Recently Diagnosed...

When I was first told I had cancer I was given a huge folder of information but I just put it to the side for a couple of days. I needed to process what I had been told and not be bombarded with information. When I read it a few days later it was helpful but I don't think I would have taken much of it in if I'd tried to read it straight away. 

It is okay to feel overwhelmed. Do you have someone to talk to that will just listen and not offer advice? My husband was great for just listening, remembering what I said and then talking about it the next day. 

I had a right side mastectomy on the 4th December with an immediate reconstruction using stomach tissue. I definitely made the right choice for me but it has been a long slow recovery. Some of my wounds are still healing six weeks later and it took at least 3 weeks until I was walking like normal whereas if I had had the straight mastectomy or implants that wouldn't have been a problem. The stomach wound also impacted my ability to get around straight after the operation so I did spend 5 days in hospital before coming home. 

As for the other breast I may need to have a reduction but we're leaving that decision until after I have had radiotherapy as the radiation can reduce the size of the implant. If it stays the same size as now I probably wouldn't bother because the size difference is not that noticeable. I had to have my nipple removed due to how close the cancer was to it so I will also need to consider what to do about that but this is a decision I don't need to make for a few months yet. 

If you have any other questions please let me know, I'm happy to share my experiences. Do you have a date for your operation yet or do you have further investigations? 

x

Hi there, it can be so very overwhelming and I found it actually quite frustrating not to simply be told the right solution, the choices were difficult to me.  You might want to give the lovely folks here at Macmillan a call. They are great at listening and allowing you to talk things through. The number is 0800 808 0000. Best wishes 

 Hides Thanks so much for your reply. It's comforting to hear that there are other women feeling exactly the same as me.

I have an amazing support network, but we are all learning as we go. I've had a bit of time to reflect and have spent the last couple of days trying to educate myself, so feeling a little less overwhelmed. 

I'm still waiting to have a PET scan, so I think that's playing into the nerves.

I'm just going to try to take one day at a time...

Wishing you a speedy recovery and sending you the biggest hug. ️ 

 Irishgirl16 You're so right... it can be super frustrating and frightening.

One day your life is bumbling along as normal, the next it's turned upside-down. The last few days have just been consumed by my diagnosis... 

I've spoken to my cancer nurse a couple of times already and she's been amazing, but I will definitely give MacMillan a call if I need to.

Wishing you well my lovely...