7 scans and 7 dreaded ‘result days’ later…

The diagnosis of my Breast Cancer threw many a curve ball along the way. After receiving the results of the Ultrasound guided biopsy to confirm Cancer it also confirmed the make up of the tumour. My cancer is HER negative, Oestrogen and progesterone positive; scoring the highest on the hormone receptor scale. This essentially means that my good old hormones turned around and bit me in the arse…or breast. However, this was a good thing, we could treat with hormone therapy and the results also showed my tumour was non aggressive. In the darkness I felt a glimmer of hope when I initially got told it was really easily treatable, my lymph nodes were clear and we would get rid of it….until the following scans put us into a full 360.

As routine I had a Breast MRI and a CT scan. Firstly, a breast MRI…not quite the normal MRI I’m used to. I weirdly like the MRI machine, it actually sends me to sleep. So I went in fully prepared to have a lie down and a nap. But no one had warned me that these MRIs are a tad different to the ones I've had before. I would of quite liked to know you will be laying face down, half naked, breasts wedged in holes with an IV line in your arm getting pumped with contrast. Also not ideal as I was still recovering from spinal surgery and that position was not back friendly in any way shape or form!

The CT was also an experience in itself. As I'm going into the machine I was asked if I'd been warned about the side effects of the dye; I hadn't. I was proceeded to be told that it can make feel like you need to be sick and also like you’re wetting myself...Now baring in mind I'm in the machine by this point it's not quite the information you want to hear. "If it happens it happens don't worry"…well maybe not for you Sandra but I'm currently in my own clothes with no spare and you're telling me I'm potentially about to wet myself uncontrollably. A few minutes past with nothing happening until I was pulled back out to find out they hadn't read my notes which stated the cannula needs to be on the opposing side of the tumour. It was currently on the same. The next 5 minutes was spent trying to get an IV into an incredibly pissed off vein, pain that almost broke me but through gritted teeth we got it in. What they also forgot to mention however is I'd have to then hold my breath countless times while the scanner goes over my abdomen whilst also trying to hold in vomit, squeezing my pelvic floor so tight to not wet myself and feeling like my body was on fire inside. So all in all safe to say I didn't get that nap in today either!

In receiving the results of the CT scan they discovered a mass in my liver. To investigate I headed in for a liver MRI and a fully body PET Scan. I am forever grateful for the PET scan that I received as normally its not something that is done. The liver MRI came back as a benign tumour that’s just chilling there and will be monitored, but the PET Scan flashes something way more sinister. “Fran, have you ever had any indication that there could be something in your brain?” Apart from the big arse brain and high IQ doc? Apparently it wasn’t the moment for jokes. “There is activity on the PET scan that is cause for concern”. I went in prepared to be told my Cancer had spread to my liver, I was coming out heading for a brain MRI.

The brain MRI confirmed that there was indeed a tumour lurking on the right hand side of my head. No indiction of if it was benign or cancer, we would only know if a biopsy could be obtained. I had a choice, obtain a biopsy or undergo surgery to have the whole tumour remove. It was a no brainer for me, excuse the pun, get that damn thing out.

“Frances, if this comes back as secondary to the Breast Cancer it isn’t good news for us”

“What do you mean by that? What is the outcome?”

“We can hope to give you some years, we are looking at 2-3”

I was that moment that I mentally told everything and everyone to f*** off. I wasn’t going to die. I would take the surgery and then I was going to find an Oncologist who believed it and would help me fight. So that’s exactly what I did.