BC Fearing the worst - some advice please

Hello Yann, firstly so sorry to hear about your diagnosis. Yes, it's only natural to be feeling scared and anxious. I too have had a diagnosis that has scared the living daylights out of me. Maybe you should share your news with others in your immediate family. You need all the moral and positive support at this more difficult and challenging time. You may find that things do move quickly but depends on the hospital trust you are under. I'm based here in London and things are being dealt with fairly quickly. I'm not sure what more to say or advice on your personal diagnosis as my diagnosis is not similar to yours. Sorry!

However,  try to stay positive as you can ( easier said than done).

Sending you a hug and keep using this forum. 

Thank you so much for your reply. It’s wonderful to receive your reply

I feel so lonely and yet I can’t / don’t want to talk to anyone about how I feel . I don’t want pity I don’t want cancer  to be the conversation when people talk about me . I don’t want this but it’s here and I have to deal with it. I am a coper  - I am the one that family turn to - I have spent the last few weeks helping with issues that others have but have not said and by the way you think you have a problem ….. 

sorry just sounding off and perhaps not the forum to do this. But I don’t want to be strong because I am not strong 

Hi Yann,

I really get what you said about being the coper, me too. Now is the time to fess up maybe and start to self care. My initial scan and mammogram said mine was a suspicious mass. I didn't believe it, I thought it still might not be cancer. 

There is always a wait between investigations at this stage. I don't know if going private will change that. Lab tests take 2 wks generally it seems and then slotting you in for an appt. Save the money for the right thing. I had to wait 4 wks after my surgery for the result because of Christmas. Now waiting for a test result to come back from America to see if I need chemo. 

The shock of being in this position takes a while to process. I like to take action if I have a problem, with this there always is a wait. At least with cancer we don't have to wait too long. I chose to tell a few people, they were all as shocked as I was although at that stage I didn't even know what it meant. Not telling your husband, do you not think he could cope with it? He needs to know really to be able to process it himself. Xx

Hi Yann, sorry to hear of your diagnosis. This is something no one wants to hear. The waiting is always the hardest part on the cancer journey. Best tip is not to google anything as it can frighten you and it can be out of date info too. Results can take a while mine have been around 2 weeks at each stage. You can click on my name to see my journey so far. Others add their biographies too. Once you have confirmation of results things move pretty quick. It’s good to talk to people on here, we all understand. It might be a good idea to tell your family so they can help support you. You need to take care of you and let others help. When you get a treatment plan with will be specific for you, you will find things easier to cope with. Take each step one at a time. 
Staying positive is the best thing, it’s difficult to start with but you will get there. I learnt to accept my diagnosis early on (not that I wanted to) but it actually helps. It’s given me more strength to fight. I want to be here for my husband and kids. 
It’s great to have your questions written down and your medical team will be able to answer them to help put your mind at ease. It’s good you will be taking your daughter with you, it’s a lot to take in.  Keep chatting on here and when you get your results  and know what type you are dealing with, let us know as there will be lots of us with the same/similar diagnosis and we can help, advise and offer support along your journey.

All the best for your journey.

Hugs from cuffcake x x x x x

Dear Yaan,

I'm very much like you don't want to ask for help because I always feel like the fixer in my family and reluctantly ask for help. However, in this situation you really do need to seek and ask for help, advice and support. Please don't bottle things up. You will burst under the pressure. Call the Macmillan helpline please. The more you talk and ask questions the more informed you will be. I'm always here to support in anyway I can x 

Hello Yann, I too was diagnosed after a callback from a routine mammogram in October last year. I waited 5 days for the results. I was diagnosed with Grade 2 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma & Ductal Carcinoma in Situ in my right breast. The scan showed that the invasive cancer was 14mm and the DCIS was 8mm. I had a lumpectomy &

sentinel node biopsy on the 1st December and got the results on the 14th December. My results showed that the invasive cancer was 15mm with clear margins and the DCIS was 25mm , unfortunately the margins were not clear. I had a second operation on the 5th January. I get the results on the 18th January. 

If everything has gone well I will be having radiotherapy & hormone treatment in the not too distant future. 

My BC nurse did say that the scan does not give a true size of the tumour & once you receive surgery it can prove to be bigger in size.

It is such a shock when you get a diagnosis and there is so much to get your head around. Confide in your family and friends. Mine have proved to be a huge help to me. You will have good and bad days, and you just have to cry when you need to, it’s not good to suppress your emotions. There is lots of help and info on here also.

I hope that you do get a good result, lumps don’t always mean that cancer is present. And many found are benign.

Try not to google too much, I did this and drove myself mad. If you do use the reputable sites like this one and Cancer Research Uk. 

Sending positive vibes and hugs  

Hi. Sorry you find yourself in this situation, but you will find a lot of help and support here. My cancer was also found on a routine mammogram in April and came as a shock, as I didn't suspect anything. It's good to write down your questions. I also wrote down the answers at the time in my appointments, so that I could look back on them afterwards. I didn't tell a lot of people, just my family and close friends. Whilst I am a coper, I really appreciated their support and in fact, they said they were pleased when I asked for help, as they felt they were being useful. Someone came with me to most of my appointments and they took me to quite a lot of my radiotherapy sessions. Wishing you all the best.

Hello Yann, as others have said it’s natural to worry but I think you should have your results now and a plan.

there are many lovely people on this forum that can help, I wish I had found it earlier but here now !

 I personally wouldn’t consider private health care unless you have cover already- my treatment has been fantastic.

Best wishes