Mum's lump op
Question
My Mum recently found out she has a small, cancerous lump in her breast. She has to have an operation to remove the lump as well as undergo a course of radiotherapy. She doesn't want to know a lot about what lies ahead as it worries her, but I would like to know the sort of thing she and the rest of the family can expect in the near future. Can you help?
Answer
It sounds like you may be going through a difficult time right now. When someone you love experiences cancer it can be both upsetting and worrying.
It is positive to hear that you have chosen to support your Mum by finding out further information about breast cancer and what to expect. However, you've mentioned that she doesn't want to know too much about what lies ahead; it's important to remember that everyone has different ways of dealing with different situations and it can take some people longer to come to terms with certain information than others.
It's difficult to give you an exact answer to what you, your Mum and family can expect to happen in the near future. To find out more specific details, you could ask the doctors or specialists involved with your Mum's treatment, or you could contact organisations like Breakthrough Breast Cancer or Breast Cancer Care.
Macmillan Cancer Support offers lots of information regarding different treatments for breast cancer such as surgery and radiotherapy, including a section relating to after-treatment. You can call their helpline on 0808 808 00 00.
You may also find it useful to create a list of all the questions you have and take note of the answers you receive. This way you can organise and deal with your concerns more effectively, which may help to give you both peace of mind for the future.
Updated: 06/06/2011
Question answered by bss
