Recently diagnosed, worried I missed the signs

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Fanfaraway
Fanfaraway Member Posts: 6
edited April 2017 in Diagnosed and Waiting for Test Results

Hi all - I just got diagnosed this Thursday morning, and don't get my full results until next Tuesday. I also had the *great* luck of getting my period and my stomach is in turmoil and causing me nausea. Plus I quit the contraceptive pill at the advice of the doctor while waiting for the results.

I have to say that I am very nervous I have had symptoms for a while and only noticed once the lump got painful and started growing aggressively (which it has over the past few weeks, while I was waiting for my appointment to do a proper mammogram (as opposed to those crappy ones I was getting at my doctor's office) and subsequent immediate biopsy. Things like my scalp being bumpy and sore, or my body retaining liquid and being inflamed, or having occasional bouts of explosive diarrhea.

Tuesday next week can't come soon enough, since at the moment I don't have any information other than they found carcinoma and it's currently categorized as a 2 but subject to change once once the full test results are back.

Any thoughts or similarities? I woke up early and can't sleep.

Thanks so much in advance :)


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  • Artista928
    Artista928 Member Posts: 2,753
    edited April 2017

    First, don't kick yourself for not noticing it, or noticing it sooner. I had pain for the longest time and it never ocurred to me it's bc since no one in my fam had it. I was in perimenopause so I was told it's raging hormones since that'd happen to my mom too. It wasn't until really bad pain that I went in and voila.

    The waiting sucks. Try to keep busy. Just know whatever it is is quite treatable. My first thought was this is it, I have a few months. And as my #s started looking worse after various tests and bilat mx so did my thinking. But as you look around this site, there are a ton of people who are living a long time with no evidence of disease. Go in with a fighting/positive type attitude. Hell I had no one and I thought no way can I do this on my own, but I did and am still doing it on my own. The plus in that is it bodes well for my self esteem since many people say to me wow, how do you/did you do it by yourself. So emerse yourself in whatever you like to do and take it one step at a time. As you know more post it in your profile and make sure to take the extra step to make it public so we can see to better advise you, like what you see in my sig below.

    Best wishes. You've found a great site here. I learned so much more from here than I did with docs/classes...

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  • KCMC
    KCMC Member Posts: 208
    edited April 2017

    Hi: I am recently diagnosed and deal with nausea from the stress and anxiety I asked my doctor for a prescription of Ondanestron. It does help. My son takes it for his Celiac Disease too. Maybe you can check with your doctor. Good Luck and sending positive vibes your way.

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  • Fanfaraway
    Fanfaraway Member Posts: 6
    edited April 2017

    Thanks so much for your reply Artista, I eventually managed to sleep :)

    I am still pretty nervous, and my stomach is shot. Have only managed to eat a small plate of rice all day and am experiencing diarrhea. Every time I eat I get gassy and nauseated. I am guessing this is caused by a combination of period and nerves, but it's definitely not helping. Thanks for the tip KCMC, I will be sure to ask my doctor!

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  • Tappermom383
    Tappermom383 Member Posts: 643
    edited April 2017

    Fanfaraway, my journey started last October with an abnormality detected in my regular mammogram. I was finally diagnosed on March 6 after another mammo, two ultrasounds, an MRI and a needle biopsy. The whole process had me on edge and feeling certain something was not right. The minute I got that biopsy pathology report, I found this site - it has been a lifesaver. Reading about other women's journeys helps so much. Many have similar questions to mine (and yours). And "talking" to one another is wonderful as we understand one another. Because I researched so much, when my surgeon went over the report and my treatment options (he was on vacation so I got the initial report from my primary care doctor), I understood what he was saying. We have to learn a whole new language!

    I had my lumpectomy yesterday and everything went really well. My greatest fear was the anesthesia as I have in the past woken up vomiting. But the anesthesiologist made me a cocktail that calmed my stomach beautifully. I'll get the full pathology report in a couple of weeks - there's always more waiting!

    I'm glad you found this site. Artist is right - we all have so many things going on in our bodies, it's hard sometimes to recognize that something's amiss. The important thing is you're taking care of it now. My attitude is: Get this done and behind me. I'm ready to move on beyond breast cancer.

    Best of luck to you.

    MJ.

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  • Melrosemelrose
    Melrosemelrose Member Posts: 3,018
    edited April 2017

    Fanfaraway ----As others have said.... welcome. Hopefully you have found support and comfort here. Take some deep breaths and hold on tight while you begin your adventure. Yes... you are at the fact finding/ testing phase. It may feel like a hurry up and wait for everything. Try your best to keep calm and know that you are not alone. The facts and information about your specific case will reveal themselves all in due time. If you are anxious and need some anti-anxiety medications, do not hesitate to ask your doctor for some. No need to feel embarrassed when telling the doctor how you are feeling emotionally and physically.

