IDC, DCIS and reoccurance

Michele16

I am 43 years old....my initial diagnosis goes back to 1995 when I was diagnosed with Stage 3 Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma after self examining myself because my mother had been diagnosed 6 years previous to me.  I underwent lumpectomy, chemo and radiation.  I was also tested for the gene and was BRAC1 positive.  My mom, her siblings and their children have been tested as well showing and overwhelming family connection to the gene.

  At that time of diagnosis I was 29 years old with two daughters ages 6 and 3.   I remember having to tell my girls that the medicine (chemo) mommy is taking to help her get better is so strong that it is making her hair fall out...letting them run their fingers in my hair and have some come out in their fingers....so mommy has just decided to shave it off.  And my 3 year old said " all of it mommy" and i said "yes all of it".  She said "oh" and went off to play.

Yearly mammos, blood work, ultrasounds and 15 years later mammo showed DCIS (confirmed with needle biopsy) in the opposite breast to the original diagnosis.  The decision was to have Bilateral Masectomies in Nov 2009 ....pathology should that the DCIS was not present and that the needle biopsy had removed it all...what brought me to tears in that visit was that the pathology also showed a reoccurance in the breast with the original diagnosis in 95 which the mammo did not pick up!!

May 2011 I had reconstructive surgery (Diep with own tissue).a 10.5 hour surgery...pretty intense... still recovering but back to work full time since Nov. 2011  I am having some issues though with my abdomin where the tissue was taken.  I have a very physical job and it is very uncomfortable (numbish and sore) still and by the end of my work day seems to still get swollen.

Now just waiting for final surgery date for some lipo on my new breasts and making nipples...still surgery but i am told 2 hours and only need one week off work.

I come across as a strong individual during and after all this but inside emotionally to this day I still say "why me".  And all I can think of is my now 21 and 18 year old daughters and hope that they dont have to deal with the gene ...but God forbid if they do they will look back over the years and remember how strong and positive their mom and grandma were in their battle.