Can we do a roll call??

iammommy

I thought it might be nice to get to know each otherbeyond our common diagnosis! Post whatever you're comfortable with. I'll start! I'm Nan, live in semi-rural Pa. with my dh and 12 year old ds. In a former life I was a psychologist, and now I'm a SAHM who homeschools our son. He's our only child, adopted after losing two pregnancies, including identical twin girls at 13 weeks. When I'm not fretting and obsessing over LCIS I like to scrapbook and do crafts. I need to exercise more and eat healthier! That's me in a nutshell! Oh, I just turned 57! Anybody else??

GmaFoley

Hello ladies 

I'm 56 years old, and am a wife, mom and grandma.  My daughter and son are both in their 30s and my grandsons are 4yr and 1yr old. My granddaughter is 10 yrs old.  I'm an archaeologist out of work at the moment so I got a job at JoAnn Fabrics in the interum. They give me time off if I get a archaeology gig as long as its not over a month LOL. 

Jill42_fromUtah

Thanks for requesting a roll call. I found small details from others to very comforting. I will keep mine to the readers digest version. I have 16 year old son, and 7 and 8 years daughters. I started my health issues at 19 when i had a goiter then removed then came back. They said it must go. I decided to not have it removed. fast forward to the birth of my son 7 years later and my thyroid became hyperthyroid and now i have a multi-nodular goiter (11). I gave birth to 2 beautiful girls with fertility complications before and in between the two. My mother is diagnosed with stage 4 BC and my anxiety about my own health kicks in. This time i agree it was time go....we struggled to biopsy all 11 lumps. No cancer. I live in Utah and escape as often as possible to palm desert CA, which is where i am right now after typing this. I have owned a data company for the past 15 years and admit that the stress on me has taken its toll. I had my surgery and diagnosis LCIS/ADH in December and began Tamoxifen in march. i just got the results of my first MRI post surgery and it is clear..... I think i can do this watch and wait thing for now

Jill

Anonymous

Jill--great news on the MRI ! I was diagnosed with LCIS  Sept 2003 (at age 46) and also have family history of bc (mom had ILC). I took tamoxifen for 5 years and now take evista for further prevention----tolerate both meds well with minimal SEs--I continue with high risk surveillance of alternating mammos and MRIs every 6 months with breast exams on the opposite 6 months. How are you doing with the tamox?

anne

iammommy

Nice to meet you, Jill! Great news on the MRI! YAY! I am sorry you've been through so much. I have thyroid nodules, too. I think I have 3 and they were too small for a needle biopsy. I have a repeat ultrasound coming up in May to see if they've grown. Just what I need in addition to LCIS! LOL Do you have any side effects for the Tamox? I see my second opinion breast surgeon today and I'm pretty nervous. I am leaning more and more towards a bilat. mast.

iammommy

Hi Anne! I really admire that you can do the Tamox and testing. I have a pretty bad anxiety disroder and I really don't think I could handle the constant worry. But then again, I"ll find something else to worry about! LOL I'll post when I get back for the 2nd opinion breast surgeon. IT's a small world, I mentioned to my son's physical therapist that I had LCIS and she said her aunt had that and had a bilat. mast. about 3 years ago. The surgeon who did her mast. is the same surgeon I'm seeing this afternoon. THe family loved him.

KellyMaryland

Hi everyone. I'm Kelly.  I'm 42 and live in Maryland with a husband and four kids (ages 2- almost 8).  I found a lump when I was newly pregnant with my last child.  It came back benign and I was monitored during the pregnancy and while nursing.  Last April I had that same lump removed and within the margins was the PLCIS.  I chose monitoring and during that time my doctors became more concerned about various changes in both breasts so in January I had a PBM with tissue expanders.  Am fully expanded now and awaiting exchange surgery on June 21st.  Thank you all for the support and kind words.

Kelly

Crescent5

It's nice to see the other side of posters. Great thread, Nan! I'm a little shy about talking about myself right now (yet I'll talk about my breasts ad nauseum lol). For all all intents and purposes, I'm a SAHM.

