Pregnant with Brest and lymph node cancer

Hi, I'm Deborah, I'm so sorry to hear your news, I know how hard it must be for you, its so much to get your head around and worry tends to be the first place the mind goes. Its such a massive impact. 

I was first diagnosed with an aggressive type of breast cancer when I was 30. It wasn't in my lymph nodes, they removed them all at the time to check. I had a lumpectomy and a couple of years of treatment and went on with my life. 

In May last year the cancer returned, in the same breast. It was 4 times the size of my first tumour. They couldn't check if it had spread to my lymph nodes because I have none. They also don't want to do full body scans because my body has been battered with so much radiation in the past with treatments and years of checkups. They scanned my lower abdominal area and confirmed it wasn't in my liver. They did one chest x-ray and said they could not see any more apparent tumours in that area. But of course the first thing I thought and worried about was if it had spread and they just hadn't seen it.

But I had to put the worry aside and believe that my body could heal. Truly trust that each body is individual and that each body can heal, fully, from anything. I tried a non conventional treatment, one that isn't available in this country. I also meditate when the worry arises, it helps. I also took all of the conventional cancer treatments. I had a mastectomy a few months ago and now I believe I will be fine. I had to make a conscious decision to let go of the fear, so as my body was open to healing, so I could be in a settled state. 

But I know how hard it is. So difficult to put into words but I understand what you are feeling. 

I'm physically doing well, putting on weight (which is always a good sign!) and I honestly believe that I'll live a long life into old age, and I believe that your body is capable of doing this too.

I send you the kindest and most healing wishes and wish you health and happiness. 

Hi Deborah, 

Bless you it feels like it’s always going to be a cloud hanging over due to our age and the fear of return. I’m sorry to hear it did return but you sound like you have got this and refuse to let it define you. Wishing you with all my heart a long and healthy life and thank you so much for taking the time to reply. It’s so difficult to express feeling without felling as though I’m going to offend someone. But definitely definitely helps to hear others stories and experiences. Thank you so much x

Thank you for your kind wishes. 

I understand, it's hard to express how you feel, it is a very individual thing and however you feel is absolutely understandable. It's a complex thing. And thank you for sharing your experience, the sharing also helps me.

I watched a film on netflix that really helped my state of mind about cancer after my diagnosis, its called Heal. If you're interested it's a really positive and life affirming film.

Very best wishes of health and happiness x

Hi

what a lot to be going through. 

have you had any contact with the charity Mummy’s Star? They support families where mums are diagnosed with cancer when pregnant or with little ones, I strongly recommend you seek them out. 

There are also Facebook groups dedicated to younger women with breast cancer, just search younger women and breast cancer and they will pop up - I’m in one and it’s great and there’s women who’ve had treatment when pregnant. 

Have you joined the Breast Cancer Now online group- my guess is that there’s women who’ve had treatment when pregnant. 

And I’d give the MacMillan or Breast Cancer Now helpline a call and talk through your worries. Just because cancer goes to lymph nodes doesn’t mean it goes on to be be secondary cancer. But talking it through with someone who knows their stuff always helps me. 

Good luck, Nicky xxx

hi

breast cancer in the lymph nodes isn't terminal 

Congratulations on the pregnancy, I know someone who had chemo in the mid trimester and now has a beautiful boy. 

Your results should include TNM information T is for tumour, N is for nodes, M is for mets. 

Mets or metastasis is where the breast cancer spreads to a distant part of the body, like bones or lungs, then you are considered incurable but you are treatable. Some of the new drugs are very good and living with metastatic breast cancer is being considered a chronic illness. 

Cancer cells in the nodes isn't considered incurable unless it's distant nodes but then it's considered mets. 

I can see you have had some responses in the main breast group, you will find that a lot of women do have lymph node involvement. I was quite surprised at how relaxed most of the teams were about even several lymph nodes being affected. Logically, it's better that there is no lymph node involvement but it's not something they seem too concerned about, especially with ER+ breast cancers. 

Do you have your post surgery results yet? If you do you can use the NHS Predict tool.  I can talk you through it if you like, virtual hand holding. 

Carolyn

xx