Hello,
I'm new to the forum. Although my breast cancer experience was in 2010, I had a great support base in my husband, and never before felt the need to join a forum to discuss my cancer. I had a lumpectomy, lymph nodes removed, went through chemo and radiation, and am now on Tamoxifen.
Unfortunately, my husband left me suddnely in March last year, and now I have no-one to discuss my fears and concerns with.
I am feeling very worried, and scared, about some new symptoms I have. I have found a small hard lump in my right breast, not the one that originally had the cancer, regularly have feelings of discomfort in both underarm areas, get pains around my chest area, and lots of aches and pains in my bones and joints during the night, espeically around the shoulder and hip joints. I also have had a cough, that won't go away, it's not constant, but I've had it for about 2 months now.
Not sure if my imagination is just being overactive, or if I really should be worried.
44 YO single. DX June 2010, IDC Grade 3, T2, 2.7cm, 3 nodes positive, 14 removed, Oestrogen+, HER2-, LB lumpectomy, chemo, radiation, Tamoxifen initially but now Zoladex and Letrizole.
Jodie, I would go and get it checked out because worrying and not knowing will only make it worse. Some of the symptoms could be stress, I had a similar thing last year (I have arthritis n auto immune disease, I was getting chest pains and a hacking cough, GP said it was possibly muscle strain or stress, I thought she was talking out her backside as I didn't think I was stressed. Funny thing was after I got diagnosed with BC and got checked and tested and x rayed to an inch of my life and told I was actually quite healthy the symptoms disappeared. For your own peace of mind see your doc and remember to be kind to yourself x
This post was edited by Chris at January 3, 2014 12:36:51 PM WATime"The Click Breast Care Nurse
Thank you Chris and Glenys, it helps a bit just talking about my feelings to someone.
I have a follow-up with my radiation oncologist on Tuesday, will be talking about my concerns to her then, and the next follow-up with the medical oncologist is in February, so if my radiation onc thinks I need to I will see if I can move that forward.
Sometimes I feel like every little bump, lump and ache may be something bad, other times I don't even worry about them. It is just harder now that the person who used to be my strongest support will no longer discuss anything with me.
44 YO single. DX June 2010, IDC Grade 3, T2, 2.7cm, 3 nodes positive, 14 removed, Oestrogen+, HER2-, LB lumpectomy, chemo, radiation, Tamoxifen initially but now Zoladex and Letrizole.
44 YO single. DX June 2010, IDC Grade 3, T2, 2.7cm, 3 nodes positive, 14 removed, Oestrogen+, HER2-, LB lumpectomy, chemo, radiation, Tamoxifen initially but now Zoladex and Letrizole.
The Click Breast Care Nurse
44 YO single. DX June 2010, IDC Grade 3, T2, 2.7cm, 3 nodes positive, 14 removed, Oestrogen+, HER2-, LB lumpectomy, chemo, radiation, Tamoxifen initially but now Zoladex and Letrizole.
The Click Breast Care Nurse
Sorry I didn't join the chat yesterday, but lucky me, found out yesterday, the hard way (through facebook) that my ex has been lying to me and has been seeing someone else, for don't know how long, after he swore to me he was not interested in any other women and just wanted to be on his own after everything we had been through.
44 YO single. DX June 2010, IDC Grade 3, T2, 2.7cm, 3 nodes positive, 14 removed, Oestrogen+, HER2-, LB lumpectomy, chemo, radiation, Tamoxifen initially but now Zoladex and Letrizole.
The Click Breast Care Nurse
Hi Glenys,
That is all very useful information. I did go and see a breast cancer psychologist after he first left, unfortunately she was more interested in trying to get me to state that breast cancer made me depressed (Which it didn't, I got through my treatment fine and only have perioidical bouts of paranoia about it whenever a follow-up is due, as evidenced recently) rather than helping me cope with the feelings I had at the time of abandonment and betrayal. So I went to a few sessions with Relationships WA instead. They helped lots!
What really has upset me the most is finding out that he lied to me about not wanting to be involved with anyone else, and he has also said he has lied to me for years about caring about me, and the only reason he stayed was because I did got breast cancer! Finding that out was very upsetting. But, regardless, I had already had an appointment booked for the lawyer to work out the division of our assets. The only difference now is instead of giving in to him and trying to keep him happy by taking less than I could, I am now going to be asking for the lawyer to get me all I am worth, which will be at least 50% of our joint assets. Before he was only prepared to offer me 35 - 45%! If he doesn't care anymore about my happiness, why should I care about his?!!
I have myself to think about now, the hardest part is going to be finding a place of my own. Never done that before! Also, got to start thinking about getting out and meeting new people, as all my friends are his as well, and I need to find myself a life without the constant reminders of my past. That is going to be a challenge, that and finding a better job, it's always hard in interviews explaining why you have had a break in your working life. Some people understand and think it is wonderful you are trying to start over after being through so much, some don't, and it's always a job judging how much to really divulge in regards to your health history.
44 YO single. DX June 2010, IDC Grade 3, T2, 2.7cm, 3 nodes positive, 14 removed, Oestrogen+, HER2-, LB lumpectomy, chemo, radiation, Tamoxifen initially but now Zoladex and Letrizole.
The Click Breast Care Nurse