A routine mammogram showed changed to calcifications and a tiny new cluster forming last September. Thus the roller coaster began. I am also an anxiety sufferer, and of all things I have a fear of drs and hospitals. Ha! Guess I have to deal with that. lol Though this PLCIS garbage took me down, it gave me the opportunity to face some fears. I knew it would either break me emotionally or make me stronger. Our bodies get older and fall apart. But the mind can always improve.

Kelly congrats on being fully expanded!

Anonymous

I'm Pat, from CT.  A nurse by edcuation-masters in psychiatric nursing, but have worked in administration for many years now.  I have two children, 21 and 19 (girl, boy)  My daughter is graduating from BU in May and my son is in school in Fla.  I've been divorced from their father (who is still very active in their lives) since they were 3 and 5.  I've been dealing with LCIS for the last 6 years.  One too many needle biopsies and a second opinion made me decide to have a BMS with reconstruction.  It's scheduled for the end of June, after my daughter graduates from school and some job responsibilities will be taken care of.  I live alone, for the most part, except when the kids are home on breaks, and I'm perrectly fine with that.  That's me in a nutshell.

Crescent5

Welcome Pat. Best of luck with your upcoming surgery.

Christine5

Hi my name is Chris, was diagnosed with LCIS on Nov. 24,2010. I'm recovering from bi-lateral mastectomies that I had done on Dec. 29,2010. I had eight biopsies on 2lymph nodes in my neck and my thyroid last week. Look good! No sign of cancer there! I started on tomoxifen in late Jan. But had to come off because of SE. I was diagnosed with lymphadema on my arm, side and back this week. I will start therapy for that on Friday! I haven't seen or heard about lymphadema that wasn't in arms or legs. Anyone out there with a similar problem? Oh I am 48 with a great life!

Christine5

Can't believe I posted the wrong dx. I was diagnosed with ILC.

iammommy

How nice to meet everybody!! I'm glad I posted this thread. Pat, good luck with your surgery. CHris, sorry about the lymphadema. I hope you can take care of that quickly! Kelly, I'm glad you did well with your surgery!

I met with my breast surgeon and I am having a prev. bilat mast. May 4th! That's next week! I'm very nervous about it but I have full confidence in my decision, and my surgeon agreed. Considering my anxiety disorder, the constant monitoring and unpredictable results, I would have had no quality of life worrying as I would. THis will greatly reduce my worries about breast cancer. I will be in the hospital overnight, I'm not doing reconstruction. PLease ssnd prayers and positive thoughts as my surgery approaches. Nan

Christine5

Iammommy, my thoughts and prayers will be with you for your upcoming surgery. Hope everything goes well. Thank you!

KellyMaryland

Hi everyone. Nan- sending you lots of positive thoughts for next week!

Crescent- is your imaging scheduled for today? Thinking of you.

Pat- how are you feeling about your upcoming surgery? Any lingering concerns or questions?

Off to garden before the rain comes.

Kelly

Anonymous

 I ammoomy, My thoughts and prayers are with you-and a little bit of jealousythe waiting is killing me... I wish I had decided to schedule it earlier, but couldn't for a number or reasons.  I would be very intereted in hearing how this goes for you. Please feel free to PM me if that's more comfortable  for you.

Doreenanne

iammommy:  I will pray for you for your upcoming surgery, Dont worry its need as bad as you think it will be.  I thought it was doing to be bad and so many women on this board told me its not as bad as you think and they were right.  You will be fine, DONT WORRY.  I will be thinking of you

Jill42_fromUtah

such great imput from all. Anne- my tamox is going ok. the first 30 days were tough. SE seemed to be greater than i wanted to deal with. I felt like the roadrunner on crack, my heart was racing. i checked my TSH (thyroid function) and it was normal however the oncologist recomended that i reduce my synthroid a bit. since then the SE have balanced out. Initially i thought i was going to have insomnia because the first week i started Tamox my 16 year old son was on a school trip to Japan and was there for the devastating earthquake and lets just say i was not sleeping. and anxiety well that was all time HIGH!  once he was home safe my sleeping returned to normal. i am two month in and feel pretty good about it. the anxiety however of the monitoring, is a place that i focus for myself. The month before my MRI, the anxiety consumed me. i do recognize that as a negative and weigh the pro's and cons for the BMX.

