Hello all….this is all new to me.

Hi JJA and welcome to the forum.  Sorry to hear about your diagnosis - its a new language and experience for everyone who is diagnosed.  I found the Macmillan booklet on breast cancer very useful and you will get lots of support from the people on his forum.   Breast cancer is treatable and curable and the improvement in outcomes, especially over the last 20 years is amazing - it is both treatable and curable.  There is a lot to take in initially, so please ask any questions you have and you will get answers from people who are going through/have been through a similar experience.  Avoid Googling for info, as Dr Google is full of out of date information and rubbish.  Sites like MacMillan are up to date and offer support, including the support line on 0808 808 0000 which is available from 8am to 8pm every day if you need to talk someone. 

It can take time to digest it all. You are right in focusing on the fact that your cancer is treatable and curable. If you feel that trying to think about all of it at once is too much, concentrate on the next step only -- surgery. It's a one-step part of the treatment, and once done, you can cross that off the list, so to speak, find out what's next, and put your attention on that. At some point you may start to feel more in control over things, but for now, prioritise.

I have seen ladies come on here feeling exactly as you are feeling now, and at some point down the line many of them post messages here declaring victory, which is always great to see. Going with what your nurse says, you are likely to be one of these ladies.