Newby, not really sure how this all works

Hi CJ

so sorry to hear of your diagnoses and fertility struggles. We are all here. Have you asked about the counselling macmillan can offer? I’ve just started 8 sessions and am hopeful it may help with the anxiety and overwhelming sadness.   The whole thing is just totally overwhelming to me …I’m almost halfway through chemo and it’s so hard in the midst of it all but many lovely people have replied on here at various points and said it gets better out the other side of active treatment. 

I hope your midway review goes well and they can offer some reassurance about a later pregnancy perhaps not being as high risk as you fear. Xx

Hi there, it's a tough place to be, having a cancer diagnosis, but you'll find lots of lovely people on here who have similar experiences. I hope your chemo is going well. I had 6 cycles last year before surgery and then radiotherapy and was lucky enough to cope ok. I guess I'm older than you, so at a different stage of life, but I think your feelings of anger and loss are very natural right now. I hope you can find a way to take one day at a time as you move through this.  Take care 

Hi. Diagnosed December 2021, lumpectomy and sentinel node removal late Jan 2022. Chemo started April, got 4th cycle next week. In my head I'm now cancer free as had clear margins and lymph nodes were clear. However, stumbling block is being hormone receptive so risk of reoccurrence later on. Having Chemo, Radiotherapy, plus Herceptin Injections for a year, then Anastrazole tablets for several years. Not doing too bad physically, mentally struggling with what the future holds, always will wonder if there really is nothing anywhere else as not offered full body scan. Got my heartscan tomorrow, had bone density scan, veins becoming an issue after 3 cycles, 2 'blew' very quickly. 

Will I ever be the same person again? Hoping my counselling assessment and future sessions will help me on the right path. 

I think we all have to support each other, best we can, and we'll all find our way through this horrid time. Jo xx

Hi there.

I am so sorry you also suffer from bcancer, it sucks but indeed lots of lovely people here you can share your feelings with. 

I am also at an age where fertility preservation was discussed, so just a week post diagnosis, I found myself injecting shots to freeze eggs and felt like a lab rat. It was a lot to go through and all happened so quickly. I felt guilt for feeling that I did not care about another baby at this stage (I have a son who is 2 but always wanted another child), I just wanted the cancer out.

Now, 5 days post surgery, and half of my friends are pregnant. It is hard, I feel it is so unfair. I go to my appointments, which are next to the maternity clinic, and it feels like a slap in the face! BUT, my BCnurses told me they have had lots of tamoxifen babies. In my last workplace I had 2 female colleagues who had BC before their 30s, gone through surgery, chemo and radiation and then one moved on to have 1 child and the other has 3!! Defo a possibility. 

Please do reach out to Macmillan or Maggies and of course here, everything you are feeling is normal and you are not alone. We can go through this xxx

Thanks. That’s a really good suggestion. I think I will

ask my Macmillan navigator to contact me & see how I get on after talking to her. She was great before & I feel less daunted about that. I think I will also email the fertility counsellor I used before and after my failed IVF. I almost feel like I am doing ok generally so should I ‘wait’ to have counselling for when I am really bad but that’s not how our minds or support works. 
well done for accessing counselling, it’s hard to reach out & scary, very brave thing to do x 

Yes relate to that completely !! My breast clinic is next to the main lovely big hospital which has a constant flow of happy new parents leaving it as I walked passed to get my breast cancer fate. I remember when I had my MRI I then had to sit amongst the pregnant woman to get my bloods done. It’s things like that which can be so triggering. 
I found it really hard a couple of years ago when naturally it wasn’t working for us and all of my friends were falling pregnant. I remember that & feel as their children turn 3 this year that’s how old our child would be had life worked out as you expect. 
I definitely need to get more information and need to remember to stop myself when my brain runs ahead, going into catastrophe thinking about what will never happen as I genuinely don’t know what the future holds. I’m just scared IVF awoke these cancer cells so what if it happens again but I’ll write that one down in my book for my consultant! 
thank you  

Sorry meant to say I hope your recovery is going ok? X

Hi Gander 

Can I ask why you also needed Chemo if your nodes and margins were clear. Is the reason to do with her2+  Or is it up with grade and size.   Did your initial size of lump change after surgery

sorry to jump in on questions 

x 

Hi Army, 

I’m in a similar position, no cancer in my nodes, just the one isolated lump but having chemo as the lump is grade 3 & HER2+ so chemo is to try to ensure they address all of the cancer and help to prevent reoccurrence. My treatment plan is different to most others as I am having chemo before surgery because they wanted the shrinkage to confirm it is working & to reduce the size of the mass they have to remove as scarring will be in view being at the top of my breast. 
Am sure Gander will reply to but hope that helps x

Sorry to jump on thread. 

I am also having Chemo before, primary BC Grade 3, HER2 negative. Was 3.2cm lump, had shrunk after 2 cycles of EC. Not evidence of nodes involved.  I was informed evidence supports better to have Chemo first but was given choice. Of course I wanted this out but am going with Chemo and also awaiting Gene test results which may decide if I should go with breast conserving op or Mastectomy. i am older and have 2 children. 

I think treatment plan is flexible with your circumstances. 

Good luck with your treatment xxx