    Do yourself a big favor ---NO DR. GOOGLE!!! Information you may find on the internet may not be current, accurate and not apply to you. Everyone's body is different and reacts differently. No need to scare yourself. No reason to send yourself on a guilt trip about when you took action. I recall saying to the radiologist during our chat after he looked at the mammogram when I first began my adventure that I regretted not coming in sooner. He told me that it didn't matter and that I was there now and doing something about it now. You see, it is what it is and all one can do is deal with what one factually know and do one's best with whatever situation comes one's way. Meanwhile, try to calm down so you can continue to take good care of yourself. What does that mean.... it means to finding ways to give yourself a break from the action no matter if it is just a few minutes... 15 minutes.... 30 minutes....an hour. Go for a walk, go shopping, go watch mindless tv, read magazines. These type of distractions will help you as well as a daily routine.

    You may want to have a significant other or good friend go with you to your doctor's appointments. That person can provide emotional support and be a great person to take notes and listen. ( I know that I didn't hear everything the doctors were telling me even though their mouths were moving and words were coming out.) Get a calendar and notebook so you can get organized and able to keep track of your papers and test results. Doing these kind of things may help you feel a little less out of control. Things will fall into place and a treatment plan will be determined by your doctors.

    Hang in there. You are not alone. Many have travelled this way before you and are here to help you get through this. If you have questions, please post them. Sending you much calm, peace and positive energy.

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  • Nel138281
    Nel138281 Member Posts: 2,124
    edited April 2017

    You have it now and will go from here.  Don't beat yourself up.  I had symptoms and waited until I had a cast off following foot surgery.  I try not to think or do the what ifs   You will have a plan and move forward

    Be well

    Nel

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  • Fanfaraway
    Fanfaraway Member Posts: 6
    edited April 2017

    Thank you all! You are so wonderful and strong, all my love and gratitude :):)

    I slept through the night while only waking up once today, so I am feeling much stronger.

    My tumor feels bigger every day though, and it's now getting super close to the nipple. Since I first felt it early March it has doubled in size... But I guess if the doctors are not rushed, it's perhaps not so unusual.

    I feel like I've been doing a pretty good job staying off Dr. Google, thanks for the warning!


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  • Tpralph
    Tpralph Member Posts: 487
    edited April 2017

    fanfaraway yes I too waited 10 months when I first felt the lump. I had just undergone some breast surgery a mastopexy and augmentation for my 50th birthday. Tried to make the girls look pretty again. And then a few months later I felt the lump in the right side of my breast. Has it had fibrocystic breast disease all my life I figured the implants were just pushing that out. However I knew that the lump was a little different because it didn't hurt before my. Like the other ones did.. However I had just had a mammogram prior to the surgery in the mammogram was normal. So I thought I was being crazy to think that I could have cancer. So I let it go and then in the fall I noticed it seemed to be growing. However I have had a couple big trips planned so I thought I would see my nurse practitioner after those trips that was in February. So I had my mammogram ultrasound and biopsy on March 6th and found out the devastating news March 10th. Spent the weekend Googling everything and freaking out. Now to put this in context I am a nurse practitioner so I know better not to look at dr. Google and all those other sites but on the other hand I'm human and I'm a patient so I acted like many of us do and once to find out as much as I can and when I was going to die from this because I was certain that only had a few months to live. I know very silly. so like everyone else is saying don't beat yourself up about it. We can't go back unfortunately so we have to make the best of it and carry forward and make the best choices from this point on and tell her doctor's everything that we're going through every new symptom even if you think it's crazy because this is your life and you want to protect it as much as possible.

    I found this site just after that weekend or maybe on the Sunday and it has been invaluable to be able to talk to people find out more about the disease. Find others who have similar stats as you. I'm still waiting for the surgery and to find out what type of breast cancer I have other than invasive ductal carcinoma.

    I found that that first weekend was the worst and I also found that I couldn't concentrate on watching TV or reading but I did find some really good meditation videos on YouTube and I found by listening and doing that that actually helped. As did the sleeping pills that I started the day after that when I got in touch with my nurse practitioner.

    Good luck to you take a deep breath and onward we go.

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  • 999gloria999
    999gloria999 Member Posts: 11
    edited April 2017

    what I found that helped me with the worry thought was breathing and letting the thought come and then let it go. To not hold on to it. It's here. We can predict what will be. But we can control our reaction to it. And calm is good. Calm is very good. All will be well. Now I'm not going to lie this takes work. Take it from one who was an anxious mess a month ago

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