Diagnosed this A.M. IDC

LB13

toria1212 - I am not much further in front of you. I received my diagnosis on January 28th - three days after my 51st birthday. I found mine via my annual mammogram - was asked to come back for more pics, then ultrasound, then biopsy - and.... BAM - within 48 hours also found out I had invasive ductal breast cancer. Although, even though I never felt a lump - I think I knew in my gut once I got called back from Mammo. Something just wasn't sitting right with me..... I had just started a brand new job two weeks prior. I too, went through an awful divorce several years ago (never had kids) and am now happily remarried. I have three 'step' kids that I adore and four beautiful grandchildren..... How could this be happening???

I fell to my knees on my kitchen floor in disbelief and just cried and cried and cried. I threw up and cried through most of that night, and needless to say - never slept. Then, like you said, I put on my 'big girl pants' and the next day went straight to the breast surgeon's office to make an appointment. (I work in the same hospital) There I met a Nurse Navigator who is a 15 year survivor - and she gave me HOPE. Within the next 27 days, I had three doctor appointments, pre-op testing, ups, downs, tears, a PT appointment to learn about Lymphadema, anxiousness, worry, hope, a feeling of numbness to life, more tears, waiting with a mostly positive attitude........ and then surgery. A lumpectomy, with Sentinel Node Biopsy as an outpatient and truly felt pretty good. The surgeon got clear margins and felt she got everything - although now more waiting would start. More anxiousness - was it in my lymph nodes? Had it spread.... what stage, what grade, blah...blah...blah. Of course, the head radiologist was out of town, tests were backed up and I had to wait almost two weeks to find out the pathology. Stage 1A, but one of three lymph nodes was positive and there was also a microscopic additional spot next to my original tumor. Lymphatic invasion present..... Sooooooo - more appointments - Radiation oncologist and Medical oncologist along with follow-up appt with surgeon. All three agreed I was healing nicely, caught this early but would need radiation for six weeks and take tamoxifen (I am not through Menopause yet). However - they wanted to send my pathology away again for a Mammaprint to see if chemotherapy would be beneficial. More waiting....... another week and I had a virtual visit with my MO due to COVID-19. Thankfully - the mammaprint came back deeming me 'Low Risk' and only a 1.5% benefit from chemotherapy. So - here I sit, waiting to go Monday for my mapping and simulation for radiation. Then I will begin my six week course of treatment. 15 minutes a day, five days a week. After that, I will begin the tamoxifen, for five years to start.

I realize this is super long, but I just wanted to share that I have gone from mentally planning my funeral and getting affairs in order to feeling like I am completely fine to staying up all night crying to trying not to think about it. I feel like the 'waiting periods' for test results or not having a plan are the worst part of it all. I felt much better once I had a plan. Now I just try to not think the worst, be grateful I caught in early, have faith in my doctors and take good care of myself - mentally and physically. I truly am grateful and trying to be as positive as possible. So - I hope you are in a good place and always here if you need to chat.