Cancer support thread #73 - come in, we're here for you.

[Trumpton]

Welcome to the new support thread for anyone who has cancer, at whatever stage of treatment, is worried about symptoms, or is waiting for tests or results.

This is the place to worry, moan, ask questions, share experiences and good and bad news, and celebrate milestones!

If you've got a loved one with cancer then your best place for support is probably on the Life-Limiting Illness board.

Our previous thread is HERE

Current members, please do introduce yourselves smile

@Skap no they said it's inconclusive at the moment. Yes to the lymph nodes. They're going to cherry pick them and I'm sure 7-10 days after surgery I should hopefully have the results.

I dip tested my wee this morning and it’s back to normal !
So the antibiotics certainly worked .
My plan is to rock up at unit and get bloods and picc line flushed ( and ,no doubt, a urine test .)

Note to self do NOT go to the loo whilst waiting to be called in .

And just take it from there .
And try not to cry if it’s a no !
Emotional times .

I have never watched Terms of Endearment Altho my attention span is like a gnat’s at the moment . I blame it on the “stupid juice”

I too started watching Cold Feet and turned it off .

I am in shock so sorry if this is garbled. Just had results back from a breast biopsy. I have invasive ductal carcinoma. Apparently it's very small, too small for the surgeon to even feel. And he says they have caught it very early. It looks like it hasn't spread to lymph nodes. It's either a grade 2 or stage 2, I can't remember. I need a lumpectomy soon followed by three weeks of radiology. I will need to take an oestrogen inhibitor as it is oestrogen sensitive. I feel sick and can't stop shaking and just feel like my world is ending.

Does anyone have any hope for me?

@Trumpton I'm so happy that's it's worked for you.

@peaceanddove Sorry to hear this. I have hope for you. It's such a shock to the system. What's your next step? Be kind to yourself xx

Thank you. I have a lumpectomy scheduled, followed by radio therapy.

@peaceanddove I have the very same about to happen. This is a good place to vent etc x

@peaceanddove it's a terrible shock, had they given you any clue when they did biopsy? Lots on this thread with breast cancer and experience of surgery and radiotherapy. I'm in the middle of radiotherapy myself. The first couple of weeks after diagnosis I found that I wanted to talk about it yet at the same time didn't want people to know. You can talk to people here. I had a lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy. Its normally a day surgery but sometimes overnight. I found I was wiped out for a week then gradually recovered over the next 2 or 3 weeks. The radiotherapy is tedious as it's every day for three weeks but otherwise not bad. I had chemotherapy which hopefully you will avoid.

nonotmemori thank you for reaching out to me. It's nice to speak to someone in a very similar situation. I hope your surgery goes smoothly on Tuesday.

@peaceanddove also this thread is known as the Patience Inn. A virtual pub offering comfort. Often people on at stupid o'clock if you need it.

@Trumpton great news and gingers crossed for your bloods and wee tomorrow . We should ask MN for some special cancer thread emoticons.
Bloods, Chemo, Radiotherapy ,Dire Rear, Steroids ........

I have no gingers to cross....

skap they led me to believe there was little to worry about at the biopsy, which is why I'm so shocked. No history of it in the family either. I just desperately want it to all be over and just be a dim memory. I don't actually want to talk about it, and have decided not to tell anyone other than my boss. We won't even tell family or our DCs. I just want it over and forgotten.

Did you have the same diagnosis as me?

@Skap you can cross me if you want 😂😂

@peaceanddove Loads of us here in the same boat. I haven't told my child as no point. I don't want them worrying. Thank you I'm feeling exactly like you in I want it all over and done with. I'm bored of hospitals and it's not even started yet! I haven't really told anyone. The few I have, have been supportive albeit bar one, but I'm fed up of the constant how are you messages... it's draining xx

@peaceanddove not quite the same diagnosis. Lump was tiny 7mm but aggressive so I had to have chemo.
I didn't want anyone to know at first, didn't want to be that cancer person. I gradually changed my mind and told people. My DC were 21/23 and we held off telling them for a couple of weeks. They weren't very happy about this at first but came round when we explained our reasons.

@Nonotmenori I did a rough calculation of how many hospital visits I have made in the last year....60ish.

@Skap Oh man! I think I've had 7 so far. My lump is now 18mm so it's grown, but I'm trying not to think about that. They don't know if I'll need chemo yet. Hope you're getting on ok with it? Well as best as you can do.

