Hi! Just diagnosed yesterday...let me know what you think

Anonymous

Hi! Just diagnosed yesterday...let me know what you think

Herrheidi

Hi everyone,

Sorry to "meet" you under these circumstances.

Had routine sonogram for dense breast and found a lump (I couldn't feel anything) biopsy shows: no family history of breast cancer btw.

0.6 cm Stage 1 Invasive Ductile Carcinoma Grade 1 ER+ PR+ HER2 -

meet with surgeon on Tuesday and from what I understand (according to my research and what my GYN told me) I will start with a lumpectomy and probably remove some lymph nodes for testing.?

Once the pathology comes back from this we will know more about treatment.

Am I correct with this line of thinking?

And feel free to tell me im gonna be ok

Thanks,

Heidi

nihahi

Although no one wants to be diagnosed with bc, you do seem to have a very hopeful scenario. Sounds like it was caught early (Stage 1) isn't an aggressive type of ca (Grade 1), and being hormone receptive there are a variety of treatment options. Yes, more will be known and planned after the lumpectomy and node sampling. My advice....stay off google, try to keep busy doing things you enjoy while waiting for further tests/results, ask your doctor for meds if you find anxiety becoming too big an issue, bring someone with you to appointments, because it can be a challenge to understand and absorb all the info, especially when you may be anxious or scared, once you have a clearer picture of what comes next, join relevant discussion threads here on bco, as the support you get here will be amazing and don't forget to make some plans for the future for things you want to do, because I have every belief you will be around to enjoy those plans, and make many more.

Herrheidi

I'm reading your post out-loud to my girls at work and you brought a tear to my eye. THANK YOU nihahi! Your comment about google cracked me right up. I am a rather notorious Google MD

I will certainly be posting to keep people abreast (ha!) of my situation!

nihahi

Luckynumber47

Your diagnosis is even better than mine and the first words out of my surgeons mouth were: "You will be fine. This is cancer with a little c, just a bump in the road, a minor inconvenience. At least so far she's been absolutely right. You'll be fine too!

If you have a lumpectomy you will most likely also have radiation, so read up on what your options are.

Be prepared for your appointment with the surgeon with all your questions and take someone with you to write down all the info your surgeon gives you. It can be kind of overwhelming.

Since you are hormone receptor positive you Drs will most likely prescribe either tamoxifen or an AI. Just don't believe all the horror stories you read here about side effects. Most people have no or very minor side effects and the drugs are very powerful insurance policies to keep the little c from coming back.

Yes, you will be fine. Just gotta get through the next couple months.

Herrheidi

Thank you Luckynumber47! I just want to get this OUT and get the pathology and more answers. I really appreciate your reply!

JJOntario

Your gonna be okay!! 😀 Deep breaths, and be kind to yourself.

Sending ((hugs))

Herrheidi

Thank you so much! I see you had radiation. How did you handle it Are the side effects awful?

NoUGo-CA

Hi, nihahi's response was perfect and so on-point.  From the looks of your dx you're going to be fine.  Try not to spend too much time and energy on the 'what-ifs' because you won't get any positive return doing that.  Deal with the facts and symptoms or side-effects as they present. Try to focus on making yourself the healthiest and strongest that you can be -- now -- to help your body withstand and heal from whatever treatment you will be going through.  Eat well, get plenty of rest and exercise!

grainne

Hi and welcome. I agree with all of the above and I'm just chiming in specifically to reply to your question on rads. I had 15 sessions and three boosters for a narrow margin. I had no burning or irritation either during or afterwards and no fatigue, just occasional tiredness from a long round trip every day for 3 weeks. I continued working without difficulty. Everyone's experience is different. I can honestly say that neither the lumpectomy, rads or, now, tamoxifen have caused me any problem at all. I struggle, rather, with anxiety and fear of recurrence.

Be clear, though, grade 1 is very good news and ..6 is a tiny tumour. Be easy on yourself. Don't expect to deal with this as easily as you may have dealt with other difficulties. I thought i was fairly tough and capable and, thank goodness, my prognosis is good, but this is a hard call. I get the impression that most of us here are competent and capable people in our normal lives and are surprised and chastened to find how needy and anxious this diagnosis makes us. It can be a lonely time, even with people who love us and want to be supportive. It is difficult to show fear and anxiety to family and friends who don't share our experience. This site is literally a lifeline. You can post anything you like and everyone understands and empathises. Keep posting, keep reading and be sure that all will be well.

Moderators

Hi and welcome to our community, Yes, "you're going to be okay". We're all here for you! One day at a time, and do remember to breathe.

MexicoHeather

Hi. I read your post and I think those are the steps. It can take a while to get things scheduled, especially at this time of year. I was always very cysty and fiberous, and I found my own lymph node cancer. It was so far back in my armpit. My oncologist chose my surgeon, so that part was a little different. Tomorrow is my surgery.

tgtg

Herrheidi--Four years ago this month, I got the same news you did after a routine (and belated by 10 months) screening mammo, followed by ultrasound, and u/s guided needle biopsy--except that my tumor was 1.6, not just 0.6 cm. And my surgeon's words were like yours'--"This is the best cancer to get if you have to get it at all." And like you, all I wanted was for him to "get that sucker outta there" as soon as possible. Four years later all is well, life is back to normal, and is even better than before--except for those yearly check-ups, which in my mind are just ways of assuring myself that all is well, rather than moments of potential gloom.

In those weeks before surgery (I had to wait until after New Years for it) , when anxiety started to get a foothold in my psyche, I literally got physical--either took a long, brisk walk with my husband.or went to the gym to work out (December weather, you know). Being averse to taking meds of any kind and totally opposed to opioids and opioid derivatives, I find exercise highly therapeutic for stress, and regular exercise made treatment, including rads a non-starter of an issue. You asked about rads--I had 35 treatments, including a boost, and despite fair skin had no problems.

Use this board and also NIH and NCI sites, which are sound scientifically, to get informed, but stay away from unjuried "Dr. Google" sites and blogs. Also remember that many--probably most--of the people on this board are here because their bc case is far more troublesome and "threatening" than yours seems to be and mine was; So stay positive and keep on living life fully! TG

Herrheidi

The very best to you MexicoHeather Sending you healing vibes and ALL the positivity in the world for your surgery! Xoxoxo

Herrheidi

tgtg THANK YOU for your hopefull and helpful reply. Throughout the day, when the anxiety sets in, I come here and re read the lovely positive messages complete strangers have been kind enough to send me. It TRULY makes me feel at ease, stronger and most DEFINITLY HOPEFUL! I noticed that you you have onco type #12 under where your diagnosis info is.... What does this mean

tgtg

Heidi,

Once you have your lumpectomy, one of your doctors (usually the MO), will order the Oncotype test on some of your tissue (stored in your hospital path lab), provided your pathology report meets certain standards, which yours seems to so far (lymphatic invasion and grade aren't known until the post-surgical pathology workup.) You can learn more about this test here on bco, but in a nutshell it studies the biology of your tissue sample to see how active and aggressive your tumor was and it can help predict whether chemo is needed or an just an option, or if it will perhaps cause more trouble than it cures (as with a number between 1 and 18). In my case, I used the number to affirm my decision to decline anti-hormonal therapy, at my MO's suggestion. But do look this test up on bco for more information.

Good luck with the surgeon on Tuesday. And feel free to PM me if you wish. Trudi

Herrheidi

thanks Trudi, I appreciate the info