Breast clinic referral tips for managing the fear

[Minimalme]

GP referred me yesterday for the two week wait breast clinic appointment.

For a couple of months I have had light pain in the same part of my breast and she "could feel something" when she examined me.

I am an anxious person who worries about my own mortality a fair bit, even with sertraline. It took a lot to actually see the GP as I was just ignoring it (shit strategy I know).

What are you tips for keeping the fear levels under control while I wait? I have been awake for a large part of the night worrying. I wish I was braver

Hi, I'm in exactly the same boat but a little bit ahead of you, saw the doctor two weeks ago and my breast clinic appointment is tomorrow. I've just been trying to keep busy really to stop myself from over thinking

Oh good luck for tomorrow @fudgecat

I have been trying to start a new sewing project but just want to lie in the sofa and sleep - I think the worry is making me feel tired and nauseous which isn't helping me feel calm

Fingers crossed all is well for us both.

I was in your situation a short while ago. I had a very quick mammogram, then I didn’t hear anymore for a couple of weeks when I was seen by the consultant. Luckily it was all normal but obviously you are going to worry until then. Try to think that it doesn’t always have to be the worse case scenario. Hopefully that’ll be the case.

That's it @Bohemian18 - most women going for a mammogram will be fine and even if they do find something, it's better the devil you know isn't it?

I am finding my fear comes and goes. I get moments where I think about it and fall down a rabbit hole of worry.

I have always wanted to be braver. I am resilient and can keep going through tough times but am oh so very scared of mostly everything

Wine?

The waiting is horrible but it will most probably be fine. I was so anxious before mine that I couldn’t eat or sleep much, but all was ok.
When a very old friend had a call back and two biopsies the wait was awful, I was worrying but again, it wasn’t anything bad at all, just fibrous tissue.
Try and do distracting things, I do know how hard that is though.

Maybe think about the odds. Less than 10% of people referred on breast 2WW have cancer (figure probably even lower for those referred for with pain and not a lump).

So firstly chance of you having cancer is v low. Then think of survival rates. The majority of people diagnosed with BC are cured.

That is how I try to approach worrying scenarios. It might or might not be helpful for you.

Hi there. I can completely relate.

I must say, when I had to wait, I was desperately seeking reassurance from everyone I could. I found so many people said that they had similar experiences and had cysts or just completely benign lumps.

Another thing I was told by the doctor is that pain is very rarely a sign of breast cancer.

Wishing you all the best

I was recalled from a routine mammogram a few months ago and ended up w having a biopsy. I was so worried but all was well.

i just had to put it out of my mind - was ok until a couple of days before the results (only waited a week). Watch crap on TV, read trashy novels/mags etc.

ive had such a bad run w health recently and awaiting other results to do with my digestive system atm and have been really worried/anxious for 2 months now!! I had a really bad couple of weeks when I could barely function with anxiety but it did resolve (one test was fine and im
having another next week).

I’ve leant heavily on DH and some close friends and my line manager has been good too telling me off (nicely) for worrying so much.

Hope all will be ok.

If it helps op I had similar, pain and difference in the feel of the breast. Turned out to be absolutely nothing to worry about. I found it helped to try to put it to one side whilst waiting. There was no point in me worrying about anything until I knew what it was. I know that's easier said than done though

Take a cardigan or hoodie with you to the hospital, they give you a wraparound gown to wear but you can be there a couple of hours & it gets quite chilly.

Make sure not to use spray deodrant or talc as this can affect the mammogram.

My two week wait was actually three weeks; the waiting is brutal. I found the radio helped a bit as it gave me something else to focus on; I bought a new one as the World Service in the wee small hours was particularly dull and depressing one night - a programme on a Tongan volcano, followed by one on dark matter, then exercise for asthmatics, culminating in Jews talking about music in the concentration camps... Radio 4 Extra on my new radio was much better!

Wishing you well💐

@Minimalme that’s it the fear comes and goes. I even delayed seeing the GP which I won’t do again. I found reading other similar threads on here helpful, you realise there are many other women going through the same and most posts are reassuring with positive outcomes. All the best x

So, I've had breast cancer, a long e ago now. At my clinic there must have been 100 women. I was the only one who had cancer. You'd have to be unlucky.
And I'm fine now xx

My job is to refer people on the 2ww pathway and I've referred thousands to the breast clinic. Can hand on heart say that it's less than 1%, that actually get a diagnosis. Please try not to worry xx

Also I had no pain at all, just a very obvious pea sized lump.

This is all so helpful thank you for taking the time to share your experiences and wisdom with me.

I was always terrified of flying until a friend showed me a website which demonstrated how many planes were in the airspace at any one time. It took my focus away from me, on a plane that could crash, to 1000s of people up in the air safely getting to their destination.

I am off to bed now. I am going to crack on with my quilted jacket tomorrow so I can wear it at my appointment, as per good advice upthread

I read a piece of advice from a US woman waiting for test results when I was waiting to go to the clinic - she said you can allow yourself to be as scared as you like but you have to gather your strength and take a run at the problem. There is a lot of routine testing in the US system with yearly mammograms and so a lot of scanxiety.

I've been twice now to the symptomatic breast clinic and both times I was okay - the Dr said 9/10 lumps were benign. I hope yours is too.

Hope all goes well for you too Fudgecat 🌷

Hi can anyone help. Went for breast screening and now received a letter that needs further investigation im terrified. A previous mammogram showed thickening breast tissue and a cyst im hoping that's what has showed up. I'm not being seen for 4 weeks. Does this sound like an urgent appointment

@Sandsbeach12 , you need to start your own thread if you want people to reply to you. This is an old thread. Good luck.