four cycles of Paclitaxel. I walked to the hospital and back which was a 6 mile round trip. BCN said the exercise would help my liver process the drugs. I realise this is not convenient for everybody but exercise really really helped. Good luck!

Wow, thank you @Squirrel437 and @TheFormidableMrsC for sharing your experiences. So heartening to think I may well be able to be a good mama to my kids between doses.
Did you have EC-T, @Squirrel437 ?
I've bought 3 or 4 beanies to show my youngest and prepare him for what mama might have to look like for a while whilst the medicine does its job and he thinks they're great at the moment.
Not sure about looking into a wig.
Losing my eyebrows stupidly worries me!
Thanks to everyone who has helped me so far. I am so appreciative. Xx

@LoveWins86 one step at a time. I also cold capped through 16 cycles and kept most of my hair. It’s really thick now although I’ve gone short, which suits my lifestyle better. I used cold mitts and socks too, as I was getting some neuropathy.

Before chemo, I managed to get my brows microbladed and that helped to keep my face framed through treatment. I’ve kept that up and it is great for my thinning brows (age!). Other friends used transfers, which worked well. One way or another, you’ll get through it and will be so proud of yourself. It’s all a bit overwhelming to start with.

Hi again. I expect you'll have been doing some more homework on this but just re-read your post asking how long you feel bad for. They count day 1 as the day you go in. So in terms of what you can eat, day 1 will almost always have to be the best. Longest gap since the previous cycle.

When friends asked when they could come to see me I would say day 2 ( following the chemo) and then probably get them to steer clear until day 11 perhaps. But you are on different drugs to me. I think it's generally true for those on 21 day cycles, that days 2 or 3 through to about 10, 11 or 12 are the worst for most people.But you may not be on 21 day cycles. Remember you must keep flushing the drugs out. They will offer you drinks while you're having the infusions.

The more cycles you have, the worse the fatigue gets and other issues can develop so when you're quite far through it, like maybe for the last one, you may be out of action to some degree for almost all three weeks ( again based on a 21 day cycle), if you develop stomach bugs or some other side effect that rumbles on..Take all the meds and rest whenever you need to. best wishes.

Yes EC-T 6 sessions in total
Lost my eyebrows and eyelashes around session 6/6
Eyebrows came back nice n thick quite quickly but now back to their usual sparse.
Eyelashes are good.
I had a wig, no one realised it was a wig. Dumped it about a month after the post chemo hair cut and never put it back on. Hair came back curly, now it’s long and thick, and it’s now straight just like before.

@Squirrel437 just wanted to say as didn't want to read an run. YOU are amazing.

You are too kind. We are all amazing however we tackle it. Publicly, privately, with wig, without wig, working, not working, cold cap, no cold cap.

Find what works for you. Don’t let anyone tell you what to do.

During one chemo session, a lady also having treatment came over to my chair and said “you need to shave that off”. No I didn’t. I was cold capping and wearing a wig when not at my treatment session.

You do you love and leave me do me. Don’t let others tell you what to do or feel. I didn’t.

On the subject of hydration, with EC I'm really struggling to drink plain water. It does taste like chemicals as someone mentioned. I have found squeezing lemon juice into warm water is more tolerable - you'll need a few lemons as the metallic taste usually lasts a week or so although everyone will be different.

I also struggle with drinking water like others on here. . Lime cordial in water seems to help a bit. Any flavour of kombucha seems to be fine too. Something about the tartness of it seems to taste ok.
The whole taste bud thing is tricky with food too. Is trial and error to find foods that do not taste revolting. Tbh I am happy to find food which tastes of nothing. Cannot wait for taste buds to recover post chemo.

Lime cordial is a great idea. I will try that too and yes, I can't get my taste buds back, hopefully in time for Christmas!

I have the same sort of thing with taste and drinks...as well as lemon and lime flavours, watered down orange juice seems to work, as well as (decaf) coffee. Things that are sour / bitter seems to be good...

Hi all,
So... I start EC tomorrow at 10.30am.
Pretty terrified but trying to stay calm.
Any top tips for the day?!
I'm not cold capping after all. So hopefully the appt won't be too hideously long.
Sending love to all.
@Maisy7 and @biops how are you both doing?
Xx

Hi @LoveWins86 ive been there myself with that treatment. Take all the meds they ask you to. Plenty of fluids before and after - the delights of red wee should be explained to you and doesn’t last long!
I was anxious but it was a fairly short and straightforward treatment, although either side of it was longer due to cold capping. My dh came with me.
try to balance rest and movement in the following days. I felt a bit green and tired days 4-7 (treatment was day 1).

they will explain how to do the injections, if you’re listed for them. I found loratadine tablets and a heated blanket helpful for the aches and pains that showed it was stimulating the good cells.

if you can get some lemon or fruit sherbert sweets in, this helps with any claggy mouth feelings.

take it steady, you’ll be one down and on your way through.

