2WW for breast clinic referral - anyone care to join me?

[OneMoreForExtra]

Referred to breast clinic yesterday after finally acknowledging I wasn't imagining the indent on my left boob. Normally I'm very sanguine and unflappy but this has me completely distracted and tearful. I've banned myself from Google (easy now as I've read everything ever published about breast indents over the last 24 hours) but have no idea how I'm going to avoid going bonkers while I wait. I don't want to talk about it IRL till I know if there's anything to talk about, but think I need an outlet. Anyone else in the same boat?

I’m not but I was earlier this year. I was very upset and scared. It was fine thank god. Most of these breast checks are fine so hopefully you’ll be one of the many who are fine.

Brilliant that you had good news! My obsessive googling has revealed that 80-90% of referrals aren't cancer so I know your story could be mine. And thanks for replying. I hope to be joining you in reliefsville on the other side of this.

I sympathise- I was referred 8 weeks ago- and told there would be a 6 week wait.

I was beside myself with worry.

I phoned Bupa ( I don't have health insurance) and was referred to a local " One Stop Breast clinic" at a local private hospital. I was seen within 24 hours. Examination, tests, results all within 2 hours, I was given the all clear the same day. And turns out the consultant I saw would have been the same one I was referred to at NHS hospital.

I don't know if that is an option for you financially OP, but it was worth every penny to me.

@speakout How much did that cost if you don't mind me asking? Approximately.

I’m here - have my appt on the 23rd. It’s more than 2 weeks for me unfortunately- my appt will be 3 weeks to the day since my gp said they were referring me. Tried to get on a cancellation list but apparently they don’t have one....

I’m in my late 30’s went to drs with a lump. She thought it could be a Fibroadenoma but wasn’t totally sure - it’s about 3cms and seems to have grown out of no where. It’s moves about so from what dr google says that’s a good sign. Since gp appt I have also found a much smaller lump (pea sized) at the bottom of my breast which doesn’t seem to moving as easy.

Am really starting to struggle with all the waiting - had an ghastly year and have some other stressful things going on as well. On the positive side I am over half way through my wait now!

Good on you for not going on google - I tried that but failed!

Sorry- thought I had mentioned.
Basic cost and consultation is £250, some tests are included in that.

@speakout Thanks for that. Thought it would have been much more expensive, it's handy to know.

Yes I was surprised at the cost.
The clinic was quick and efficient, part of a large private hospital.

I am a fan of the NHS , but £250 was well worth the money to avoid a 6 week wait.

Hello, I'm here too - appointment on the 29th for cyclic pain and lumpiness which has been getting worse for a few months. Fingers crossed it's just hormonal but that doesn't stop me imagining the worst. It took me three weeks just to get an appointment with my GP then a standard two-week referral.

Like you OP I haven't told anyone apart from DH and given vague details to my manager at work as I'll be off the day of the appointment.

to all who have gone or are going through this.

Ooh lots of replies! I thought I'd fallen off the bottom of the active list and vanished! So sorry you're all in / have been in the club.

Really useful intel about the private clinic Speakout . 6 weeks! I'd have gone round the bend.

I was referred on Monday and haven't had my appt through yet which isn't helping with the jitters because I have no fixed points at all. Should be within 2 weeks though (in theory).

Adding not feeling boob to banned list as that's another excellent way for me to fuel the catastrophising

I'm at the clinic Friday afternoon 😢

There is s lovely cancer / waiting for tests support thread on here, pop in and say hello.
I found a dent in April and it was cancer but I am on cycle 4 of 6 of chemo and going well. Some things to think on
I read there are only 37 diagnoses a day, the odds are in your favour of it being nothing.
There are many, many different types of breast cancer and the treatment plans for them are all different.
The private one stop shop quote for me was around the £1000 mark, I called for a cancellation and got one.
It will probably be the hardest wait time if your life, but it will soon go. I can't believe where I am now and how quickly it has gone.
I am 44, have two DD's and took until a confirmed diagnosis before I told anyone extended in real life. But do think about discussing it with any BFF / family member you are comfortable with, it helped me.


Notapizzaeater - good luck for Friday! Hope it’s in and out and done and dusted for you there and then.

Onemore - It took a week for my letter with my appt. hopefully won’t be any longer than that for you. I got a questionnaire to complete with it and that was all. No leaflet explaining what to expect or anything. Am hoping it’s a one stop shop type of clinic but despite all the googling imaginable I am no wiser of what happens at my local hospital. So I guess I can kind of look at it as a surprise hospital appt.

Anxiety is rising by the day - but am trying to remind myself that I can’t change or control what will happen, so stressing over it won’t help!

I’ve told a few people at work, including my manager (who actually offered to come with me) and a good friend. I find it’s helped - not told those that are really close like my mum as she will stress out too much and I don’t want to put her through that. Will tell her once I’ve been told it’s fine though! (See positive thoughts creeping in there! - I am trying!)

I'll be thinking of you on Friday Nota

Way to go with the positive thoughts Thingy !

I think I'm in similar mystery hospital visit land. Turns out my appointment letter arrived yesterday but had been tidily tucked to one side and I hadn't seen it. My appointment's next Friday - DHs birthday! I'm already feeling less panicky just knowing when it is.

