Breast diagnosis

[kestral]

I'm trying to be, it's not difficult as we have always supported each other from when we met when I was 20 and she was 17. It's her 68th birthday today so she will be getting extra spoiled from us all.

[Carys]

Happy Birthday to Mrs.Kestral! 68 YOUNG tomorrow. (I was 47 when diagnosed, so 2 decades earlier than Mrs.Kestral) Its wonderful that you have been together loving each other for so long, and long may it continue.

[pulisa]

I'm sure Mrs K has had an extra special birthday today! She's had a rough time over the past few weeks and will need time to get over her op but it's behind you both now and a return to good health is just around the corner. The Golden Wedding celebrations next year too! Any plans yet for that?!

[kestral]

Getting some pain so taking cocodamol when needed and feeling drained but the bruising and stitches look ok. They gave us a dressing so we could changed them which we have now done.

[kestral]

All the doubts about the future coming back and feeling vunerale after reading about a number of women who have passed away with this disease. She is due back for further consultation about her further treatment next week.

[jojo2316]

All the doubts about the future coming back and feeling vunerale after reading about a number of women who have passed away with this disease. She is due back for further consultation about her further treatment next week.

But many, many more women survive it...

[Carys]

Kestral, I'm going to be firm now ok. You have been told that this is 'non life-threatening', so thats point one.

Secondly, the VAST MAJORITY of women do just fine and have effective treatment, as this is the most treatable of cancers. Stop reading stories; it won't help anyway as every cancer is individual and some are more aggressive and faster growing others have more slow growing and less aggressive forms. You are not comparing like with like in your reading - you don't know Mrs Kestral's detailed biopsy results, of which there are many variables tested for, you don't know if her sentinel node was affected, you don't know all sorts of things - so you won't know the statistics about prognosis at this point anyway. The stage of her cancer must have been early - as she had a lumpectomy and they have not offered chemo first, so that is a very good sign. They have removed her cancer, it has gone.

I will tell you about a woman who was stage 4 breast cancer when I first met her 2 1/2 years ago - stage 4 - in her breasts, (metastatic) secondary cancers in various places and , even SHE is still here living her life with medication ! Yes, of course some women die, we must be totally honest - but you have been told that isn't the scenario you are dealing with here !

Now, be patient, wait until you've see them to discuss next treatment stages. Itll be ok.

If you want to tell me any details you do know - like stage, grade of tumour from biopsy, size of tumour etc etc. then I am happy to be more specific, as best I can as a lay person, in my response.

[kestral]

Mrs k says she follows what she is told to do and gets on with it, she thinks trying to interpret things leads to making to many assumptions, as you can tell I'm the fidgety one.

[pulisa]

Probably best to follow Mrs K's lead on this one? She's the patient and won't want you catastrophising when she's focussed on waiting for her results which will give a true picture of her treatment plan.

[kestral]

When they operated they found 2 cancers together, one 3cm and the other 4cm which they removed.
We now have to travel 90 miles a day for 3 weeks to the nearest hospital that has radiography facilities before then having a bone scan and hormone treatment.