Hi,
I'm Helen and was diagnosed with breast cancer (30mm lump) on April 17th. Since then, I've had a long wait for the receptor results as the HER2+ test had to be retested which all took over 5 weeks. I've been terrified it has been spreading ever since, timie seems to be gloing and I feel like a ticking time bomb. Struggled when the HER2+ result came in as until then I had been told it was probab;y a lumpectomy and a week of radiotherapy. Now it's 18 weeks of chemo, lumpectomy, radiotherapy and hormone therpay for 5-10 years. I'm coping a bit better now it's sunk in and I've closed down my private practice (I'm a counsellor) and resigned myself to the fact that this year and maybe some of next year will be dedicated to this fight. My children are both taking exams at the moment (my son is taking his finals and my daughter her A Levels) and I have my house on the market as I was supposed to be moving to Oxfordshire to be close to both my children whilst at uni.
I suffer with mild M.E. with the main symptoms for myself being fatigue and a lowered immunity, so one of my biggest concerns is I'll be able to cope with the chemo and survive it basically, and my body will be able to recover from the battering it has sustained too. Has anybody been through this process with mild post viral fatigue syndrome (M.E.) or underlying health conditions, and if so, what did you find helped? I have already changed my diet to a high fish, soya, plat based protein, green salad and vegetables, low fat diet, drinking more fluids every day and am trying to relax more and accept help -something I'm not great with!
My Mum died 26 years ago from this dreadful disease at a similar age to me (diagnosed at 48, I'm just 50) and it does feel like history is repeating itself. I'm trying to stay positive and can genuinely see massive differences in treatment and the general understanding of the disease compared to what my Mum received. It's hard not to think I'm going to go the same way, this is what I have been dreading for 30 years.
I'm starting chemo the back end of next week or the following week, once a clip is put in tomorrow and a heart scan next Weds. Dreading it, scafred of it but also want it to get going now too. I'm going to give the cold cap a go too, to see if I can keep my hair as it will help my mental health moving through this. Any advice on what to expect and any tips on making it work, would be really appreciated.
I've found reading all the posts truly inspirational and have taken comfort from everybody's strength and journeys. We are all amazing women, proud of eveyone of us.
Thanks for reading -I have gone on a bit!
Best wishes to everyone,
Helen.