I am sending out positive energy and thoughts to all surgery...results.... may peace thrive on this road we are all on!

leaf

I was diagnosed  in 2005 with classic LCIS from a biopsy for 'suspicious calcifications' following a routine mammo.  I had an excision a month later.  Six months down the line, I started tamoxifen. A year post-excision, I had 2 more benign biopsies.  No breast issues since then. I will be finishing my 5 years of tamoxifen this fall.  I've had several D+Cs for endometrial growths; all have been benign. I am followed by a yearly mammogram and twice-a-year clinical exam. I have a weak family history.  

Hope everyone is doing well, and, choosing what is best for them. 

beacon800

Hi all - I was dx age 47 with lcis and plcis.  I am married, have a great, super supportive husband.  I have a family history of bc, enuf to get a BRCA1,2 test paid for by my insurance.  Luckily it was a negative finding.  None the less, I felt could not do the close monitoring/tamox thing.  I just could not deal with that stress and by then I was flat out scared to death of my own breasts.

  I had the surgery and love it!  No problems, no pain, I have full range of motion.  It was fine, stayed overnight in the hospital then drains for 1 week.  I did not do recon and that made it all quite easy.  I consider doing recon from time to time but have no problems now, am quite happy and figure I should just leave well enuf alone!

For hobbies, I am a bird enthusiast and love ballroom dancing.

Jill42, that is great that your son was ok despite being in Japan for the "big one", glad he got home safe!

For those facing BMX surgery, good luck and take it one step at a time.  It seems scary but it's ok. 

Anonymous

Kelly, I'm pretty comfortable with my decision to have surgery.  Doesn't mean I don't have moments of thinking this is "too aggressive" an approach for me, but with living with the LCIS, very dense breasts and a family hx (though it's my maternal grandmother-so doesn't really "count", I think this is the best decision for me.  I lose 2 weeks or so of time everytime I or my BS finds something (waiting for the test, the needle biopsy etc.)  I had a "partial mastectomy" (though it seemed more like a lumpectomy) once (about 6 years ago) and another removal about two years later.  then I did very well for a period of time with careful monitoring,  I did try Tomoxifin,but the SE were not worth it to me at the time.  The last time I found a lump, and then my BS found two-and the whole thing started again. He also, botched it-and I almost ended up with a needle biopsy of the wrong site.  That prompted me to change BS and get another opinion.  She offerred this choice and supports my decision (he would never talk about it when I brought it up).  I have lots of family and friends who think this is the right choice after seeing what the testing, waiting etc. did to  me (though it was a great weight loss program-I lost about 20 lbs when it all started and about 10 more over the ensuing years-and I was not overweight to begin with!  I'm a "genetic" worrier, so this is giving me some relief, though as I said earlier, I wish I could do it tomorrow, because the waiting is difficult.  That being said, I have to wait for some very good reasons.  Thanks for asking.  I know some people have very mixed feelings about this, and this is the right approach for me,  I think it would not be for others.

Misty3

Hi Everyone, I'm Misty, diagnosed with LCIS in 2008. Currently yearly mammograms and all have been fine so far. Had 2 surveillance MRI's initially but feel comfortable with mammograms now. Refused Tamoxifen due to SE profile but try to do a high vegetable diet and natural estrogen lowering supplements. Nice to meet everyone and nice to catch up with awb and leaf.

KellyMaryland

Nan- thinking of you! Will be sending happy thoughts your way for Thursday.

