Recent diagnosis and concerned about timescales

I was/am in a similar situation. Everything (tests, results,action) has been at 2week intervals pretty much, including a CT scan. It was a grade 3 cancer but one sentinel node was affected so they have to take the lot out. They will count affected nodes then.  More than 3 it’s chaemo, less than 3 it’s the Oncatype test and a decision based on that. With a Grade 3 cancer, I am resigning myself to chaemo either way but it’s still possible there won’t be any spread there at all. I dont know how reliable the Ultrasound can be compared to lab view.  
It would be reassuring for you to have a date for the op, at least. Can you ask the Macmillan nurse what the av wait is between biopsy result and lumpectomy?  I was given the date when the biopsy results were given to me.
However, I dont feel my own waits will have affected outcomes and treatment types very much, if at all. Not compared to the delay in spotting the thing to start with!
It is a shock but you are not alone. A bit of space to let it sink in, to tell people and get your head round it all isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Good luck.

Thank you so much for your reply. I will speak to the nurse to get more of an idea of time frames, which hopefully will put my mind at ease a little.

I hadn't thought about it in that way- allowing a little time for it to sink in.

Thank you, and all the best to you x

Thanks! X

Hi,

I’m sorry to hear about your diagnosis and know it’s a very scary time, especially the waiting. Mine was stage one but HER2 negative and although had radiotherapy I was lucky not to have chemo. It normally takes 3 weeks for them to come up with a detailed treatment plan which is carefully tailored to your individual diagnosis. 

I felt a lot better when my treatment plan was discussed and others have said the same. It will give you some focus working from one stage to the next. That feeling of happening to someone else is very common and tbh it’s still sinking in with me even though I finished my treatment in May. Diagnosis is tough but the treatments are amazing. I’m sure you will be hearing your plan very soon. Good luck and hope all goes well for you X

Thank you so much for your reply, it's so reassuring hearing other people's views and experiences. I have an appointment tomorrow so hopefully they will be able to give me more of an idea of what's going to happen. All the best x

Hi

I hope today’s appointment has gone well. My diagnosis sounds very similar to yours. Stage 1, grade 3,  HER2 +. I was also very keen to get going with treatment once I’d had my formal diagnosis. My surgeon stressed that the timing was not that sensitive. Roughly speaking, starting from diagnosis, I had my lumpectomy 3 1/2 weeks later. I started my 12 week chemo 8 weeks after surgery, but that was probably pushed back by a week for Christmas. I had a week of radiotherapy 2 weeks after I finished my chemo. 

The treatment is very much a marathon rather than a sprint. It is overwhelming at the beginning. You’ll hopefully start to feel better about it all once you can see there’s a plan. It is so much less dreadful than it all seems at the beginning.

Very best wishes x

Hi, thank you for your message. Your diagnosis does sound very similar to mine. It's reassuring to hear from somebody who can give some perspective from further down the line.

My appointment went well - I am starting with chemo first, which is in 2 weeks time. I'll have the surgery after the chemo. They were very reassuring that a week or so would not make a big difference. It's good to have a date to work towards and some sort of plan.

Thank you and all the best x

Good luck with your treatment. 
You got this X