Have you ever had a cancer scare?

Paddy Cow · 01-08-2019 02:40PM #1

Out of six of my mother's siblings, four (including her) have died due to cancer so I'm really paranoid about it. Recently I've lost two stone. As a lot of ladies can relate, one of the first places you lose it from is your boobs. I found a lump a few Saturdays ago and of course I freaked out. Straight to the doctor Monday morning and she referred me for testing. She told me it could take six weeks to be seen and all I could think was that this was another six weeks for the cancer to spread.

I got a letter that Friday to be at the Breast Check clinic the following Thursday, so the wait was less than two weeks, which was great. I got to the clinic at 8.30 and was really impressed by how efficient they were. The HSE get a hard time (and deservedly so for the most part) but when it comes to cancer they don't mess around. I had an ultrasound, mammogram and biopsy and was out by 10.15. All the staff were really friendly and compassionate. I was told it was most likely a benign fibroadenoma and would have the results in a week. I went back this morning and yay it's benign

To say I'm over the moon would be an understatement. I had googled breast lumps and most of them turn out to be benign but it was a scary few weeks. Make sure to check yourselves

Deebles McBeebles · 01-08-2019 02:43PM

Congrats, P. Always great to hear the good news stories regarding cancer.

gerrybbadd · 01-08-2019 02:46PM

No.

However, there's a family history there, and with having a young family now myself, it's something that's playing on my mind a fair bit.

Good for you with getting the good news however!:o

branie2 · 01-08-2019 02:48PM

No, thank God. I'm glad you're fine, though

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 01-08-2019 03:02PM

Yes, I had a skin melanoma skin cancer about four years ago. Surgery went well and all clear. It knocks the stuffing out of you when they say Cancer. I lost a brother to cancer when he was only 40.

weldoninhio · 01-08-2019 03:19PM

Paddy Cow wrote: »

Out of six of my mother's siblings, four (including her) have died due to cancer so I'm really paranoid about it. Recently I've lost two stone. As a lot of ladies can relate, one of the first places you lose it from is your boobs. I found a lump a few Saturdays ago and of course I freaked out. Straight to the doctor Monday morning and she referred me for testing. She told me it could take six weeks to be seen and all I could think was that this was another six weeks for the cancer to spread.

I got a letter that Friday to be at the Breast Check clinic the following Thursday, so the wait was less than two weeks, which was great. I got to the clinic at 8.30 and was really impressed by how efficient they were. The HSE get a hard time (and deservedly so for the most part) but when it comes to cancer they don't mess around. I had an ultrasound, mammogram and biopsy and was out by 10.15. All the staff were really friendly and compassionate. I was told it was most likely a benign fibroadenoma and would have the results in a week. I went back this morning and yay it's benign

To say I'm over the moon would be an understatement. I had googled breast lumps and most of them turn out to be benign but it was a scary few weeks. Make sure to check yourselves

My dad died just over a year ago, from cancer, about 3 months after that I found a lump on one of my balls. Was absolutely cacking it. Like you, went to doctor, got an appointment for a scan. Was 100% quick and staff were brilliant, they were able to tell me there and then that it was just a cyst. I never thought I would be happy to be told I had a cyst on my nuts, but I nearly danced out of Beaumont.

davo2001 · 01-08-2019 03:41PM

Yeah, had a small lump on the side of my neck, got it biopsy in the hospital, said not cancer, since it was attached to my thyroid they gave me the option to remove the lump and half the thyroid (even though they said it wasn't cancer), doc said might be best to leave it.

I opted to have it removed anyways.

All done and dusted and happy out after the surgery, got a call from the doc 2 weeks later, they did a biopsy on the half they removed and said it turns out it was cancer after all (thyroid).

Thank **** I opted to have it removed, I'm only 34!

Got my 6 month check up recently and they said all is good however it still plays on my mind that they might have missed something again....

LirW · 01-08-2019 03:48PM

Yeah skin cancer. There's a long family history of it and I had a suspicious mole that bled a little. My dad, who has to get tissue removed every couple of months, was absolutely freaking out and offered to fly me back home to Austria to get it checked immediately (7 week wait in St. Vincent's).
Eventually it turned out to be nothing and I'm an idiot and was just scratching too much.

I don't know if an abnormal smear counts, but I had a Lletz treatment last year and I can tell you this was up there on the list of sh*t procedures.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts · 01-08-2019 04:07PM

Yes. I’d had an inverted nipple for months so went to a GP but was told in a very scoffing way that it was nothing and I was far too young for it to be cancer. I happily skipped off into the sunset that evening because that’s exactly what I wanted to hear.

