Just diagnosed with IDC/DCIS

robinorbit

I guess I'm joining this club. IDC in left breast is grade 2, .5 cm. DCIS also left breast is intermediate nuclear grade. Receptor info is pending.

I'm of course now worried about what might be happening in my other breast. Is it typical to have a both breast MRI after diagnosis of cancer in one breast?

Thank you all for being here. I don't want to tell my fiancé or my family about this yet.

ElaineTherese

Hi!

I'm sorry you had to join this club. Are you currently scheduled for a breast MRI? If so, you will be lying down with both boobs hanging down, and yes, the MRI will look at both. By the way, it is rare for both breasts to be affected. ((Hugs))

Wheatscapes

Hello robinorbit - Welcome and sorry you are joining this club. It’s not all bad - you will meet some amazing women (and men) on here. There are threads with all sorts of info to help you on your BC journey. One large piece of advice is for the first six months or so, stay away from the Stage IV threads. It’s just too much to take in all at once. Most women diagnosed with a tumor as small as yours will never need to go there, anyway.

It is not unusual to have an MRI done on both breasts after diagnosis.

This is your body and your journey...you decide if and when to tell others.

robinorbit

ElaineTherese,

Thanks for your kind reply and welcome I don’t have an MRI scheduled yet. I was concerned that the DCIS did such a great job hiding in my left breast so could be lurking in my right.

robinorbit

Wheatscapes,

Thank you for the warm welcome. I will definitely stay away from Stage 4 threads. I hope an MRI will be ordered to see if anything else is going on. I’m mostly nervous now that the cancer and DCIS are grade 2. I know it’s just one factor in determining treatment, but it worries me.

I appreciated your reaching out

MinusTwo

Robin - you will have to advocate for what you want - and yes of course they should completely test/scan both breasts before final treatment decisions. If you end up HER2+, you will likely have chemo before surgery so imaging is important.

Rebalilly

Sorry you are here because of the circumstances but glad you are asking questions.
I am a newbie. This is my first post. I was diagnosed late May and been in a whirlwind. I started lurking around this site the day I got the news and it has helped immensely.

I was in shock for a couple days, as everything moved quickly. I was scheduled for a yearly mammogram and the hospital closed due to Covid. My dr had felt a bump and told me to get a mammogram and ultrasound in March. They kept telling me they couldn’t do it and finally in May they got me in. Mammogram missed it The radiologist read it while I was there and said I could leave. I told the nurse I thought I needed an ultrasound. The ultrasound tech happened to hear me and said she could do it. I went home and got a call to schedule a biopsy. Biopsy results took a couple days.
For some reason, the HER2 took a week. I waited impatiently.
Dr called and wanted MRI the following day before surgery. I freaked. He called in Xanax and I picked it up on the way to the MRI. Off to lymph clinic for measuring. Met an oncologist. Met the dr for radiation treatments. Another visit to the surgeon. All within two weeks and Then had my lumpectomy.

I felt they kept me busy so I would I couldn’t think.

Slowly they explained things. After the surgery, I would wait two weeks for Oncotype test Determine treatment. Early on o kept telling myself what my obgyn said “it’s estrogen positive you will only need tamoxifen”. She was wrong but that for me through the surgery.

You will get through whatever they give you. It’s a process. Dosing yourself is best and stay off the websites. Overload of info. This is a safe place to ask questions.

I was terrified of chemo two weeks ago. Now, as I wait for test results, I am okay with it. It’s just part of the process.

You will be okay and you will learn to dose yourself and accept these changes one step at a time. When overloaded, it’s ok to cry or reach out or just sit. And then the next day comes around and you are okay.

Prayers for you and a big hug.

robinorbit

MinusTwo, thanks for your advice about advocating for myself. I've had little experience doing this with doctors, so it'll be a new approach for me but I can see how critical it will be.

Rebalilly, thank you for your post and sharing your story. It really has been a whirlwind for you! Everything seems to be moving slowly to me. It's been over a month since my screening mammogram which found the abnormality. I have a consult with surgeon end of next week, two weeks after my biopsy. I suspect there is quite a backlog of delayed tests and services due to COVID and the health care providers are not yet caught up.

Let me hear about your oncotype results when you get them and what you learn about treatment options

I'm sending hugs right back to you—I'm sure we could both use a few

Ekefre

hello everyone,

• Newbie here , had a lumpectomy 3wks ago and histology result came back IDC,tumour @ 6cm , still waiting for the ER and HER results,which is taking too long as far as am concerned but covid is at work so...would really appreciate any additional info on this thanks

Each_day_2018

Ekefre-Yes, things never move as fast as you want. It has been 3 weeks; if I were you, I would call the dr.'s office and ask if the results have come back. The worst they can say is NO! Never feel bad about asking questions....sometimes you wont get the answers until you do!

toria1212

Hi sweetie,

I am so sorry you find yourself here, but it's the very best place to be, for information, support and encouragement.

I was diagnosed 3/19, lumpectomy 5/11 IDC stage 1. ALL of this will seem like a jumble of words to you-but slowly take it in(hard as sometimes docs move quickly) and definitely research and note your questions for your doctors. My breast surgeon was/is amazing-love her. I felt so comfortable and nurtured through my surgery process. My medical oncologist not so much-I have found a second integrative oncologist(holistic, supplements, etc) for more support, and my radiation oncologist is good, not exceptional. You will learn the lingo, and you will make decisions, and you will be ok.

We are here, holding your hand. When will you share with your fiance, family? My children(five) have been supportive,as has my fiance. The people who love you are there for you, too.

(((hugs)))

TrixieBlue

Hello, I did have an MRI after my diagnosis and before surgery. The surgeon recommended a lumpectomy if the MRI didn't show anything else and and genetic testing came back negative. I had the MRI first thing in the morning and she called me mid-afternoon to let me know that there weren't any surprises. The diagnostic mammogram, biopsy, and MRI were all in agreement that there was only one small area of DCIS and my other breast was healthy.

I didn't share outside my immediate family, my very best friends, my boss, and a few coworkers. I'm done with active treatment and most people still don't know. I plan to keep it that way.

robinorbit

Toria1212,

Thanks for your kind message. I’m not yet sure how I feel about the surgeon. She recently transferred to my hospital from another in the same group, and it appears the two hospitals handle cancer patients differently. So she’s still learning the new hospital’s process, and it shows.

I was told by my PCP when first diagnosed that I would be in good hands, that I would have a whole team at Sutter Cancer Center working with me. Apparently, there’s no team—yet. Just me and the surgeon. I will not be assigned a nurse navigator or referred to medical or radiation oncologists until after the post-surgery pathology report has been received. No surgery is scheduled yet. I finally had MRI yesterday. I won’t receive genetic testing kit until July 14, which I must mail back and that will take 2-3 weeks for results.

I did tell my fiancé and one friend. I won’t tell my adult son probably until final path report comes back after surgery so I can share what’s going on with more certainty.

You and everyone on this website are a blessing! I don’t know what I would have done without the information, support, and hugs I’ve received.

Many hug

arabiansrock

Robin

PM me. I am also Sutter, also just diagnosed and still waiting for surgeon appt. I have started researching but not finding alot of information on our local resources. It would be funny if we had the same pcp, altho highly unlikely.

I signed up just to respond to you, so I guess I will go introduce myself.

take care and best wishes.

arabiansrock