Diagnosed yesterday so scared

Hi Kinivondini. I am so sorry that you find yourself part of a club that no ones wants to belong too. My story is different from yours (diagnosed with invasive lobular carcinoma). Yes, it is scary. What I would say, is if you are scared that the cancer may spread between now and your operation, seek the advice of your breast care nurse. If she is not able to reassure you then ask for another consultation with your surgeon.  The 23rd is still some time away and you don’t need the worry of it spreading on top of having to deal with everything else. I hope you are able to find some reassurance from the BCN. Would it also be an idea to go to your GP and explain what is happening.?It is so important to get the help that you need. The ladies on this forum are so helpful and supportive and I hope that you find advice and comfort you need at this time. I think we all panic and feel hopeless at times but I can only try to reassure you and say that this will pass and you will come through this. Best wishes. Ros

Hi Kinivondini

Welcome to the forum and sorry to hear that you have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Did they how big the tumour is? Breast cancer is very treatable these days. Your medical team will do everything in their power to make sure you get better. Easy to say I know but try not to worry about the cancer spreading between now and the 23rd as cancer doesn’t grow all that fast even at grade 3..

I was diagnosed with grade 3 triple negative breast cancer last year and after having chemo, surgery and radiotherapy I am now cancer free.

Wishing you the best of luck with your operation and with chemo when you start it.

Best wishes

Daisy53

Hi Kinivondini the operation will remove the cancer and even if it had spread the chemo drugs are so strong they would wipe out anything left.  We have all been where you are now and know how it feels, you are not alone, hang on in there, you have an army of amazing women here who will do their best to support you.  Love from Ann

Hi there, so sorry to hear of your diagnosis, and I know it's easy for me to say try not to worry. Firstly even aggressively growing cancers do not spread so quickly that your should be worried about waiting for surgery. Secondly, breast cancer is so very treatable these days, quite different from what many people think.  I've been on a huge learning journey about this since my diagnosis in February (click on my name to read my story) but here I am, following all the treatment and doing fine.

I noticed that you are a little younger than perhaps many of the ladies on here. There is a group in this link called Breast Cancer for Under 50s so you might also find that helpful.  Best of luck x

Hi I think we can all understand how you’re feeling right now Kinivondini, it’s hard to take in and takes a long time to adjust but in hindsight I should not have been so scared and trusted my doctors who were wonderful. .  I too have grade 3 IDC like you which they said at diagnosis they didn’t think was in my lymph nodes (they were right). I asked if anything would change in the 22 days until I had my lumpectomy and they said it wouldn’t but you could ring your breast care nurse and ask the same question and maybe the doctor who gave you the diagnosis could call you. 
Once I had my lumpectomy it was a huge mental boost just knowing ‘it’ had gone and I hope you feel the same after your surgery.  I’m still to have chemo and radiotherapy as a preventative but lumpectomy is a very straightforward procedure usually and, for me, hardly painful at all. 

Also you could ring the Macmillan helpline nurses.  I rang them several times when initially diagnosed and they helped a lot with all my queries.

Best wishes xx

Thank you Everyone. I spoke to the nurse and she said they work to time schedules and that it should be ok but no one can guarantee. I'm just so upset that I went in 6 months ago and they sent me away. I'm just so afraid at the moment, I keep crying and having panic attacks. I had a breakdown at 30 as I had an intense fear of dying and this has triggered it 10 fold. You all sound really lovely and I appreciate your support. I have asked my doctor to prescribe me something to calm me but I am also worried it will aggrevate the cancer and make it spread. I can't see myself the other side and it terrifys me x

Anxiety won’t aggravate the cancer and make it spread - it doesn’t work like that (I can find references to prove that but I won’t as it’s quite tedious). But anxiety will make it feel horrible for you as you wait for treatment. In the 6 months since they sent you away who knows what might have happened, but they’ve diagnosed it now. Even aggressive breast cancer doesn’t grow *that* fast and having biopsied the tumour your breast cancer team will be well aware of the safe time limits. The nurse who said “no guarantees “ was probably doing that butt covering thing, found in medics and lawyers, where the chances of them being wrong are fleeting but they still don’t like to be definite. Of course unlikely or unheard of things happen but they mostly don’t. The vast majority of people who get breast cancer are successfully treated and go on to live normal length lives. The clinic I attend has successfully treated tens of thousands of women over the years.

As a person also prone to health anxiety, what I do is put my trust in the team. It is their job to save you and for most I’ve met it’s more than just a job to them - they are bound and determined. Don’t Google. If you need information call Breast Cancer Now or Macmillan helplines. Macmillan are exceptionally good at reassurance and can even set up free counselling if you need it. Try not to catastrophise - thinking of the worst case scenario is unlikely to happen and will only make you feel bad. And cross each bridge as you come to it - the next appointment or next test. The clinic will have a list of things yiu need to work through. And do stick with this forum as these people are amazing. You’re not alone and you’ll get through this.

Hello, just checking in. I tried the under 50s forum bit I've had no replies. I'm really struggling to hold myself together. Thank you for your messages of support. I know I'm a pessimist and I'm trying so hard to think positively. I just can't stop thinking the worst. Sleep is the only rest o get from this. You are all so strong and I wish I was x