Mrspotter thanks for coming on. I did peek into the other thread but wasn't ready to join in the very grown-up discussions on there. You sound amazingly sorted, although I'm sorry you've had to be. Are you able to work through your chemo? Sounds daft but that's one of the things I'm most bothered by - impact on work. Maybe because that's actually easier to think about than the impact on DS and DD!

Onemore- glad you got the appointment. It kinda helps as it’s one more thing that not uncertain now.

I’ve got 4 more full days until my appointment and I am actually less stressed the closer it gets. It’s wierd really. Got a really busy and stressful time at work to deal with and I think that’s helping. The shit is going to hit the fan at work next week, so we are gearing up to deal with that. And next week is full of school meetings, packing for our holidays, kids Birthday - so will have less time to stress. I think that’s actually helping me weirdly enough!

I'm going through treatment too. Head over to breastcancercare.org.uk for plenty of factual advice, helpline and a forum with plenty of friendly people who will be there for you and your family.
I wish you all the best and hope that everything is okay but, if not, I promise that the waiting period really is the worst part.

We are so lucky to have an amazing healthcare system that is proactively ensuring we receive the best possible treatment with plenty of support but the minimum of fuss, if that makes sense.

Hoping you got good news today, notapizzaeater

Thingy i agree with you about busy helping. I have similar work frenzy, not helped by spending the first half of this week in a haze so now I have even more to do, plus family staying and commitments around kids events. The busier the better at the moment. Interesting that you're feeling better the closer you get.

SueDunome (like it!) Thanks for the link. And sorry you're going through it. Interesting to think about the point that you and others make, about the wait being the worst part. We make it hard on ourselves by worrying it means we have cancer. The implication is that worrying we have it can be worse than actually having it. Which does suggest that learning to manage my mind better would have massive benefits of this does turn out to be bad news I'll ponder more on this!

I did thank yiu for the hand holding - hope everyone else does too x

Well that is BRILLIANT news! So glad for you. Hoping for the same for everyone else

I guess what we are saying is that, if you do have it (and I sincerely hope you do not), you will be given the utmost professional care and support, there will be people there for you and your family, and step by step, you will get through this and out the other side, a stronger person for the experience.

I'm a born worrier, but cannot believe how utterly calm I've been since my diagnosis. I can only put this down to the professional care I'm receiving, the support from friends, colleagues and online forums and the body's natural instinct to go into recovery mode.
Whatever happens, I know I'll look at life from a different angle in the future - there are few things worth stressing over.

Good luck

SueDu that's really comforting and very balanced. I'm massively grateful that I'm not weighing the cost of getting the checks done- the temptation would be to hold off and see if it got worse - and can only imagine how different this could be without the NHS, even at this stage.

Notapizzaeater - that’s amazing news! Hope you have had a lovely enjoyable weeekend!

SueDu - thank you for those words, I think I am a born worrier too, but knowing if the worst happens then there will be excellent care does help.

As for me, appointment day tomorrow. Was ok til yesterday early evening and the stress of everything hit me like a ton of bricks. Our family has had a rough ride the last 2 months and I have managed to hold it together though - but this is getting to be tipping point. On my way to work and my belly is constantly flipping - am hot, palpitations the works! Anxiety gone into overdrive I think

Am intending on heading to appt on my own- is that a bad idea? My close friends are at work, I haven’t told my mum so she isn’t an option. No partner, and my ex is not being overly supportive. (We still get on ok, and are still huge parts of each other’s lives we just aren’t a couple anymore for various reasons).

I went to appointment on my own. Much preferred it that way.
Not knowing is the hardest part of the whole journey. Everything else is comparatively easy.
Worse case scenario is usually still fine but a bit scary to start then you’re on a bandwagon of a years treatment. You need to be pragmatic and remember most women live with beast cancer. Most women do just fine. It’s a year of not very pleasant (but entirely manageable) treatment and excellent follow up care.
Fingers crossed you don’t have to travel along the breast cancer pathway but if you do stick with facts not hysteria and blind panic. Most women don’t have mastectomy- the lumpectomy has similar outcomes and you keep your boob. Chemo is two or three days of feeling like you have a virus every three weeks for six months. Radio is a bore as it’s daily but it’s like having sunburn.
You do get through it and come out the other side.

Thanks cherry! That does help - am prepared for the worst, but I know that the likelihood of it being the worst is unlikely.

Soooo my mystery appointment is no longer a mystery. Had a phone all today offering me a cancellation appt for tomorrow (after my actual appointment!) so I asked the lady how long it would likely take. “10 minutes” was her answer! Apparently dr takes a look at the lump and books further tests as they decide is necessary- so not the one stop shop I was expecting. A bit pissed off now as it is just drawing it out over a longer time. It’s 3 weeks tomorrow since I had the referral appt with the gp, and as I won’t be getting any tests tomorrow i am going to have to wait for more appointments to come through. Having spoken to a mate about it she says this happened to her colleague) who was unfortunately diagnosed 3 months after her gp’s initial referral.

Oh well - I will truly be in limbo now whilst I am on holiday next week. So much for a relaxing holiday!!!

You might have a needle biopsy within a 10 minute appointment but it’s odd it’s not a one stop, which is Gold standard. Be really assertive and depending on age insist on ultrasound/mammography. Don’t accept a wait and see based on the consultant opinion.