2.5 years and much pain and a cracked rib and many GP visits later, a terminal breast cancer diagnosis came my way. At that first GP visit where I was hand-waved away, I had a symptom that is on the urgent list as in, I should have been sent to the very next breast clinic at my local hospital. But the HSE is very reluctant to send anyone under 35 to the clinics, even with an indicative symptom. I was 28 at the time of the first visit.

Thanks, HSE, for deeming my life not important enough to save. :rolleyes:

Sorry to stomp all over your OP, OP. But I had a very different experience. All I found was indifference and negligence. And I’ve since learned that my experience isn’t unusual. I have a few acquaintances who went through the same thing. Some luckily were still early stage but some, like me, were metastatic by the time they were diagnosed.

And as for self-examination, I did! I did self-examine. I noticed something wasn’t right and it still did me no good.

Paddy Cow · 01-08-2019 04:09PM

LirW wrote: »

Yeah skin cancer. There's a long family history of it and I had a suspicious mole that bled a little. My dad, who has to get tissue removed every couple of months, was absolutely freaking out and offered to fly me back home to Austria to get it checked immediately (7 week wait in St. Vincent's).
Eventually it turned out to be nothing and I'm an idiot and was just scratching too much.

I don't know if an abnormal smear counts, but I had a Lletz treatment last year and I can tell you this was up there on the list of sh*t procedures.

Given the state's history on smear tests, that would have me freaking out.

Paddy Cow · 01-08-2019 04:11PM

davo2001 wrote: »

Yeah, had a small lump on the side of my neck, got it biopsy in the hospital, said not cancer, since it was attached to my thyroid they gave me the option to remove the lump and half the thyroid (even though they said it wasn't cancer), doc said might be best to leave it.

I opted to have it removed anyways.

All done and dusted and happy out after the surgery, got a call from the doc 2 weeks later, they did a biopsy on the half they removed and said it turns out it was cancer after all (thyroid).

Thank **** I opted to have it removed, I'm only 34!

Got my 6 month check up recently and they said all is good however it still plays on my mind that they might have missed something again....

That is very scary :eek:

RacoonQueen · 01-08-2019 04:24PM

I had a tumour removed from my lung when I was 23. Luckily I got away with just surgery and didn't lose any of my precious lung, as we first feared I would.
The care I got and continue to get from the public health system is phenomenal. Years later I am still a 'patient' and still get check ups. Was 4 months from confirming something was wrong > finding out what it was > figuring out a plan > surgery, which I think is pretty impressive time wise.

LirW · 01-08-2019 04:30PM

Paddy Cow wrote: »

Given the state's history on smear tests, that would have me freaking out.

Funnily enough they send the removed tissue off for analysis and I had to wait 4 months for a result and shortly after had my check-up smear which took 6 months to come back.

Limpy · 01-08-2019 04:32PM

Did all of you who had scares feel different or was it just the result of something you could see on your body?

I Don't have any issues but I fully expect to, what's the odds 1 in 3? . Just want to be prepared.

retro:electro · 01-08-2019 04:36PM

I’m currently waiting on my appointment with breast check due to finding a lump also but my GP has assured me it’s nothing to worry about and is likely a cyst. I’m being referred due to family history, but I could be waiting 6-8 weeks for an appointment. It’s worth knowing that 9 out of 10 referrals are benign so I’m comforted by that. Still doesn’t stop your mind racing though.

Paddy Cow · 01-08-2019 04:48PM

Limpy wrote: »

Did all of you who had scares feel different or was it just the result of something you could see on your body?

I Don't have any issues but I fully expect to, what's the odds 1 in 3? . Just want to be prepared.

I didn't feel any different and probably wouldn't have felt the lump if I hadn't lost weight but once I knew there was a lump there I started freaking out mentally. Thankfully we know how my story ends.

With my mother she lost an awful lot of weight and everyone was telling her to get checked. She put it down to other things and didn't go to the doctor until she was getting dizzy. By the time she went, she had advanced kidney cancer. They took out her kidney but unfortunately at her six month check up, it had spread.

Because of my family history, I am VERY aware of any changes in my body and will get them checked out. Too many people ignore the signs and don't want to "bother" the doctor but you're better to be safe than sorry.

gerrybbadd · 01-08-2019 04:51PM

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

Yes. I’d had an inverted nipple for months so went to a GP but was told in a very scoffing way that it was nothing and I was far too young for it to be cancer. I happily skipped off into the sunset that evening because that’s exactly what I wanted to hear.

