Petrified

Hi

I think that's how most of us felt when diagnosed  - for those of us who didn't suspect a thing and 'just went for a mammogram when called'.  Mine was my first mammogram and I was inundated at work and nearly didn't bother booking the time off work to attend.  You feel normal, no symptoms and then suddenly - "we have concerns" is floated by you at the biopsy appointment.  Mine was 3.5 years ago and I still remember the shocked feeling when I left that appointment and thinking "I have cancer".  It is totally surreal and, as you say - petrifying.

However, one thing that I can say now is that the thought of what is happening was an awful lot worse that what did happen.  

The best advice I can offer is to take it one step at a time and breathe. Try not to second guess what will be your treatment plan based on Google (woefully out of date in some instances and some others - full of crank cures - so don't use it, stick to recognised sites like Macmillan and Cancer Research UK etc).  

Friends will have friends of friends who had 'such and such....' but there are so many different types of breast cancer that your treatment and cancer type is highly likely not the same, so don't compare with others, just take the advice of your consultant and ask questions from the consultant.  They will tell you what 'you need to know' rather than too much information which could potentially overwhelm you, so if they don't tell you everything, don't worry.  They deal with this all the time and advances are being made all the time.  Within a few months of my diagnosis, there were new treatments available which weren't around for me at the time - so it shows how quickly things advance and why Google gets out of date so, so quickly.

Try not to panic and as I say, take one step and day at a time and you WILL cope.

Kindest wishes,
Lesley x

Thank you for your kind words and positivity!  I will know more on Wednesday. I am catastophising at the moment and feeling all sorts of aches and pains which I am hoping is just anxiety! Feel sick and can’t face food.  I am pleased you made a full recovery x

I will try and take head of your comments! Google is the worst....I am thinking assorts 

Can I just say that you are at the worst stage at the moment -ready to fight something that may not even be there.It is good that you will be seen by your Consultant on Wednesday , many have to wait much longer. The waiting really is the worst part. Once you have a proper diagnosis and a proper treatment plan IF one is needed you will feel better. You will find an inner strength you didn't know you had.I agree with everything that lesleyhelen has said. If you are up in the night perhaps you will take a look at some of the other threads on here- I would suggest AWAKE is a good starting point as there is nearly always someone on there 24/7.Lots of support and info and a few smiles and laughs (yes really!).You will find it under Latest discussions-(I'm not tech enough to give you a link) Try to take it all one step at a time and not leap ahead.Stay in touch with the site ,most of the people on here have been just where you are now. Sending you big but gentle hugs xx

Hi Squeaky1, I was where you are about 2-3 weeks ago.  I actually can't believe it's been that long already.  

Waiting to find out is the worst bit and then if it is cancer waiting for the treatment plan is also difficult but once you have that somehow you do feel better and I guess by that point you get used to it and the shock wears off.  

My diagnosis came as a complete surprise to me after my first routine mammogram and then the biopsy results came as a surprise to my radiologist and surgeon as they were expecting it to be nothing.

Keep in touch if you need to talk and as Kwissy suggested think about trying the AWAKE thread.  This should hopefully be the link just scroll to the last page on the thread: https://community.macmillan.org.uk/cancer_types/breast-cancer-forum/f/breast-cancer-forum/128753/awake#pifragment-13906=3081

Wishing you all the best for your biopsy results xx

Hello Kwissy

Thank you for you response and well wishes. I will take a look at AWAKE. Up now after 4hours sleep. It is such a nightmare. xx

GodWilling Thank you for the link. Hope you are getting on ok xx

Hi to All who responded, I really appreciate it!  Update - Grade 1, early stages!  MRI scan and then op to remove partial breast which is affected.  I feel very lucky indeed.  Wondering should I ask for the whole breast to be removed, thought please xx

Hi Squeaky, that's good news.  I asked my surgeon the same question you are asking (lumpectomy vs mastectomy) and he was very clear that the survival rate is no different but there was a very slight risk of re-occurrence with a lumpectomy but so slight that it was negligible and if the cancer did re occur I could treat it either with another lumpectomy or a mastectomy.  

When I first got the news I was just remove the whole breast and be rid of it but as time has passed and the fear of not surviving has mostly left me I have realised that I would be much happier avoiding a mastectomy and keeping my breast so I am sticking with a lumpectomy.  

Take your time, digest what is happening to you and speak to your surgeon about pros and cons of each.  You might find that in a week or two that you feel very differently about a mastectomy.

If your doctors thought your chances were better with a mastectomy then they would have recommended that.  Speak to them and see what they say.  Have they asked you to choose between the lumpectomy vs mastectomy?

Hi That is good news- so pleased for you. As GodWilling has said if your Consultant had  thought one treatment was better than another they would have advised you appropiately. As it is they have given you the choice. If you are unsure maybe contact your BC nurse or speak to one of the Macmillan nurses to discuss the pros and cons. I had always said if ever I was to have breast cancer I would have a mastectomy; but when confronted with the choice ( both times- see my profile if you wish) I chose the lumpectomy and have no regrets whatsoever. Having said that we are all individual and so are our cancers. Discuss it as much as you need to and then you will come to the right decision. Sending lots of hugs xx

No, I was the one that said ‘take it all away’ , still feels very dreamlike (nightmare I mean), you are right I need to digest the info but now cannot quite believe how lucky I am....luckily my husband was there and keeps reminding me of the positive news x