@LoveWins86 I’m pleased you’re getting started tomorrow, I appreciate it’s terrifying too! Sending you lots of positive thoughts.

Not great to be honest. Was due to start chemo next week (paxiotel and carboplatin, excuse the spelling!) but my liver function results are out of range so I now need an ultrasound on my liver delaying treatment, and leaving me stressed wondering what’s going on with my liver.

My MRI result also came back this week with the tumour being bigger than anticipated pushing me into stage 2 and now requiring immunotherapy. They’ve seen something in a lymph node that needs looking at as well.

So not great tbh. Been away with the kids this week and just want to curl up in my own bed and cry. I still can’t believe this is happening to me.

@LoveWins86 for me this was the hardest treatment. As op have said, take all the drugs offered and pace yourself. You can absolutely do it, your strong and you will get there, one day at a time.

just think to yourself, if this treatment is really kicking my ass today, then it’s also kicking cancers ass. Try and be kind to yourself. I found even water repulsive but could manage sparkling water so do whatever you need, McDonald’s, fizzy drinks, cordial, whatever your body can manage. You got this!

Take a hot water bottle if you like them - can be comforting during treatment even if you're not cold-capping. Agree re sweets and fizzy drinks for claggy mouth - take some and experiment - different things work for different people... (Ice lollies also good, but possibly more practical at home afterwards!)

Sending hugs..It's going to be fine. The nurses know what they're doing. Deep breaths. You've got this 😁 x

I was petrified for my first treatment. Appt was between Xmas and NYD.
Took a bucket with me in the car for the journey home - not needed
Slept that night with bucket - not needed.
Fell over the bloody bucket in the night getting up for a wee.
Bucket went back in the shed and never came out again for all my treatments. Was never sick.
Yes red wee was a thing. Tastebuds never changed.
Treatment was a Thursday AM or PM. Weakness would hit Sunday / Monday. Then Tuesday back in work like nothing had ever happened.
Good luck it’s not as scary as you think xxxx

Oh, you poor sweetheart! 😢 Your last sentence just broke me. It all sounds so awful, but it will pass, it really will. Whatever's going on with your liver etc. the outcome will be just the same as before - a drug treatment regime, and once it gets started, it will get to work killing all those bad cells. They just need to do those tests to find out what drugs and dosage is best for you, as they might want to switch it up if something's off with your liver. Whatever it is, the treatment will deal with it. And it might not be anything. Spots light up all the time, blood tests can be influenced by things like dehydration. They'll probably want to repeat those tests.

You just need to get your regime started so that it can get to work. You'll feel better once it's in there, punching and kicking that cancer. Being in this limbo is a dreadful place to be.

Comforting thought that I saw on a prescription: "Your doctor has prescribed this medicine because the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects."

I know several people who went through months of chemo for breast cancer - and not small, early-stage cancers either. Although it laid them up at the time, that was a few years ago. These days, they're running around like three-year-olds!

People do have cancers that are aggressive and not early stage, and they do have chemo, which can be difficult, and they do go on to get better. This too shall pass. 💐💐💐

Hope it went OK, @LoveWins86. You're very brave! Just think, all that chemo is in there beating the crap out of those bad cells. It'll be hard at work 24 hours, including while you're sleeping. I like that thought.

When my dad had cancer, and the treatment would make him feel tired or ill, I would say to him, "Well, Dad, if you're feeling bad, then the cancer cells are feeling bad, too!"

It'll pass. It really will. I know people who had to go into hospital while on intensive chemo because their immune systems were too low and they were at risk of infection. Bad effects, in other words. All those people are healthy and well now, doing river hikes (ever tried to wade through water?) and marathons, and all sorts.

Sending you lots of love and affection and a hand-hold. 💐💐💐

@Squirrel437

Had the bucket.

Had the bucket.

Fell over the bloody bucket.

🤣🤣🤣 Thanks for the laugh!

Can I ask why they say you have to flush the drugs out? I'd have thought it would be better to not to that, so that they have more time to work?

@CrazyMidget hi I'm afraid it's poorly worded to say to " flush the drugs out " but it is standard advice..Chemo drugs are hard on the liver and kidneys..By the time it comes to weeing, the drugs are already in the body , or in your system and cant really be flushed out but it is better if you can keep the urine diluted and keep it flowing regularly. So it's really that you want to flush out the by products of the drugs..

It also helps keep nausea at bay ( to a moderate extent, not in the peak nausea window though)..