2.5 years and much pain and a cracked rib and many GP visits later, a terminal breast cancer diagnosis came my way. At that first GP visit where I was hand-waved away, I had a symptom that is on the urgent list as in, I should have been sent to the very next breast clinic at my local hospital. But the HSE is very reluctant to send anyone under 35 to the clinics, even with an indicative symptom. I was 28 at the time of the first visit.

Thanks, HSE, for deeming my life not important enough to save. :rolleyes:

Sorry to stomp all over your OP, OP. But I had a very different experience. All I found was indifference and negligence. And I’ve since learned that my experience isn’t unusual. I have a few acquaintances who went through the same thing. Some luckily were still early stage but some, like me, were metastatic by the time they were diagnosed.

And as for self-examination, I did! I did self-examine. I noticed something wasn’t right and it still did me no good.

Please tell me you've sought legal advice.

This is horrifying, so sorry to hear your story

cocker5 · 01-08-2019 04:57PM

Haven't had a scare myself personally BUT have plenty of experience with very close family members...

My Mother and Father in law were diagnosed same day, different hospital, different cancers

My mum passed away 18 weeks later after horrendous suffering (thankfully we kept her at home) and my father in law 18 months later...

nearly 7 f*cking years later and i'm in the process of losing my beloved dog to liver cancer ... again terrible suffering.... so in all honesty im like f*ck you cancer I've had enough... if it is ever my turn... dignitas here I come

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts · 01-08-2019 04:57PM

gerrybbadd wrote: »

Please tell me you've sought legal advice.

This is horrifying, so sorry to hear your story

I thought about it but didn’t pursue it. A woman I know recently lost a similar case and she was considered likely to win. It’s incredibly difficult to win these cases. The medical community in Ireland sticks together and all it takes is one doctor to give the opinion that the cancer had probably already spread at the first GP visit for it all fall apart. You basically have to prove that the cancer hadn’t spread at the time you were first fobbed off and that is really hard to do.

I decided not to waste my very reduced energy on it.

Paddy Cow · 01-08-2019 05:00PM

retro:electro wrote: »

I’m currently waiting on my appointment with breast check due to finding a lump also but my GP has assured me it’s nothing to worry about and is likely a cyst. I’m being referred due to family history, but I could be waiting 6-8 weeks for an appointment. It’s worth knowing that 9 out of 10 referrals are benign so I’m comforted by that. Still doesn’t stop your mind racing though.

I was told the same waiting time by the GP but I got an appointment within two weeks. My situation is different to yours in that while there's a family history of cancer, breast caner is not one of those. If breast cancer is in your family, you will be given priority.

Like you said, while you know that statistically you are probably going to be fine, you can't stop yourself from going to the worst scenario mentally. I honestly have no advice for this. I didn't tell my siblings because I knew some of them couldn't handle it and I couldn't be their emotional support. A friend of mine's sister had the same thing and she told everyone. When the results came back benign, they had a family dinner to celebrate.

There really is no right or wrong. If you want to keep it to yourself, do. If telling your family helps you, to that. The important thing to remember here is that you have to do what's best for you.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts · 01-08-2019 05:02PM

retro:electro wrote: »

I’m currently waiting on my appointment with breast check due to finding a lump also but my GP has assured me it’s nothing to worry about and is likely a cyst. I’m being referred due to family history, but I could be waiting 6-8 weeks for an appointment. It’s worth knowing that 9 out of 10 referrals are benign so I’m comforted by that. Still doesn’t stop your mind racing though.

Make sure it happens within that 6-8 week window. Don’t be afraid to be pushy.

Another crazy thing about my case. I have a family history that I told them about.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts · 01-08-2019 05:05PM

Paddy Cow wrote: »

I was told the same waiting time by the GP but I got an appointment within two weeks. My situation is different to yours in that while there's a family history of cancer, breast caner is not one of those. If breast cancer is in your family, you will be given priority.

Like you said, while you know that statistically you are probably going to be fine, you can't stop yourself from going to the worst scenario mentally. I honestly have no advice for this. I didn't tell my siblings because I knew some of them couldn't handle it and I couldn't be their emotional support. A friend of mine's sister had the same thing and she told everyone. When the results came back benign, they had a family dinner to celebrate.

There really is no right or wrong. If you want to keep it to yourself, do. If telling your family helps you, to that. The important thing to remember here is that you have to do what's best for you.