Kelly

Breyonna

Hello Everyone,

 My login name is Breyonna (my daughter). To many people with Kimberly which is my real name.  I was just diagnosed with LCIS.  I've been married for 20 years and love my family so.  I just finished my bachelors degree in Accounting, and getting started on my master degree. 

Christine5

Breyonna, so sorry about your diagnosis. You will be in my thoughts. Glad you have gotten on here, I am certain it will help, so many wonderful people on these boards that have some experience that they are willing to share.

OG56

Hi, my name is Linda and I was diagnoised with PLCIS plus ALH a year after having been diagnosed with BC, when my MRI showed birads 4 in both breasts. Have had many MRI biopsy's and several excisional biopsy's. I am doing the close observation route, Mamograms and MRI's. Just can't bite the bullet for BMX.

I have been living in NYC for the last 10 years and just resigned from my job and am moving back home to Omaha. Santa Claus brought me a grandson for christmas and I can't stand being away from him. I am a nurse by education also, but have been training and consulting to children's psychiatric facilities for many years. Now I want a job with  much less responsibility!

I and many others sent our tissue samples into Sloan to be part of a research study on PLCIS a year ago and hopefully one day they will have more concrete treatment for all of us.

wolfe33

Hi everyone,

 My name is Amy.   Diag in Dec '09 with LCIS, found during a breast reduction surgery. Scheduled for PMX on June 1st with DIEP reconstruction.  I have to admit that my post reduction breasts are beautiful and am sad to see them go

I have an amazing husband who is a drummer in a few great bands (also a retired actuary), 2 amazing kids that were both born in 1994, although they are not twins...Feb and Dec of same year....I do not recommend this to anyone, LOL!!!  I am, ironically, in Risk Management.  Weird that I do this for a living, but could not manage my own risk for BC.  This site is such a blessing.  I am grateful everyday that I get to be a small part of all of your lives!!!!

 Best of luck to all of you, you are all always in my thoughts.

julianna51

Hi all, I was diagnosed with LCIS in 2002, spent years monitoring closely, several biopsies, etc. then in April I was diagnosed with DCIS.   Decided on BMX with immediate reconstruction which was done this week on May 24.   Feeling fine although I developed a rash as a reaction from something which has slowed me down.   BMX was the best decision for me although at the moment I am struggling with the changes it is making in my life right now but I know this shall pass and get better.

I'm 51, divorced, have two adult daughters, 30 and 28 who are both married, one granddaughter.  I own a on-line business and work in the court system.   An avid Bikram yoga practitioner (this is the thing that I'm struggling with right now because I can't go for quite awhile).   My daughters were here with me this week and were incredble with their care for me.  I am truely blessed.

Love this site and meeting all of you strong women.

Juls

Roswell4

Hello everyone.  I was just diagnosed with LCIS last week, and I meet with the oncologist for the first time on Friday.  I think the plan will be Tamoxifen, but I am doing a lot of reading trying to learn more so I can ask some intelligent questions when I meet with the doctor.  I am 48 years old, have lived in southern Michigan my whole life.  I have been married for 25 years, am also a scrapbooker, and love my pets (a dog, 2 cats and a parrot). I am looking forward to learning a lot from all of you who have "been there, done that".  This is all brand new to me.

LHC

Hello; Getting ready to meet with oncologist again on Monday, June 20. Any advice for me?? Just had 2nd surgery, over-compensated by mowing the lawn and pulled muscle on opposite side of my back; that pain has been worse than post-surg. pain for sure! Diagnosed with LCIS in both sides 4 yrs ago; 5 biopsies, 2 surgeries, and no end in sight. I don't WANT to take tamoxifen and I'm so tired of it all. I don't like to discuss any of this with husband, friends, colleagues or family, so thank you for having this forum.

KellyMaryland

Hi everyone. Welcome to those of you who are new.  I was diagnsed with PLCIS and had PBMX in January and my exchage is next Tuesday....happy to accept all thoughts, prayers, happy vibes!

Kelly