I've my fingers crossed for everyone on here.
I'm going to start asking about my MRI next Wednesday,the most meeting is a Tuesday so they have the results by then.I still haven't had a letter about the CT results(4weeks now).At least now I have a point of contact(someone clinical to nag).
If feels very disjointed and must I wonder how difficult it is to navigate the system if you are from outside.I know if I had been I would be waiting for a letter,been fobbed of a couple more times by the secretary and my MRI would be somewhere in the future.
So a bit more waiting...
I'm a laid back type but waking in the night tells me I'm not as unconcerned as I think.

PeaceandDove, I really do not mean to sound glib, because I ABSOLUTELY understand the sheer terror you are going through right now. What I want to do is to give you some reassurance. From what you describe, your situation is about the 'best' scenario in this terrible shitshow that is breast cancer. It is horrifying, scary as fuck, and painful and exhausting. But it is TREATABLE, and you WILL get better. There is sunlight on the other side of this dark, dark time.

You will get through this; please try to hold onto that. I'm sending you love and strength- you will find amazing support here on the thread, and we will all hold your hand while you are going through this awful time.

Joining everyone else in sending positive messages to @peaceanddove - there are loads of breast cancer experts here who can advise you every step of the way, and all of us Patience regulars will be cheering you on.

@Trumpton great to hear you have seen off the UTI, hope bloods and everything else are fine.
And greetings, sympathy, good wishes etc. to @TheHagOnTheHill, @Nonotmenori, @DaisyBD, @digerd and all who are dealing with diagnoses, treatments, uncertainties and unfathomable waits for appointments and results.

Nonotmemori I just keep reassuring myself that in only 18 days these bastard cells will be OUT and GONE! I don't know if that's the right way of thinking about it? If I'm being very naive?

Is your surgery next Tuesday?

BitofFun your post made me well up. You are so kind, thank you. Logically, I know I need to get a grip and stop catastrophising, my lovely mother in law had the same diagnosis and treatment as me, and she's still here over thirty years later. I know I'm still in shock because I feel cold and shakey, and feel quite nauseous.

I read upthread that you take oestrogen suppressants because your cancer is hormone sensitive. Can I ask what you take and how it has affected you?

I am puzzled why I don't seem to have a lump like other people? The consultant examined me and he couldn't feel anything either. Does anyone know why please?

Hello lacies. Not had cause to post here recently. Was diagnosed stage 1 breast cancer in May 2018. WLE and sentinal lymph node biopsy 23 radiotherapy sessions and tamoxifen since then.

Been pootling along quite nicely since then. Until this week when I had a small vaginal bleed. All the info seems to indicate possible endometrial cancer as a worst case scenario.

Am waiting for a call back from my oncologist about a referral to gynaecology. Panicking eversuch a bit. Am 49 with a 12 year old Dd

@peaceanddove can I recommend a book and website called Ticking Off Breast Cancer. Lots of practical and emotional tips and support there. Also the author never had a lump. I read it in two days and my attention span has been zero these last six months.
Also UK Breast Cancer Support Group on FB.
I hate FB but this is completely private and no-one can see it unless members. Lots of useful stuff on there.
Not everyone feels a lump. Some people seem to have huge lumps that may have been there a long time before they are discovered. Others have no discernable lump. There are lots of different kinds of breast cancer. Whether they are hormone or HER2 positive affects treatment quite significantly.

@chasegirl I'm so sorry you have this worrying situation - hope you don't have to wait long for an appointment, and that it turns out not to be worst case. Stay with us here and keep posting. Do you have a DP or close friend/family to talk to?

peaceanddove a lump too small to feel is very good news as it probably means that it's been found before it's had a chance to grow very much. Was it found on routine mammogram?
I know it's a real shocker but as BitOfFun says, things are looking good for you and before long this will be behind you. Chin up lovely.

chasegirl I was on tamoxifen for a while and also had some random vaginal bleeding which turned out to be nothing sinister. I think tamoxifen can cause the womb lining to thicken and bleed but mostly is not anything horrible, though of course they will want to check it out. Even if it is something which it probably isn't, bleeding is a very early sign, so again thats a good thing. Hard not to fret whilst you're waiting though.

I've now got dire rear thanks to the antibiotics treating the uti that I'm now susceptible to as a result of having chemo. Gah! My innards! The joy continues ...