Diagnosed February 13, 2015

Fe_Princess

I just wanted to introduce myself here and may my story can help someone like all the stories that I have read. I felt the lump in my breast in the shower on January 23rd. I knew intrinsically that it was cancer. I couldn't believe it was happening. I didn't get a mammogram until the 13th of February because I kept waiting for it to go away. See, I am moving to Zurich Switzerland at the end of May to get married and this just wasn't fitting into my plans...When they told me it was cancer, I lost my mind. The hardest thing about this experience has been in the waiting periods. I had to wait another week to get my biopsy so I had a week to mull over what kind, how long, how big, am I going to die? Then waiting for the results and the HER test results. I also had to have a hysterectomy that was planned before I was diagnosed but now I had to have my ovaries taken out because I am estrogen positive which means forced menopause. I had to get into acceptance with some big issues and fast. I had my hysterectomy on the 11th, and yesterday the 20th, I had my sentinel node/nipple flap biopsy. I am scheduled for my mastectomy on the 31st. I am having a single with reconstruction/reduction and hopefully my own nipple. I stay present and everyday I do creative visualization meditations which keep my thoughts on the positive because this is happening whether I am in agreement or not. Has anyone here had a single with one-step reconstruction?

april25

A lot has happened for you! It sounds like you are coping, though. I really hope you are doing as well as possible.

I found my lump, too. I was getting regular screening mammos, but that didn't help. And I know about being a bit in denial about feeling a lump. I didn't check mine out the first time I thought I felt something... It's easy to just pass it off as maybe not really there. Of course, it meant mine was 3cm by the time I got my diagnostic mammo and biopsy... *sigh* But hey, they still kept telling me that it had probably been growing for a long while. A month, or even months either way probably wouldn't have made a huge difference...

I did neoadjuvent chemo, so I can't help with any surgery stories, since I've yet to have it. --And I'm hoping for a lumpectomy so I can avoid reconstruction.

I'm sure there are many here who can tell you about it, though!

Best wishes for dealing with all this!

Fe_Princess

Hello April, I am having surgery to avoid chemo or radiation. He offered me lumpectomy with radiation but I am long distance runner. I did a lot of research of the side effects of radiation, so I opted for surgery. I am grateful that I have the choice to make it too. What is neoadjuvent chemo? I stay very present which helps keep my anxiety down, but I am a bit nervous for my mastectomy. Thank you for your reply.