When the nurse called my name, I couldn't help but feel a mix of fear and hope.I walked into the doctor's office, where the consultant radiologist sat with a serious look on her face and she explained that the results showed I had cancerous cells. My heart sank, and I felt tears well up in my eyes. C was real.
The tumour was a 25 mm lump, grade 3 invasive ductal cancer. They told me it was ER+ 7/8, which I didn't quite understand at first. But they reassured me that it was a positive result and that they were still waiting for the HER2 result.
They explained the treatment would likely consist of surgery, chemo and radiotherapy. And it would take a minimum of 6 months. And it was even possible to start chemo before surgery.
Mindblowing...the cancer word, the chemo word.
The clinical nurse specialist, who spoke with me, was super supportive and informative. She even drew me a little picture to help me understand how DCIS becomes invasive. And she also reassured me that ER+ was the most common type of breast cancer.
I didn't know what to say. I even asked her if I could still go on my vacation in August :)... and she said not to cancel just yet with a smile. But, it is highly unlikely.
I was referred to another hospital, nearer my home. It made sense as I would be spending many days there in appointments and treatments...My appointment with the consultant breast surgeon was booked for the 4th of April.
This whole experience has really taught me the importance of taking care of our health. We tend to push things off and tell ourselves we're too busy, but we need to make time for regular check-ups. Trust me, it's worth it.
