Recently Diagnosed with Breast Cancer

Hi Graceful Rose,

Thanks for getting in touch and welcome to our online community.

My name is Carole and I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists on the Macmillan Support Line.

I’m sorry to read that you are very anxious and scared. Anxiety can be a natural reaction to some situations and it’s normal to experience a range of emotions when just diagnosed with cancer.

As nurses on the support line, we know that waiting to discuss results can be a particularly stressful time. There can be lots of information to take in, and it’s normal to have many questions. Your consultant will be able to answer many of them and will be able to give you specific advice about drinking alcohol. In the meantime, our ‘Healthy Eating and Cancer’ booklet has lots of information and tips about diet, and has some information on alcohol which may be helpful to read.

Everyone has their own way to manage stress, but it might help to have a look at these tips and suggestions on the Breast Cancer Now website.

Some people find the online groups a good source of support at this time, and I can see from your profile that you have joined a few.

Penny Brohn is another charity providing support both online and in person. If you’d like to know more about the services they offer, it may be worth booking onto one of their ‘welcome sessions’.

I appreciate that you are on holiday, but if you’d like to get in touch, you are welcome to give us a call or contact us via webchat. (there will be charges when contacting us from outside of the UK)

If you think it would be helpful to talk to a trained counsellor, we may be able to refer you to Bupa. We can do this over the phone, or you can book it yourself, from our website.

It’s good to read that you feel fine, but you’ve mentioned that you think your skin is paler than usual. Unfortunately, we can’t say what could be causing this and would recommend that you have this assessed by a healthcare professional.

I hope this is helpful, and that you can enjoy the rest of your holiday.

Please don’t hesitate to get back in touch if you have any other questions.

Best wishes,

Carole

You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email. 

Ref/LZD

Hi Carole,

I really appreciate it and thank you so much for your quick and very informative response. I will have a good read with all the links of helpful information you’ve provided. I will try to remain positive and enjoy the rest of my holiday with my family xx