Looking for some encouraging words.

11tyBillion

my surgery is slated for December 2nd.  I was dx with IDC a couple of weeks ago.  It sounds liek there are two lumps, close together ... side by side they are a little over 4cm.  No oconotype yet, nor have I been told a stage or anything (is that weird?).  Perhaps they are waiting until after surgery to determine all of that?  i have heard that sometimes the whole mass is not necessarily cancerous, sometimes only internal portions of the mass...  I have had an MRI that showed one possible swelled lymph node (~1cm), but no other body involvement (yet).  Also had a chest x-ray, showed "nothing".  Because of a strong family history, and this size of the mass, I am going to have a mastectomy ... and maybe a bilateral if my BRCA tests come back positive.  I am a mental mess.  I have had nothing but aches and pains since the dx, and every time a different Dr. goes to feel on my arm-pit lymphnodes, they seem to ache for days after.  The new annoying "pain" is that my lower-mid back has been aching, and I swear I feel like I am ovulating (no periods though because I have Mirena IUD, which is coming out Monday).  I slept on a heating pad last night becasue I was thinking that perhaps this is all tension that is making my back hurt.  I am so scared that there is something growing on my kidneys, or ovaries, but at the same time, I feel like an ass if I call up the Dr.'s office because what can they do really?  Would a uninalysis really show them anything useful?  My operation is going ot be in one week, and the next 2 days are holidays ... Seriously, has anyone else had these kinds of pains?  Mention a body part, and concern, and I swear it will ache.  Wouldn't it be good for them to know if there is something else growing somewhere else?  Or is it best to get this first operation out of the way, then move on to the CT/PET scans to dertermine if there was any spread?  i am rambling, i know.  i am just so scared.

pickle

Sorry to hear all that you are going through but I want to assure you that your fears and uncertainty are absolutely normal. Take a deep breath. You will get your grade and stage after the pathology report comes back post surgery. Your doctor may order a bone scan. ct/pet scan after surgery depending on your report. You had an MRI and chest xray which didn't show any problems so that is really good news. I know when I was first diagnosed, I worried about every litlle pain or twinge too. Once you get your report and undertsand it, a lot of the fear subsides. Once you have a plan in place you will feel back in control. Don't google to much...it will drive you crazy. ....there really isn't anything to go until your path comes back.

Hugs and try to enjoy your Thnaksgiving weekend.

anne26

Iknow this is stressing, But keep strong. I had a large mass 5X7 on mammo and when I had my mast. All was neg except IDC 1.3.. Your aches and pain can be from stress and worry, It is normal to worry about all these aches. I still have alot of body aches, but I have learned to  put hem in their place. . Have your surgery and deal with staging after the fact. Regardless of staging scan, surgery will still be the first line treatment.  Also they can not stage your BC until after surgery. Like I said I would have been a stage II based in mammo. but actually was stage 1. Be kind to yourself until your surgery. Deal with the here and now and try not to over think all of this. I understand  and here if you need to vent. Big hugs and postive thought you way, anne

GryffinSong

Gentle hugs to you. Like the others have said, stress and worry are par for the course. I had a bilateral mastectomy almost exactly a year before yours. I chose to have both removed so I would have less worry for the future, and so I wouldn't be lopsided. Gather family and friends to your side if that helps you, and please feel free to vent, ask for help, and anything else that will help you get through this. It's hard and scary, but eventually you come through it.

bluedasher

My mass was two side by side lumps too. A little smaller than yours at 3.5 cm.  One was a benign cyst (I knew that was a possibility because it deflated when the VAD biopsy took a bite out of it). The other contained 0.9 cm of IDC and the rest was DCIS. So before surgery, I was told that I might be stage IIA if the nodes were negative and IIB if they found positive nodes with the SNB. After surgery, it turned out that I was IB because the IDC was only part of the lump. It can also go the other way if they find some spread beyond the obvious lump.

I guess surgeons don't bother to speculate about the Stage until they take it out.

I knew before surgery that my tumor was HER2+ so I would need chemo. Sometimes the biopsy doesn't get a big enough sample to test for hormone and HER2 receptor status.

You mentioned tumor size as a reason for getting a mastectomy. I had a lumpectomy and taking out the 3.5 cm tumor didn't make a noticeable difference in my breast size. Since it was two lumps next to each other, the volume wasn't that much - it was 3.5 cm long but the other two dimensions were much smaller.

Lisa_S

I had a lumpectomy last Friday (even though I had both a 1.1cm tumor and intramammary node), but I think that was a good option for me as survival rates don't vary based on surgery option (just local recurrence). 

