Giving hope to those affected
by secondary breast cancer
Research. Support. Education.
Giving hope to those affected
by secondary breast cancer
Date of Diagnosis:
I was diagnosed with primary breast cancer in March 2020 just days before first lockdown and got told I had nodules in my lungs. When I got my first check up CT scan in the June the nodules had shrunk so had secondary diagnosis in July 2020.
Current Treatment Line
Palbociclib, Letrozole and Zoladex injection
How does secondary breast cancer affect your life?
I stopped working weeks before my primary diagnosis and planned to have a few months off then look for a new job but due to the cancer I’ve been unable to go back to work.
My health has also been affected, I also suffer from fibromyalgia, which mainly affects my joints and being tired, my cancer treatment has unfortunately made the pain in my joints and tiredness worse so I am unable to walk or stand very far so rely on wheelchair quite often and my husband has had to give up work to be my cater.
What advice would you give to someone newly diagnosed?
Not to Google anything and don’t be afraid to ask anything in this group.
Has your treatment line changed since you completed SBC & Me last year?
No, I’m still on palbociclib, letrozole and zoladex injections.
How many changes to treatment have you had?
I’m still on my first line of treatment and that has been two and half years on letrozole and zoladex and almost two years on palbociclib, not had to drop dose either.
How are you coping?
Generally I’m well but do struggle a lot with the pain in my joints and tiredness. I tend not to worry so much about the cancer now, just when I have a CT scan, which is every 4 months now.
Lately I’ve been thinking positively about still being on first line treatment after two years so thinking I will still be here for a long time to see my kids grow up.
Do the side effects affect your life daily? If yes, please explain
I am still badly suffering with the pain in my joints and tiredness from the fibromyalgia and treatment. Some days I can’t do anything and just sleep more or less the whole day.
Have you found a routine that works for your everyday life? If yes, please explain
Not really but I attend church and groups they run and I find getting out to them kinda gives me a routine and having an actual reason to go out helps make me feel better and as I’m out I’m not just wanting to sleep.
Do you feel anything is missed when it comes to living with secondary breast cancer? Medically or Socially
Lack of knowledge about secondary breast cancer and find if I haven’t explained secondary breast cancer to people and being on treatment for life they ask if I’m finished treatment or when I will be finished.
Have you treated yourself to anything since your diagnosis? If yes, please explain
Not really as we’ve had to cut back on a lot of things due to both of us not working but I do have my 40th birthday soon and have a big party arranged for that, which I may not have done if I didn’t have cancer
Has it changed your perspective on life? If yes, please explain
Yeah it has as I tend to think now life’s too short and need to make the most of it whereas before being diagnosed I didn’t even think of end of life.
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