Confirmed dx - IDC stage 2

jenjenl

I am 33, wife and mother to 2 children - Mary is 5 and Andrew is 2.5. Today at 9 am I was dx with IDC stage 2.  I have 3 spots - lump 1 is 0.7 mm and lump 2 is .05 mm and is a mammary lymph node.  The last I don't remember off the top of my head but said it was smaller.  I am ER + and PR -, I am not triple negative.  HER2/neu results will be back next week.  When they started going over the results I lost my shit (can we swear here, I hope so), I just kept thinking of my kids. The hardest part honestly was to watch my sweet husband ( the sensitive one) cry and cry and cry.  My nurse navigator was amazing and just took the reigns.  It was so overwhelming - really information overload. 

By 1 pm I met with the surgeon who reviewed the pathology report in much greater detail and we created a plan. Let me tell you the demeanor and knowledge of this man was calming for me.  I am a data project/process/risk manager so plans and data is how I process best.  After meeting with him I felt a lot better.

Step 1 is dual path. a) start chemo for 4 months b) run additional tests to check spread and a genetics test.  I PRAY PRAY PRAY it has not spread.  They did think by the US that the axillary nodes have not been impacted but that's not confirmed until surgery.

Step 2 is double mastectomy - i am going for the double bc of my age and probablility of it coming back. Reconstruction with the placer as the other options looked really extreme and I don't weight a lot (121 lbs) so not a lot of skin they could take.

Step 3 is possible radiation based on the lymph node tests.

So that's my story and plan.  I hope to get some feedback on said plan from you ladies.  I just pray the scans show no spread and no lymph nodes.  I also was unsure of the chemo before the surgery (kinda just wanted it OUT) but based on his explanation I agreed at that time but said I reserve the right the change.  I meet with the chemo guy (a red sox fan so i'm gonna love his bluntness) on Thursday tentatively.

Hopes all i got right now.  I feel really comfortable so far with the team that has assembled and the urgency they are providing.  Now it's just comes down to schedules   The company I work with has great plans /support- STD and LTD and flextime, I can also work from home most of the time. They also assign a case worker to help with everything I need.

I don't really understand the insurance part of it.  I have BCBS HSA (6K OOP and 6k at 10% and then covered 100%).  I don't know much about in and out of network and if I should really even care about it. 

We were so close to being out of debt, only 10k to go and were going to move to charleston in the spring...but that's ok we have a new plan and that's what it is. We live in CLT, NC so it's just as nice here.

I don't know you ladies but I love you already.

XOXO - - off to carve pumpkins.

CelineFlower

Dear jen,

just a quick word to say welcome to the community... it sounds like your doctors have you on the right path.

it must be hard to have young children and cope with all this.. pls know you are not alone