Nope. I have a family history and told the GP that and was still fobbed off. I’m sorry, I really just need to refute this stuff because I don’t want what happened to me to happen to anyone else. Complacency can happen in healthcare just like anywhere else.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts · 01-08-2019 05:24PM

Here’s a young Irish vlogger on how hard it was for her to be taken seriously and to get her cancer diagnosis. It’s an anger-inducing listen at times. Luckily I think she was still early stage at diagnosis. But I identify so much with it. I just want to say to people to not put all your trust in healthcare professionals if you really feel that something isn’t right. They are human and can err and when it comes to health, that can mean the difference between life and death. For me, that’s probably the case.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsIjtbeQEas

One eyed Jack · 01-08-2019 05:59PM

Had one a couple of years back, they did a biopsy and it came back negative, but they told me come back again in five years time. To be honest I’d rather not, and I haven’t done.

I’ve just read this -

Readers blog: 'I've started so I'll finish' - Terminal cancer patient on his determination to see change in time he has left

And it does make me think alright, but at the same time I’d still rather just not know and not have to think about it.

decky1 · 01-08-2019 06:14PM

yes , had Leukaemia IN 2010,[febuary] spent a year in St James and got a bone marrow transplant [july] will never be able to thank enough the team there, i owe them and my donor my life,it is a great shock when your told you hear of so many people getting it but you never think it will happen to yourself. Fully recovered now[one of the lucky one's] Great to hear you came out ok too, best wishes for the future.

weldoninhio · 01-08-2019 06:20PM

Limpy wrote: »

Did all of you who had scares feel different or was it just the result of something you could see on your body?

I Don't have any issues but I fully expect to, what's the odds 1 in 3? . Just want to be prepared.

I just felt the lump when I was in the showrr

01-08-2019 06:29PM

I injured a nerve a few years ago and during an investigation recently a tumor was found at the site of the injury. I had surgery to remove it and thankfully it was benign. A beautiful word. The recovery has been tricky and I've had a great deal of physio, but whenever it really gets to me I just say that word again. It could have been much worse.

01-08-2019 06:34PM

retro:electro wrote: »

I’m currently waiting on my appointment with breast check due to finding a lump also but my GP has assured me it’s nothing to worry about and is likely a cyst. I’m being referred due to family history, but I could be waiting 6-8 weeks for an appointment. It’s worth knowing that 9 out of 10 referrals are benign so I’m comforted by that. Still doesn’t stop your mind racing though.

The stress involved in waiting for that kind of thing is awful. Take care of yourself between now and then, though it's very hard as you say. Xx

McCrack · 01-08-2019 07:05PM

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

I thought about it but didn’t pursue it. A woman I know recently lost a similar case and she was considered likely to win. It’s incredibly difficult to win these cases. The medical community in Ireland sticks together and all it takes is one doctor to give the opinion that the cancer had probably already spread at the first GP visit for it all fall apart. You basically have to prove that the cancer hadn’t spread at the time you were first fobbed off and that is really hard to do.

I decided not to waste my very reduced energy on it.

Even for peace of mind consider getting an independent liability and causation report from a UK consultant who will examine your medical records including scans and give an opinion.. To get that you need to consult with a solicitor specialising in medical negligence... And watch the statute of limitations

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts · 01-08-2019 07:08PM

McCrack wrote: »

Even for peace of mind consider getting an independent liability and causation report from a UK consultant who will examine your medical records including scans and give an opinion.. To get that you need to consult with a solicitor specialising in medical negligence... And watch the statute of limitations

All the scans will show cancer! That’s when my diagnosis happened. It was getting to the point of even being scanned that was tortuous.

I don’t really see the point in getting the above. The only reason I’d do it is if I could get a small settlement to support my husband when I’m gone.

Paddy Cow · 01-08-2019 07:51PM

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

Nope. I have a family history and told the GP that and was still fobbed off. I’m sorry, I really just need to refute this stuff because I don’t want what happened to me to happen to anyone else. Complacency can happen in healthcare just like anywhere else.

I'm sorry about your personal experience but it was very different to mine. Like I said in my op, cancer runs in my family and is why I was so freaked out. From my GP to the specialists I saw in the breast clinic, all of them wanted to know if I had a history of breast cancer and they took all my medical history seriously.

Complacency does happen in healthcare and in this day and age if any GP doesn't take a history of breast cancer seriously, then they need to be struck off.

Have you ever had a cancer scare?

Comments