IDC & DCIS

nsweeney43

Hello everybody! My name is Nicole and I was diagnosed with IDC & DCIS on April 8th. I've been a long time lurker but I feel it's time to finally be a member. I'll start with my background story. I am 27 and married, no kids. Last May, I graduated with a degree in dental hygiene. In June, we decided that I would come off my birth control that I had been taking for about 9 years and start trying to conceive. Around October or November, I noticed a lump in my right breast right above the nipple. I immediately went to Dr. Google and asked if this could be a side effect of coming off of the birth control after being on it for so long. I found a few sites that said that you could get a lump after discontinuing so I just left it at that. Fast forward to mid March, I start having intense breast and armpit pain to the point where I can't rest my arm against my body. My husband forced me to call and make an appointment. At this point I was in denial, scared, nervous, and embarrassed for some reason. I went in and the doctor told me that it just felt like a more dense area in my breast but would send me for an ultrasound anyway. I went for my ultrasound and the radiologist told me that it wasn't a cyst, so they would most likely need to do a biopsy. Nothing else was said, she asked if I had any questions and I didn't because I am new to all of this. I signed up for the patient portal and a few days later saw that she had rated my lump as being a BIRADS 5. With my background and being knowledgeable in radiology I was able to understand the report and break it down. Most likely this lump was going to be malignant. It was a tough, emotional two weeks. I went for my biopsy and five days later they told me that I had IDC with a small focus suggestive of low grade DCIS, it is measuring almost 3 cm, grade 1, ER/PR +, HER2 -. At this point, I have had a mammogram (where I learned I have heterogeneously dense breasts) on my left breast where they brought me back in for an ultrasound (which i was so scared for!) and they found a normal lymph node. I have decided to go to Dana Farber & I've met with my surgeon, oncologist, and a genetics counselor. I found out that I am BRCA1 and BRCA2 negative. I have decided to go through with a lumpectomy, and I'm hoping I've made the right decision. Radiation and tamoxifen are in my near future. Now, I have felt so fatigued, tired, and sore for the longest time I'm so ready for this to be over. Is it normal for my bones and joints to be aching? The pain is so intense some nights I can't sleep. My knees are the worst, and I feel like they are warm to the touch sometimes. I have also been having these weird headaches that I have never felt before and NSAIDS nor acetaminophen will even touch it. I have made my oncologist aware of this and he doesn't seem worried. Should I be? Should I be going for more tests like MRIs or PET scans? I am just so worried with all the pain I've been having.

I should also mention that my husband and I have decided that after surgery but before treatment we are going to do some egg preservation to be on the safe side. We have been together for almost 10 years and want nothing more than to have children. We are overly prepared and have waited to be able to have children till I was done with school and now we are dealing with this.

Meadow

Nsweeney, Nice to meet you. I am so sorry for the circumstances that brought you here. It just seems so wrong for you at 27 to be going thru this. I am so glad it sounds like you are getting excellent care, and have good support. For that I am thankful.My thoughts and prayers are with you as you being treatment. Do not despair. hugs to you

uds17

Hi Nicole.

I'm so sorry you have a need to post on this website, but I'm glad you've found us! The ladies here are incredibly supportive and have a wealth of knowledge to share.

It really sounds like you're doing everything you can be doing at this point. The waiting is by far the hardest part! Don't negate the effect that stress can have on your body.... the aches and pains and poor sleep can definitely be attributed to this. However, for peace of mind, speak with your oncologist about a bone scan. I think most oncologists will order that as part of the workup when you have IDC.

Sending hugs your way!!

Moderators

Hi nsweeney43, welcome to Breastcancer.org. We are sorry you have joined us, but we want you to know that you are not alone, as you can already tell!

If it helps, besides posting and reading here in the boards, we recommend you to take a look at the section called Breast Cancer 101 of our main site, designed to help you sort through all of the information there to find what is more relevant to you right now, just diagnosed.

Best wishes. Let us know how you're doing.

The Mods