Hi lovely people, I was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer a couple of months ago in my left breast, after a routine mammogram. At the time it seemed straight forwards - a lumpectomy, radiotherapy, tamoxifen… but just before the surgery they decided to do an MRI to check all the veins and things for surgery and another tumour was found on the other breast. This didn’t show up on any scan except MRI. It turned out to be a small DCIS. A special core biopsy was ordered under another MRI - a sort of robot surgeon. It was all a bit sci-fi. Anyway, to my shock they found another tumour, called an LCIS or Lobular Carcinoma in Situ. It’s apparently a pre cancer and isn’t dangerous now but it could change. In fact that’s how they think the first cancer started out. So this week I had the tumours removed - wide excision breast surgery or something. Sort of partial mastectomies where they moulded the remaining tissues to form breasts. It’s bruised but doesn’t look too bad albeit really swollen. I’m finding out if it worked on 11th. My surgeon said the left side is looking good but he’s worried about the right and is concerned he still might need to do a mastectomy:( not what you want to hear. My surgery was very complicated and due to my asthma I now have a chest infection and suspected pneumonia. But I’m told there is time to recover before the next stage.
As for the rest of my life, I’m married, have 3 adult children of whom my son lives with us still. He’s autistic but very able. I’m his carer and I also work with autistic people when I’m not off work. I’ve been pretty positive and upbeat but the series of calamities are starting to get to me. And not being able to breathe doesn’t help.
