My best pal with the breast cancer

My best friend who had an operation 3 weeks ago to remove her breast cancer lump, went to the specialist today to get her results of the lymph node biopsies they did whilst she was under. I have to take my hat off to her, the way she has sailed through all of this, she's been high spirited throughout, even on the night she got home after having her op. However, today was a different story They told her they had found cancer in 4 or 5 of her lymph nodes, so she is having to go BACK into hospital on the 18th December, to have them out and expected to stay in for four days and to also expect to have chemo, as well as the radiotherapy she was going to have anyway next February.

It broke my heart to receive her phone call this afternoon, and I think she's in total shock. We had planned to have our little girlie get together, where I do a big Christmas lunch for us all, and that was planned for the 18th, but I told her, that would be cancelled now

I feel so helpless, there's nothing any of us can do, her poor husband, well, he'll be beside himself, and her two sons in their 20's will be completely devastated, they love their mum. This is very close to home for me, she is the fittest, perkiest, kindest person I know and she was so very optimistic this morning before she went. Oh b*ggar!!!

The other friend up the road, well she's still out of it, they operated again, she's lucky to be alive, one lung has filled with fluid and collapsed, she's still on a ventilator and still on dialisis Had her hubby round lunchtime for a chat and a coffee, but what could I say to him either?!!!

I do hope things don't go in 3's this time, coz at the moment, I don't know of anyone else who is facing such trauma as these two.

There but for the Grace of God I say!

H I know it seems bad but one of my best friends went through this a couple of years ago. 4 of her lymph nodes were affected. She had chemo and radio and her world fell to pieces...she was amazing throughout. She is a very fit and healthy lady too, she had run the London marathon a couple of years before. She is now (touching everything) doing fine.(Touches everything again). Just be there for her H there is hope.

Oh Helena I am so sorry about your friend. But on the bright side I have a friend who went through the same thing 3 nodes had to be removed after the original lump. she is fine 6 years on (fingers crossed for them both, Oh and anyone else who is going through the same sort of thing).
Elaine xx

Another bestfriends mum had the same...totally fine 5/6 years on

My son's teacher...same....back in work a year on and looking good...(touching everything for both again)>

Finger crossed here for your friend. As the other have said, treatment for breast cancer has got so much better and the prognosis is more positive than it used to be.
She sounds as if she has a lot of support and hopefully she will get through this xxx

Thanks A, and Thanks elaine. Trouble is, being a close friend, I feel so very helpless, coz there IS nothing I can do this time is there, whereas usually if they need help, I'm there and I can usually sort it, but sadly, not this time. I will try to keep her spirits up as much as I can, but this has hit her like a ton of bricks, unlike when she was actually told her lump was cancerous, she just got on with it and kept positive, but I could tell by her voice today, this has knocked her sideways, and she's in shock, same as any one of us would be. I feel like I want to ring her up again, but for once in my life, I've got nothing to say (that did make her laugh actually when I said that to her!).

We've been out doing Christmas shopping together the past couple of weeks and she was really happy and jokey, and soooo looking forward to popping round with her husband and sons on Christmas morning for a drink and pressy opening session, thinking this is all behind her now, just so sad.


Thanks for the positive reports, I'm sure she will be fine too, but it's just the thought of a very good friend like this having to go through all that misery I suppose I should just be grateful that this was caught early enough, but look how quickly it was spreading This has made me realise that 3 years is too long for a mammory, and I'm going to go private and have one done every year, coz I did once have a "suspect" mark on one of mine, and hearing what I know now, I'm not going to take any chances that's for sure.

I went on a forum earlier on, and you just wouldn't believe how YOUNG some of these women are who have breast cancer, even the first page was full of women in their 20's which quite shocked me!!!

My sister lost her best friend to it at 23 but that was many moons ago (like 20 years).

H you can do sooooooooo much. We found coffee and cake helped...

Sorry to hear this hon. She is lucky to have a supportive friend like you xxx

H - Hope that it is not as bad as it sounds, as said above these things don't have a set path, I'm sure I've read of many people living for many years after being diagnosed with cancer but it's hard for you too since there is so little you can do. I'm sorry to read about your other friend, she is in a bad way now, but once again let us hope and pray things come good for her.