Bad news today

[badnews943]

Had a nightmare today. Received news that I have type 3 breast cancer which may be in my lungs. I'm having a lung biopsy next week but the Dr seemed pretty certain.

I'm not sure what to think. Any advice or support?

I have some news. I'm meeting an oncologist on 4 August to discuss chemotherapy. Apparently all my results aren't in yet but they want to start chemotherapy irrespective of the results.

Good luck badnews943 prayers are with you . I am pleased that macmilan nurseing are helping you with universal credit and p.i.p we try to do a claim in about a week . Very good luck to you on your journey , my dad had throat cancer in the 2001 at 81partly in the lung as well they cured him ,don't give up please good luck with your treatment . Please tell us how things are going with you . William dwp

That’s great. There are a number of reasons that they may want to start treatment before all of the results are in - including initial findings that it may be a certain type of cancer and that chemo is the best treatment while they are awaiting the rest of the results and the outcome of the MDT meeting. You’ll probably find that they’ll modify it and may add in other treatments once all the other test results are in, but the fact that they are cracking on with the treatment is great news.

I will be thinking of you between now and then, and especially on 4 August.

You have every right to feel scared and overwhelmed.

Something concerning happened today. I had an appointment with the Respiratory clinic and wanted to know what the appointment was about because if its my biopsy results, I'd prefer to hear that at the oncology appointment.

They said it would be to discuss the results and cancelled the appointment. I didn't ask them to cancel the appointment as I'm having breathing difficulties and have a chest infection so obviously want help with those.

I have no idea what's going on as the BC Dr said to speak to respiratory about my breathing issues.

Oh gosh, that sounds really disconcerting, especially as you are having breathing issues.

How are you feeling now?

@badnews943 Sorry to hear they cancelled your appointment. Could it be due to the doctors' strike that is currently taking place?

No, it's not due to the Dr's strike. I'm fearing the worse and thinking that they were going to give me bad news and have just handed me over to oncology - so obviously that's frightening.

However the BC Dr told me to speak to respiratory about my breathing issues and chest infection. I was hoping they could help alleviate them eg inhaler, steroids, antibiotics.

I contacted Macmillan today and they said oncologists don't deal with those kinds of issues so I don't know what's going on. Obviously if my enlarged lymphs are causing the breathing issues, chemo will hopefully help, but in the meantime it's debilitating.

Meant very kindly, because I completely understand why you want to do it, but I wonder if you trying to get them to coordinate appointments and news etc into single appointments and control timings of being told results is complicating things.

I've found that hospitals have very defined pathways for things and don't tend to coordinate between departments much. Certainly where I am under multiple departments just have to follow the track of each.

I know it's tough, but you might find that it works better to just go with what they say in terms of who you need to see about what and when?

Wishing you some positive news at your upcoming appointments.

I'm not 'coordinating anything'. The oncologist will tell me all the test results on the 4th. In the meantime I have breathing difficulties and a chest infection that need attention.

@badnews943 Can your GP help at all with the breathing difficulties or chest infection? I'm under respiratory for asthma, but it's normally my GP who deals with chest infections.

I hope you receive proper medical care for this asap. Not being able to breath is horrendous.

I hope you manage to get some sleep tonight

No, my GP can't deal with it. I was referred to Respiratory because I had breathing difficulties for nearly a year and an infection that isn't responding to antibiotics. I would have thought respiratory would know how to alleviate it.

@badnews943 Is the GP certain it's an infection? Did they do sputum tests? Have you been on different antibiotics eg Azithromycin, Teicoplanin etc? You presumably have.

Yes, respiratory is of course the optimal dept to help diagnose and treat breathing difficulties eg asthma, infections, COPD, etc etc etc

We can't know why they cancelled your appointment. I do know the Dr strike is affecting appointments, treatment and communication / advice atm.

Yes, I've had two x rays and a CT scan, the Respiratory team said it was an infection and I did a sputum test. The test showed purulance. The Respiratory Dr told me I'd need antibiotics. I've previously had amocycillin and doxycillin neither of which worked.

I'll phone Monday but I'll also contact my Dr and see if they'll let her know the treatment eg which antibiotic and she can prescribe. It will be a lot quicker.

You’re becoming very rude to people who are trying to help you. No one is censoring you, you are trying to co-ordinate appts etc, and I’d even go as far as to say you’re trying to control everything going on around you. And that’s understandable if it makes you feel as if you have some control over what’s happened to you but the previous poster is correct in that it could possibly be causing problems.

No one here is against you and I would imagine that most of the people posting on your thread (myself included) have had, or still do have cancer. They understand what you’re going through but unless there is something else such as Neurodiversity playing a part in how you’re taking/understanding some of the very innocent/reasonable things said, you really do need to stop being so off with posters trying to help you.

I'd really appreciate it if you no longer post on my thread.

I'm sorry you are having to deal with this pretty much by yourself. It must be terrifying. Please keep posting if it is helping you by writing it all down.

@badnews943 I’ve no intention of posting any further. Your unnecessary abrasiveness in response to posters trying to help you isn’t something I want to read. I do sincerely wish you well though.

Wishing you a good treatment plan. Waiting for the MDT can seem so long. August will be here before you know it

You'll be missed.

I'm so sorry to hear that, lots of love to you and your family

@badnews943 keep writing everything down, here in your safe space. I do the same, but on another thread, with a group of others. We say what we want and when we want.

Waiting is the absolute pits, but eventually a plan is formulated and you start to move forward.

Thinking of you.

Thanks. This is the thing, I don't want to know the results. I'm absolutely terrified of what they're going to tell me. I'm afraid that the reason the Respiratory clinic cancelled the appointment is because they've handed me over to oncology.

At the moment, I have hope that this can be cured. Obviously I want to start treatment as soon as possible but how can they if I have a chest infection?

I hear you.

Yes, it does seem strange that respiratory have cancelled your appointment. As you say, you need to be in reasonable health before you start any treatment, which means rattling the respiratory teams cage and getting a decent and effective medication to deal with this infection. There is plenty out there, to help with your breathing but
we have to be our own advocates of our own health it seems.

Feeling terrified and not wanting to know the results, is to be expected and you are reacting normally, to an abnormal situation.

Hello OP, I am so sorry you are going through this. What have you been doing today?