So I was diagnosed on Wednesday 25th November and to my shock it moved so quickly from that point, it’s been a mad schedule or appointments and screenings since then with my first treatment already booked in for 2nd December which is only one week since diagnosis! It seems easiest to just give a summary:
Wednesday 25th Nov: confirmation of breast cancer. I have stage 2 (some has spread to lymph nodes) a small 10.3mm lump behind my right breast which is grade 3 and HER2 positive.
Referral to oncologist from breast surgeon team. Call from the oncologist that evening asking if I could make an appointment the next day!
Thursday 26th Nov: meeting with oncologist to talk through treatment plan which will be 18 weeks of chemotherapy followed by surgery to remove anything that’s left (they hope to shrink the bastard right down) then some radiotherapy. I will be having chemo every week as a combination of 4 drugs 3 of which will be needed ever 3 weeks and 1 every week (will post further details in a separate first chemo blog). He and his team explained that I will have an Implantable Port inserted in my upper chest to aid the administration of the chemo. I will also need regular COVID screening (unsurprisingly).
Friday 27th Nov: lots on this day! Started with an echocardiogram to check my heart is ok. Sometimes the chemo can affect the heart so need to see what shape mine is in. Then a CT scan to double check the cancer hasn’t spread anywhere else. Then MRI to benchmark the size of my known cancer so we know how effective the treatment is. Then finally back to where I’ll be having my treatment for a COVID test and to talk through the first week of treatment.
Thursdays will be chemo day for me! Which does mean my first big day of chemo is my birthday! Then three weeks later is Christmas Eve but let’s just get on with this thing!
So next week I have to have the Port fitted on the Monday then it’s full speed ahead to see how this all works. As the team of nurses have said who knows what side effects will affect me and more on that when I’ve had the first one.
