breast cancer stage 4

Hi AT, I've just seen this and wanted to reply. I'm sure soemone in your situation will be on here very son.

Have you any cancer support groups nearby ? I joined a local one that a lady with Stage 4 lung cancer has set up recently .

Hi Klf

thank you for your reply

i have tried to google before to see if there is any groups for meet up or online groups and couldnt find any locally, so joined this macmillan group

Hi ATee, I’m sorry to hear about your diagnosis Have you looked into whether there is a Maggie’s centre at a hospital near to you? I go to a monthly group session with ladies at one near to me, it’s been a massive help. 

Hi Atee, it is a huge shock getting a stage 4 diagnosis and takes time to get your head around it .  I was diagnosed 7 months ago at 52 with it in my liver. It took a few months to come to terms with it and I tried one to one counselling which wasn’t for me. However , BC now have regular online sessions just for people with stage 4 which helped me a lot. Talking to people in the same situation really helps and the sessions are not all doom and gloom honestly! You can only give it a try . Mentally I feel much stronger now but still have low days which is to be expected . I just take it scan by scan how and try not to look too far ahead. I am currently on a targeted drug and I’m stable . I try and enjoy life on good days and have just been to Portugal for 3 days. It was fantastic but I couldn’t even think about doing this a few months ago. It will get easier I promise and there’s so many drugs they can try now . Good luck with treatment and sending you lots of hugs xx

Hi ATee just saw your post and wanted to pop on and hopefully bring you a little ray of hope in what is a difficult time for you! 
Firstly sorry to hear of your shock diagnosis, sadly it’s something we all worry about, but somehow being told the news still comes as a shock, especially when we are on treatment and assume that means we are ‘safe’ from any spread at that time! 

I like you was 20months into taking Tamoxifen following Lumpectomy, full node clearance, Chemo and Radiotherapy. When I was diagnosed with spread to my Sternum (bone metastasis)! I underwent surgical removal of the tumour and was then ‘Stable’ for a further 7 almost 8years! I have recently found that the Cancer is active again, but still treatable and will start more treatment Ribociclib and Fulvestrant in a couple of months. 

Obviously Stage 4 means you are on some form of treatment forever BUT treatments change all the time, so even when you find treatment has stopped working or it doesn’t agree with you, there are more and more targeted treatments with fewer side effects coming along all the time! 

I hope my story gives you hope that seeing your Sons 18th Birthday isn’t such a long shot. Just take things one day at a time for now and once established on some form of treatment you’ll start to take things one week at a time, then one month etc etc! Just make the most of every day Hun. None of us know what lies around the corner and that goes for everyone not just those ‘living with’ Cancer!

Wishing you all the best Hun. Sal xxx

Hi I had Breast cancer in 2019 and it had been missed by the mamogram, it ended up being 6cm in diameter so had to have a mastectomy and I was on tamoxifen, radiotherapy but I declined Chemo.

 I have since been diagnosed with a secondary on my sternum bone (metastasis) very small lesion and isolated. I couldn't have any more sessions of radiotherapy as it would have crossed the markers of previous RT so I was put on Ribociclib, letrozole, Denosumab & Zoladex.  My tumor markers were at 40 and after two months on the meds they were at 28 so much less activity.and the tumor had regressed a lot.

I had issues initially with the Ribo as was on 600 mg and ended up in hospital however now on lower does of 200mg and much better, just coming off the zoladex which will be good as have bone pains with it.

I hope all goes well for you and if you need anything just shout :-)