Your worries about aches and pains are very normal.  After diagnosis, I began having back pain in my mid back (around bra line) and lower back.  I was also having intermittent pains in my other breast.  I kept thinking that maybe the cancer had spread.  However, I've had a breast MRI, PET scan and follow up sonograms of my ovary and thyroid, and everything else looks okay.  But still I'm worried there might be a connection with my aches and pains.  I found that doing visualization and breathing exercises is really helping me manage the stress (and associated pains).  I also have begun acupuncture, although I've never been much a believer in this before.  But I think the stress of this diagnosis can really cause all sorts of additional aches, pains and worry and I think you should do any complementary treatments that you can.  I really think the deep breathing exercises are key to this.

Do what ever you can to relax and remove stress.  Let your friends and family help you and wait on you.  Don't turn down any offers -- it helps you and makes them feel better.  Good luck.

chrys

Hi. I'm new to this cancer thing too and I think I know how you feel. I was diagnosed October 11 this year, have already had 1 surgery to remove my 2 lumps and sentinal nodes, and am going back on the 30th to get all the lymph nodes removed. So far, I will be keeping the breast, but I have come to believe that anything can change at any given moment. My cancer is 5cm+ and stage 3. I think the scariest part for me is the next unknown, I want to scream sometimes. I'm hoping this website will help, it has already helped connecting with you for a minute. I hope today is a good day for you, and that people care, Chrys

CoolBreeze

After my cancer diagnosis I started noticing a little cough that had been there a while and I'd paid no attention too.  Naturally, I thought the worst.  Well, right after surgery the cough went away.  Turns out my tumor was very near the chest wall so there was possibly some irritation going on.  O, it also could have been me magnifying a minor cough into something scary due to the cancer.

I'm the calmest person in the world about this and I still got nervous about that, so you are in good company here.  Try not to let this all get to you.  Most people come out fine.

I ended up have multifocal/multicentric cancers.  Four tumors in all - the main IDC was 3.4 cm and with it was 4.5 cms of DCIS.  Plus a few other tiny tumors of IDC and even ILC.  Even with all that, I had no nodes.  Which suprised all my doctors - but things can turn out well.

You get your staging after surgery.  The tests aren't good enough to see the real size of your tumor until it's out and part of stating is lymph node dissection, which also happens after surgery.

People who are able to have lumpectomy and people who have mastectomy have the same survivial rates, so don't automatically think mastectomy.  I very much wanted a lumpectomy but the multifocal/centric nature of my cancer made that impossible. I did have a unilateral mastectomy.

Good luck to you!  You'll feel better once you start treatment.

luckeypenny

Hello

I have just joined tonight, and I am very thankful for the info I received from signing up. I was diagnosed in Sept. 09, had a biopsy done, and was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma. The size of my tumor was 1.9 cm which is close to stage 2. my lymph nodes were negative, praise the Lord! The size of the tumor and that the lymph nodes were negative, was the best news I had had after my biopsy, and my mastectomy.  My biopsy and my mastectomy went very well. I even amazed myself, as I am such a whimp, but with the help of my 2 lovely daughters, my Grand-children, and close family members, and friends, and The Lord's Blessings and  even our small community out here on the Eastern Plains I whizzed through it all. I'm hoping and praying that all goes as well if and when I have chemo therapy. My tumor was on the right breast.  I decided to go with the mastectomy, as my surgeon explained my options, and I chose the mastectomy because I am 64 yrs young and felt that was the right choice for me. I am awaiting the results of my oncotype dx, which I should get next week. That will help me make a choice of whether I want  chemo or not. I have pretty much decided to have the chemo treatments, after discussing it with my oncologist.  But I am really excited to receive the results of the oncotype dx test to know what my number is. After reading some of the posts on this web site, I was enlightened about the oncotype dx test. I know that  for me, keeping a positive attitude and surrounding myself with people with positive thoughts, kind words of encouragement and trusting in the Lord to carry me through this journey, (footprints) the poem, and also the Serenity Prayer are 2 wonderful reads!  I have to share with you that my brother has been battling Melanoma cancer for 2 yrs, I get a lot of strength from his strength. He is amazing and is my greatest inspiration. He is almost 5 yrs younger than I and what is ironic, is that we are both adopted, and we both have cancer. I was happy to read what you shared, and if I can be of any help, I will be there for anyone going through this same journey. May God be with all of you, you are in my thoughts and prayers! Keep the FAITH!   Sending gentle hugs also. LH&P (Love, Hugs, and Prayers)

 Luckeypenny in Colorado

charleneg

Hi Luckeypenny,

I found great comfort in the Footprints poem and the Serenity Prayer has been a favorite of mine for years.  I truly jumped up in the Father's arms throughout this ordeal and have not come down yet as I am on Herceptin currently.  I, too, like you found that this journey was doable even though quite scary of the unknown.  I did have chemo and had nausea just a tiny bit 2x, metal mouth mostly and tired were the prominent side effects but I did work my part-time job during chemo.  Herceptin has just had the side effect of headache or flu like symptoms for a day and not every time.

God Bless You as you navigate this trial.

Love, Char