I attended my local hospital on Thursday for breast pain ( original reason I saw my GP in Feb), which in the intervening 8 weeks had metamorphosed into a lump. Within minutes of the registrar describing my lump as "suspicious " a whole chain of events started, culminating in me 2 hours later spending time with the clinical nurse specialist who provided me with loads of information and contact details, AHEAD, of my appt on Friday. This meeting is to discuss the biopsy taken last week , but was made clear to me last week, that the expected outcome is a cancer diagnosis and the appt will be to provide me with a treatment plan. Was sobering entering the clinical nurse specialist's details, and the other breast nurses contact details, as the Macmillan Centre. Seems so final.
Hi Nearly60
Very pleased to see that you have found this forum early on. Albeit, obviously none of us would rather be here!
I had a further appointment from my first ever mammogram and went to the breast care centre. I wasn't in the slightest bit concerned going there and it wasn't until they started taking biopsies and pressing for lumps that I realised that actually it was a little more serious. When I spoke to the nurse before going home she said "we have found an area of concern which is why we have done the biopsies". I knew then before seeing the surgeon weeks later, that I had cancer. When they look at a mammogram, the cells do look different. When I went to see the surgeon for the treatment plan, she was trying to be so gentle with me whilst telling me I had cancer and because I didn't react in the slightest, she asked if I understood what she was saying! I'd actually had the intervening time to get 'my head around it' and just wanted to know what the next stage of treatment was.
So, in some ways, to be more aware at this stage is quite helpful. And, years ago when diagnosed with breast cancer I always thought, that was it.... treatment has developed so, so much over the years. I'm 6 years down the line now and I didn't even need chemotherapy - which was a godsend. I had lumpectomy and radiotherapy because I was oestrogen positive type - so tablets for 5 years. So, it will depend what type of breast cancer (if you DO have it) you have as to what your treatment plan would be.
It is such a shock initially, but you will find (as DollyP) says, it's the waiting to know what's next is the hardest part of all. Once you know and you've started treatment, it does get a little bit easier.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask on this forum as you can be pretty sure someone else will have been through something similar/ feeling the same way.
Kindest wishes, Lesley
I think I was extraordinarily lucky in the swiftness of response to my original presentation..Friday,, formal diagnosis and treatment plan day, will be a game changer. I've had a really positive fe
days 
Praying for a non aggressive cancer
I prefer gormless
. Good luck today xx
