Male breast cancer , to scared to let wife come to appointments is this normal

  • 4 replies
  • 435 subscribers
  • 530 views

Been going through this since last august . I’m on herceptin and go into hospital every 3 weeks but always on my own .

  • Hi there, so sorry to hear you're feeling this way, must be tough on your own.  I am tagging    as I know's there's a thread to support men going through this more typical female cancer and I wondered if that would help you.

    I think people deal with their support and appointments in their own way and it's very normal to feel scared. I went to radiotherapy on my own basically as I felt there was no point in my husband sitting around waiting for me, but I'm a very practical person and I wasn't feeling like I needed support, so it is quite individual.

    I hope you and your wife find a way to support each other through this tough time 

    Community Champion badge

  • I imagine you want to protect her from worry, but i would hope if you need her there she would ho yo support you.

    for my appointments, my husband has come to two in first clinics out of 4, and come with for two surgeries. when i get to other appts i would probably go alone, as irish girl says out of practicality as he doesnt need to be there.

    i hope of you feel you need support you are getting it however 

    BC in 2023, ER + PR- HER2-

    AC and taxol, grade 2a , micro in 1 lymph, 2 surgeries

    gah 

  • HI, Sorry to find you here but we are all here to help each other be it questions /advise or chat. Personally i had BC during covid and had to do hosp,operations - appointments and treatments on my own, all most all the time with ladies on there own, it was a very solemn time. You will get through this, if you want to reply through - blokes with breast cancer- i will get back to you. Kind regards

  • Everyone is different, and to a great extent it depends on what you want, but my husband and I took the view that this was ‘our’ cancer as we both have to live with the impact of it. 
    I’ve been lucky and only needed radiotherapy after my surgeries, and he has come to every appointment and treatment with me, partly because it’s quite a long drive to the hospital and I like company on the journey. 
    My hospital has a cancer wellbeing centre just across from the radiotherapy department, and he takes himself off there when I get called in, and gets given coffee while he’s waiting. They’ve also explored with him if he feels in need of any of their support services (he hasn’t) but it means I know that he knows where to go if he finds somewhen that he does. I’ve been over afterwards a few times when I’ve felt in need of recharging my batteries before the drive home, and they’ve checked the same with me, everything from 1-1 support to art therapy.  Have you checked if your hospital has anything similar? You might find it helpful. 

    Good luck with the rest of your treatment.