Newly Diagnosed and so glad to find this community

Happyinpa22

I'm newly diagnosed with DCIS and so glad to have found this forum. I was so scared and confused by my diagnosis. Like many here, at first I wasn't sure if DCIS was cancer and what I had to do about it and then along the way my radiologist said looking at may pathology report "well your body know's how to make cancer' and that brought everything into focus for me. Yes, our bodies have shown that they do know how to make cancer and we're doing everything we can to avoid invasive cancer. Yes, there's no way to know which among us will never have invasive cancer but I think that for most of us that's not a risk we're willing to take. On some level IMHO we are 'lucky' that we have been warned.

Next step for me is radiation...I already have high blood pressure and a heart murmur so am a bit worried about heart damage. There are machines that can be used where you're not on your back but the area where I had my lumpectomy hurts if I lean forward so not sure about this type of position. I have a CT study on 4/17 to see about heart and lung position.

Moderators

Hi Happyinpa22-

We want to welcome you to our community here at BCO. We're sorry you find yourself here, but we hope you find this to be a place of support as you begin down this road.

It might be helpful to you to read through our Radiation forum, where you might get some insight to your concerns about treatment: https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/70. We hope your CT has favorable results, and that your treatment goes well! Keep us posted!

The Mods

Annette47

Sorry you have to find yourself here!

For what it’s worth, I did radiation in the prone (on stomach) position to minimize heart/lung exposure and didn’t really start actual treatment until about 6 weeks after my surgery, by which point it wasn’t uncomfortable. Your breast sort of dangles through a hole in a table anyway (odd, I know!) so there isn’t usually any actual pressure on the incision.

Happyinpa22

Thanks Annette47 for the feedback!

This past Tuesday was 6 weeks since my lumpectomy. I'm fairly big breasted so I still wear a soft bra to sleep and am basically always wearing a bra. My incision is about 2.5 inches long in the upper outer quadrant so maybe that's why it still feels uncomfortable when I bend over without a bra? Anyway, I'm not going to fixate on this - I know eventually the pain will stop, and if I have to have radiation in the prone position, I'll just have to deal with it. I'm grateful that this is the worst of it since so many others in this forum have had to deal with far worse.

Remali

Hi there Happyinpa22, I recently found this forum, too.  I was diagnosed with DCIS last month and had my first lumpectomy on April 5th.  Found out I need a second surgery, and will eventually need radiation.  Like you, I am worried about possible heart damage, I had a mild heart attack last fall, and I also have a history of heart arrhythmia and mild diastolic dysfunction (heart failure), so, the radiation has me worried most of all, due to my heart issues, although.in my case it is the right breast, not sure how much I have to worry, but, being me, ha, I worry.

Hope that your CT study went well.

~Renee

Happyinpa22

Hi Renee.

I totally understand the worrying about everything 😊I either ignore something or obsess, having DCIS has made me find the balance. The CT scan said i could have radiation on my back, yay! Lol.

I started my radiation treatments yesterday. 1 done, 22 to go. I was light headed initially afterwards and then fatigued. Wow, didn't think I would have reactions from 1st treatment. I'm looking at that as a good sign, that my healthy cells are fighting. Am also drinking water and trying to stay active.

I hope your surgical path results were good 2nd time. Sorry to hear you had to go through that 2x. Maybe because the DCIS is in your right breast your heart will be spared during radiation. Are you getting a CT scan too?

Laurie