25 and Just Diagnosed
Hi my name is Jennifer, I'm 25 and just diagnosed with Stage IIIc breast cancer. I'm just "entering the battlefield" and freaking out =(
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Hi Jennifer - I am so glad that you found this website. Not glad about the circumstances in which you have found yourself. The members on this site are very caring and share their experience and support with no judgement. They understand the tsunami of emotions you go through. My best advice is to take one day at a time and to be kind to yourself. If at all possible take a trusted friend to medical appointments and make notes - you will get overwhelmed with information. I am in your pocket with support for you. All my best thoughts to you during this time in your life.
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@jennifernicolelv Hi jennifer, Ugh I am so sorry at 25 you find yourself here ! This site is the place to be with breast cancer, full of so much very useful info. It is so overwhelming at diagnosis and until you get a plan of action going. As said above definitely take a reliable person with you to take notes and have a list of questions at appointments. I had a binder/folder of all reports and info I gathered along the way. This way before my appt I would just grab it and go. We are all here for you to help you navigate this storm, hugs.
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@jennifernicolelv natural to feel freaked out. Takes a while to get your mind around the diagnosis and what to do and how to manage it all. I remember so many feelings and wanting to deny it was happening at first…. As others have said, take someone with you to all of your appointments so they can be your ears and take notes while you listen to what the treatment plan will be. I found a few things super helpful at the beginning, one was keeping a journal . It helped so much to write about what I was both experiencing and feeling. And the other was finding books written by folks who got to the other side of it all for support , I loved three of them which I go back to often - Radical Remission, Your life in your hands, and You can conquer cancer . And then this forum is fabulous, so many caring gals sharing their journeys with each other so very comforting and helpful. We are all here to help each other and heal as best as we can, hugs!
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Hi Jen,
I’m so so sorry that you have to be on this forum at age 25. There is absolutely no doubt that your life and emotion seems to turn up side down following the diagnosis, no word from anyone could ease your worries. But please, please like the other wonderful group of people on this forums, I would try to ask you just take one step at a time. Find someone who you can trust with helping you navigate the treatment in next several months whenever to see your surgeon or oncologist. The path seems so hard now, but once you step on it, you’ll be surprised that you have the strength to get through.
I have daughters around your age, and I am praying everyday that they would never had to go through this like I did, less alone at such young age.
I sincerely wish that you have support system at home to be with your whenever you need.Hugs
T
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Hi Jennifer, I am so sorry you are on this site, especially at age 25, but glad you found us. It is a good place to chat, vent, ask questions when life seems out of control and you're freaking out. All those emotions are absolutely real. I totally agree with the advice above, take one day at a time, find a trusted family member or friend who can be another set of eyes/ears at appointments, take the time to understand the information because it can be very confusing. You'll have a better handle on things once your care team and a treatment plan is in place. The 'waiting' is the worst part, try to find something to keep yourself occupied-yoga, walks, etc. keeping stress to a minimum. I wish you the best as you work to get to the other side. Big hugs!
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Hi Jennifer - I am just so very sorry to see that you find yourself here at age 25. I don't really have more to add, but would just like to underscore what all the others have said. They have given you very good and wise advice. I especially second the idea that you take someone with you. If you have a good friend who is willing to go to appointments with you, by all means take them with you. They can see, hear, and remember things that you don't, and they are a good person for you to "double check" with if you are "fuzzy" about anything that transpired at your appointment; they are also a good someone to bounce ideas off of, and ask, "Did you think they meant …." type things. Taking a friend is the best thing I ever did. I didn't take anyone in the initial stages when I was first diagnosed and I sure wish I had. Years later, a social worker in the ER suggested I take someone, so I asked an old childhood friend, and it has made "all the difference" in so many ways. We are all here for you, and it's a real good caring group of women and men who are all in "various ages and stages" when it comes to breast cancer, and there will just about always be someone here who can speak to whatever issue you might have at any given time. As the others have said, take it one day at a time - heck, one minute, one hour at a time. Give yourself lots of room and grace, take that person with you, ask questions (make a list) and just breathe! It does get better as you learn more about your individual situation and move forward. Please take care and know we are all here for you.
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Thank you everyone for the incredibly sweet and helpful responses.
Im still trying to wrap my head around all of this.4 -
Jennifer, I am so sorry that you have been diagnosed and at such a young age. You will have a long road ahead of you but you can do it. It is incredible how strong a person can become when faced with a cancer diagnosis. I would encourage you to read posts on this site from all of the incredibly strong women who are fighting breast cancer. I found my diagnosis to be extremely overwhelming in the beginning but after getting a solid plan for treatment it did help ease a lot of the anxiety. Before having a plan and final diagnosis there are a lot of " what ifs " going on. I felt very comforted when I had a solid team of doctors and a game plan. You will get a lot of information in a short amount of time so I 100% agree you need someone with you at your doctor appointments. I wrote down questions I had in a notebook to take to my appointments because I would forget what I wanted to ask when I would get there. I also had my husband take notes while in the appointments which helped a lot. Try to stay busy if you can. I found myself googling everything for hours which did not help. Instead I completely organized every room in my house from top to bottom and walked outside every day the first couple weeks before my surgery. You will be in my prayers. Keep us posted on how you are doing.
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