Recent breast cancer diagnosis.

Hiya I can totally relate to your experience, I was diagnoised in early November with DCIS positive for cancer in right breast and DCIS benign in left breast, im having a double mastectomy on wednesy 3rd Dec and tbh I still can't quite believe it, we can chat about it together if you like

I’d like that!! I was hoping to get a call today with a surgery date. Maybe tomorrow. 
Do you mind me asking how old you are?? 

That's great, im 58 what about you?

Good luck, for your op.

I know just exactly what you are going through, right now.

I am having a mastectomy, on 10th, unless results from pre op give concerns.

Please let us know how it goes and know you have support right here.

Take care and will be thinking of you

Thankyou and I hope all goes well for you too im just waiting for my call today from admissions i will definately post afterwards xx

Pop me a DM and we can chat xx

Good luck all you ladies waiting for surgery

Although it’s shocking, take comfort from the fact that it’s being dealt with so quickly. With hindsight for me personally the speed was a complete blessing

Things seem much better elsewhere than in NI.  I was red flagged on 10th Nov and told the waiting list was 9 to 12 weeks for red flagged referrals.  The lump is growing fast so I went to Dublin to a private clinic for a mammogram and ultrasound, I couldn’t afford the biopsies, but the consultant believes the growth is cancerous and a lymph node is also suspicious.  My GP made a second referral and I’m being seen on Dec 10 gor a mammogram.  I have the consultant letter and a copy of the scans on disk so I’m hoping this will speed things up a bit … am worried nothing will be done until after Xmas

I remember I was worried when one of my appointments was pushed back a week because the results from a biopsy weren’t back. Although it’s good to get things done as quickly as you can, they told me that an extra week here or there is not to worry about (my chemo was pushed back an extra week for Christmas last year) 

It’s great you’ve got an appointment next week. I hope they sort out any treatment you might need as soon as practicable 

Good luck x

Hi yeah I remember the ten minute appointment where I was told I had breast cancer and asked what I want to do about it.  Mind blowing.

But you know something, you will get through it. Despite how overwhelming and terrifying it is, you will cope.

For me it was after the surgery when I was back at home and I looked around me and thought jeez what just happened. Because it was all so fast.

I chose to have a mastectomy. I could have got away with a lumpectomy, however if they didn’t get it all I would have had to have another op 6ish weeks later to remove the rest of my breast. Plus the risk of spreading.

No choice is the right or wrong choice, it is what each individual chooses is right for them and the experience is always different for everyone.

A few things I found useful for after the op (which also kept me busy leading up to it) was batch cooking a number of fav meals, going for walks outside regardless of the weather, making sure I had everything I needed for a month.

Also Asda do these cold packs, they cost less than a fiver each, they come in little soft blue pockets. You pop them in the freezer and they are fab for the pain afterwards.

Also on Amazon you can get a wedge pillow (basically a triangular piece of foam) to help you sleep sitting up when you get home.

The other most amazing thing was a seat belt cover which protected the area from the seatbelt when in the car. Thanks to my son for that ️

Also pj’s that do up at the front, nothing that goes over your head.

Make sure you do your exercises afterwards.

Remember at all times that it is your body and you have the right to know exactly what is going on and have things explained to you. So don’t be afraid to ask questions.

As for the op, I was looked after fantastically well by everyone in the team responsible for my care. And still am now a little over a year later. 

Did it hurt, yes. But it was manageable with pain relief.

Sending you hugs   It is a really place to be, but you got this, you can do it and you will have an experienced team to care for you. 

Hope you are better soon ️ Lisa