Please come and tell me your positive breast cancer stories.

[peaceanddove]

So just been diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma, picked up by a routine mammogram. It's been caught very early apparently, but will be having a lumpectomy followed by radiotherapy. I will also have to take something like Tamoxifen for five years afterwards.

To say I'm shell shocked is an understatement. I don't want to Google too much incase I read anything more upsetting, so would really really appreciate stories from anyone who has been similarly diagnosed but got through it and is now back to normal. If you can help, thank you so much xxxxxxxxxxxx

Oestrogen fired tumour here, early detected, operation (I opted for a complete mastectomy but for other reasons), 4 courses of chemo, tamoxifem - 18 years ago next september.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/3760336-Cancer-support-thread-73-come-in-were-here-for-you?msgid=93546292#

Hi Op hope the link works, there is a cancer support thread that may be of help to you I have stumbled on this thread often and had a read,the support/advice I have read on there is remarkable, it may help you
Sending you 💐

Similar diagnosis 2.5y ago. Chemo followed by mastectomy and 5y of Tamoxifen.

It wasn't fun but outcomes are generally very good and so it's mostly a case of focusing on getting through the treatment.

Just take information in at a pace you can manage. Accept help that's offered (including doing a PIP claim!). It's ok to feel shocked and scared.

I'm now working f/t again, I ran 5k this week, and have also been roller skating. The kids are still very small and remember when mummy was poorly and had no hair but deal with it just fine.

Good luck and

Thank you so much prokupatuscrakedatus, that is very reassuring to hear. Did you also have invasive ductal carcinoma? Did you find Tamoxifen affected your mood at all, as this is what I'm most scared of.

Hello weehoo. Can I ask why you had chemo rather than radiotherapy? And how has your mood been since taking Tamoxifen?

Not my story but a family member had a similar situation to you, except she felt a lump and then left it for 9 months. By the time she pursued it she found it had spread to her lymph nodes too.

All that being said that was 10 years ago now and she has been in remission for years.

That is good to hear Hoohahoo. Did she take Tamoxifen do you know? My surgeon seems confident it hasn't spread to my lymph nodes, and I really hope he's right.

Thank you again.

A good friend of mine had it 4?years ago. Mastectomy, chemo , radio and now taking Tamoxifen and is just fine.

@peaceanddove
No (sorry), I had what looked like an ordinary cyst and the mamogramme people told me all clear nothing to worry about, the people who emptied it said the same. Luckily neither my gyn nor I (3d generation BC) believed this.
Tamoxifem did not affect my mood it only made me carry a timer around to make sure I took it at the same time every day. My greatest problem was that I had two DC under two at the time.
The chemo made me vomit, but not as bad as I feared and only for the 1-2 days after.

And seeing that it was ages ago, medicine will have made lots of progress! Alle the very best for you!

Hugs to you I was diagnosed in 2013. Stage 3. Treatment was hell but a distant memory now. I'm still here and just had a baby last April! You can do this

Hi hypatiently, thank you for sharing that it is really reassuring to hear. I love you used the phrase 'distant memory' that's how I want to be. Congratulations on your baby, so I guess you didn't take Tamoxifen?

Diagnosed in 2016. Operation followed by radiotherapy.

Tamoxifen for 10 years. Annual mammograms.

Clear so far.

Good luck

I had cancer detected when I went to the breast clinic for a lump - that was fine,but they found a genuine problem...
Lots of precancerous change as well so I had a mastectomy.I was on Tamoxifen for 10 years which is what's recommended now,finished at the beginning of last year.
I didn't have any problems at all with it over the first 5 years,but I've had oestrogen shortage problems in the last years.I am 60 now though so that would probably have happened anyway!

My mum was diagnosed 15 years ago when I was 18 (she was 44). She had mastectomy, chemo, radio, and 5 years of tamoxifen. She’s still here, and has been fine for much of the time. I think the treatment lasted 6-12 months but all has been normal since. It sounds like you’ve caught it early, so even though it’s a shock, prognosis is good

Surgery followed by radiotherapy for my mym. They decided against tamoxifen as risks outweighed benefits for my mum. Didn’t take a day off work the whole time. I don’t know how but she got through it. Xx

We Have Snowdrops, how does the Tamoxifen make you feel? Any downsides? I'm worried about depression and loss of libido.

89765432, can I ask what the risks were for your Mum taking Tamoxifen?

Thank you Take Your Rubbish Home. It really helps hearing that women can survive long term. It's very reassuring.

My mum went through exactly the same thing three years ago. She got all the all clear after finishing two weeks of radiotherapy and has yearly mammograms. You will fight this and be ringing the bell at the end! ❤️

Infinite curve, thank you for sharing. Can I ask what the side effects of Tamoxifen are for you?

My DM had similar nearly 30 yrs ago. I've just got off the phone to her
All the best for your treatment

Oh thank you Shameless, that's just what I need to hear the most. Can I ask if your Mum takes Tamoxifen?

My DM had bc 28 years ago. I was a teenager at the time.
She found a lump in her breast and thought she was just getting the lump removed but she woke from surgery to find she'd had her breast removed as it was more widespread than initially thought.
She didn't have to have radio/chemo, but was on tamoxifen for a good few years.
We had a party when she was 5 years clear.

She luckily never had any reoccurrence and got used to wearing her prosthesis (unsure why she never went for reconstruction - think she'd had enough of people poking round.)
She's 74 next month! I'm now at the age she was when she developed it.

Good luck op, and to anyone affected by cancer. 🍀

That is so good to hear Daahlia. Thank you so much. My MIL had a mastectomy followed by radiotherapy, then Tamoxifen for 10 years. She was diagnosed over thirty years ago too.

The Girl From Storyville, I am so reassured to read this. I'm surprised your Mum wasn't offered chemo or radiotherapy, do you happen to know why?