I am very sorry that you have been diagnosed with BC and certainly understand your worries.
Here you can share what is of your concern and also read about other members' experiences, this a fantastic source of support and company, so share if you feel like it.
Is surgery the first step of you treatment plan then?
Hello Karens, I'm very sorry to hear that you've been diagnosed with BC. It's a frightening experience, especially in the waiting period between diagnosis and surgery. I was diagnosed last year and I had a mastectomy and reconstruction. It's important to rest and let your body recover. I'm now back to doing everything I was doing beforehand, staying active and busy. Keeping up with the physio exercises for the arms and shoulders does help to recover movement. I hope your surgery goes well. Take care x
I had a mastectomy and reconstruction five weeks ago. I was originally going to have a lumpectomy but just before chemo, an MRI scan showed some additional microscopic cells in the same breast which may or may not have been cancerous. Rather than wait three weeks and have them analysed, I was given the option of going for mastectomy regardless. I decided to do that rather than lose time (and then worried that I'd made the decision in haste)!
The thought of the mastectomy and what the result would look like cosmetically was daunting and although I didn't seem it to others, I was very anxious in the build up to the operation. But I had to keep telling myself why it was the right decision. I did actually feel relieved when I came round from the operation - everything seems to have gone well.
I remember someone in the team saying to me: you're going to be asleep and we're going to be working at what we're good at. I think the thought of it is much worse than the reality.
I would say to read up on the procedure and the options open to you for reconstruction (if you decide to go down that route). The more informed you are, the more confident you'll be. People kept saying that to me and it's certainly true. I also made sure my partner and a couple of close family members read it all too! I think it helps for them to understand your anxieties to be able to support.
Good luck and as everyone says, once you have the treatment plan, you have milestones and start to understand why things are being done in a particular order etc
Thank you that's reassuring how did the reconstruction go cos the surgeon I spoke to she wasn't very nice and said I'd have to wait a year to have it done but I'd much rather get it done immediately I don't want them to reconstruct from my body I've enough scars I want a simple implant I'm seeing another surgeon Monday because she's gone away for 3 weeks I can't wait I'm terrified of it spreading x
