Waiting for Triple Assessment
Hi All, I found this forum when I went down the rabbit hole of Dr. Google as the wait for my triple assessment is two weeks! There’s one more week left now of waiting and it has been agony. I’m 42 and when I was 21 they found a through an ultrasound a 1cm benign cyst in my right breast. Fast forward to January this year I found out my great-aunt has stage 4 breast cancer and my mum’s cousin is a breast cancer survivor hence I asked my GP for a breast check referral. The day after my first mammogram they sent me a recall letter which has now got me thinking the worst case scenario as I have have two young kids. I’m going to Vincent’s and was told I will be there the entire morning and to bring someone with me. Anyone here had this experience before? I’m currently in the middle of dealing with Depression hence don’t really need the anxiety of not knowing and waiting on top of it!
Comments
Thank you for taking the time to reply BMG. It’s just what I needed to hear. It’s very comforting and inspiring to hear about your own journey. I’m sorry to hear that you weren’t spared and hoping for a successful treatment. I can’t even begin to imagine what you’re going through so I appreciate your words of encouragement.
Like you I began to Google. The Irish Cancer Society website is now where I go to do my research. I've contacted their helpline which is staffed by nurses several times and found their help excellent. Please try and park this until your appointment.
I hope this turns out to be nothing but you will be well lead by the professionals looking after you. Try and use the St. Patrick's Day celebrations as a distraction. Do plenty of nice nice things to distract yourself and the time will soon pass until your appointment. I really hope you are spared. None deserves this. However we do get the strength from somewhere when it's required.
Thank you for the tips! I’m currently bed bound the past few days with the flu which probably doesn’t help with the worrying as I’m not able to go out and also why Dr Google is my friend atm but I will unfriend him now and will look for other things to do to distract me.
I'm glad my reply helped you. I also have that awful flu. I got it just as I was picking up following my 2nd dose of chemo - I need 8. It totally sapped my energy. I walk every day but didn't have the energy with the flu this last week. Feeling a little better today and hope to get for even a short walk tomorrow. I find the walking great for my mental health.
I was diagnosed with breast cancer in early November and am currently going through treatment. My advice would be to take it a day at a time - when your mind starts racing reign in those thoughts to the present.
I had very few bad days up to now when I took it a day at a time. When I look back at the pain and torture I put myself through at the start of my breast cancer journey worrying about things - some that didn't even happen and others that happened but the worrying didn't make dealing with them any easier. I would've been one of the world's biggest worries before my diagnosis but it genuinely changed me. Thankfully I realised very soon after my diagnosis that this was something I had no control over and no amount of worrying was going to make any difference. I decided to trust my medical team to cure my cancer and conserve my own energy for the road I had in front of me and every bit of it is needed.