If you have just been diagnosed....

Hi all,

I just got back from visiting with my new doctor at the Holden Cancer Center in Iowa City.  She is wonderful.  This is what she told me:  she concurs from looking at my mammo & ultrasound that what she is seeing is cancer, not benign.  They are doing a biopsy on Monday, July 19, and they are doing a node ultrasound, as all three doctors could feel a node or some nodes . . . I'm not very educated about the whole node issue yet, but it has me quite concerned.  She said that they may just be able to feel them because I'm so thin (ha! - I am pretty lean above my waist, though.)  If any nodes look suspicious, they will biopsy them also.

She will meet with me on Thursday, July 22 to discuss all of the results and to start planning the attack.  Because of the tumor's location, she feels that I am looking at a mastectomy.

My heart goes out to all of you.  You all seem so brave, and you have been through so much.  You are my warriors.  I am so glad to have found this site.

Hi Ladies, I had planned on posting to some of the ladies here but there are so many new posts and im sorry i cant keep up with you all, so i will just try to answer some of the questions here that are more recent in my mind, as i still am blameing having chemo brain for that (smiles)

First of all welcome to a board no one wants to be part of but glad you found us so we can guide you thru your journey and give you answers to your questions, give you hugs when you need it, or just a place to vent,

Kaz- to answe one of your questions about the MRI lighting up, usually the PET scans light up not sure the MRI does, but it would of been where he saw your tumors, So it seems like you have IDC,and (DCIS that one is a very low grade tumor)  a fibrodema is a cyst. Usually the the breast tumors are smaller than what it shows on the MRI's or ultrasounds. after surgery, What ever the outcome, i promise you will get thru this, it is not fun but it is doable, Make sure you have surgeons and doctors that you trust, and feel comfotable with, and always try to get a second opinion on what your breast surgeion (BS) recommends. You will know more about weather you ae ER/pr+ or -  and your HER as well all after you get the report back after surgery, (((((hugs))))))

Cameo- Keep in mind that you wont know for sure untill you get a biopsy, somthing like 80% of tumors are B-9 but its good that you are finding out now so you can get started on treatment (tx) i will be thinking and praying for B9 results for you ((((((( hugs)))))))

Keepingthefaith- I had the core needle biopsy too, but know of woman who had the wire one done and said it didnt bother them, but my advice to you would be if he wasnt putting you under general anesthesia i would ask for some valium to help you get through that, In fact i would recommend that to all you ladies here that are waiting for tests, it really helps to calm your fears, this is the hard part,the not knowing and waiting, Yes it is a good idea to write down every thing and also have a friend with you, because you wont remember half of what you hear at this point,

My prayers are with you all, you will get thru this, just try to breathe and relax,,, we are here for you all-

Love and hugs

Debbie

Hi, Just read your post, I too have dense breasts and was given an MRI w/ contrast, the radiologist said I could hide a truck in there they are so dense. Has this test been mentioned for you?

I've kept a journel since the beginning. It really does help for remembering names and dates. Chemo brain really screwed with that. If it weren't for the journel, I wouldn't remember when, where, what, any of that stuff. I also did it to help my family. I put stuff in there I couldn't really talk to them about ( because they were scared to death ), but they needed to know in case something happened. Bills, insurance, when and what needs to be paid, what needs to be paid off. How much will be left out of life insurance and such. I never thought anything would happen, but just in case. I'm a planner and I hate leaving things hanging. I plan out everything, guess that's where I give myself power. I don't have control over any of this cancer crap ( you know rather it will kill me or not ). Yea, I can do all the things I'm suppose to do, but if it's my time, it's my time and nothing I do will prevent that. All I can do is know that God has other plans for me and that's just the way life goes. By no means am I ready for my life to be over. Not by a long shot. I just like being prepared. May sound silly to some of you, but that's just me. That's who I am.   Leisa

@Cathy (tryn2stayca)--I am just outside of Toronto. I have a partial mastectomy (lumpectomy--Doc said it is mainly semantics -- no real difference except in CDA how they bill the govt) and Sentinel node biopsy on Monday. BS mentioned that it may take up to 2 weeks to get final pathology results -- at that point, they will know the best path. He will then refer me to an Oncologist. I am anxious with all this waiting (same as all the people on this site) and just wish the answer came sooner. My personality is a "planner" so living in limbo in the meantime...just sucks. From what I learned from my BS, he said it really depends on the pathology and lymph node involvement whether you need chemo etc.

I tried to send a post earlier today but it appaently got lost in cyberspace, so here goes again.

 debbie6122   I will be fine without the valium as long as the locater wire insertion isn't any worse than the biopsy. I did okay with that. I am glad you mentioned that we are limited in our posts at first as that came as a surprise to me one day when I tried to post and it wouldn't let me. I tried to click on your name and pm you, as you suggested, just to try it out and it didn't work for me. When I clicked on your name it just showed me your profile.

 KAZmTAZ   I'm not sure if your post was for me or for Gin2ca but I did not have the MRI with contrast. I had ct scans with contrast though. I don't know if they are similar or not. I am praying for you. I know you must be scared, especially with the growth. I am a bit scared too, but I think I will get through this okay. I have to stay positive.

tryn2staycalm  It is good to hear from you. I am thinking of you even more since I know your lumpectomy is this week. I hope everything goes well with it and that you make a quick recovery from the surgery and don't have too much discomfort.

 leisaparis  Sounds like we are using our journals for much of the same thing. I am also using mine to record the treatments, etc and to record my feelings, fears, etc.  I don't have to put anything in it about the bills, etc. because my hubby already knows all that stuff. I can relate to what you say about being prepared too. When I first got the dx I was afraid I might be late stage CA because my lump had gotten so big. I am now feeling less anxious about it but really won't know my prognosis until after I find out what stage I'm in.

I have all these wonderful new friends now. All of you and also a lady on one of my yahoo groups sent me a couple of angels to take with me to my treatments etc. I thought that was so sweet of her. We didn't really know each other but now we talk via email every day. She said she just felt she needed to reach out to me. I just thought that was incredibly nice.

Keeping the Faith,

The wire localization is not bad at all - I would say it was easier than the biopsy. My radiologist did it the morning of the surgery. She numbed the area with lidocaine and inserted it - took very little time. It was a bit weird to have a wire coming out of my skin, which they taped down and walked me back over to the surgical suite. It really wasn't painful. I think the idea of it is worse than the reality.

Good luck with the surgery - and if they give you the chance, accept Versed! They offered it to me early in the surgical prep, and I don't remember a thing about the surgery. I felt so good AFTER the surgery that I went out to dinner that night (between Versed and IV Lortab, I was feeling no pain).

tryn2staycalm  I guess about now you are probably in surgery. Maybe its over. Anyway, I am still thinking about you and praying for the best possible result.  thanks for the info on how to pm. Now I will have to try it again sometime.

Karenlen   Thank you so much for the information on your wire localization. You have helped to ease my mind so much and if the offer versed, I will for sure take it.   I really don't know what I would do without all of you. I just want to hug you all, and I think I will.  (((((((((hug)))))))))

Deb

@tryn2staycalm---I was at PMH for my cervical cancer but as I live in Mississauga--am having my surgery on Monday at Trillium and then any post-treatment in Mississauga. I hope that your surgery went well and you are feeling OK. I know....now the waiting game for pathology results. Take care of yourself. I have my surgery on Monday so am hopeful for it to come quickly and be over.

Best wishes to all

Hi cat46- If i read this right you already got your resutls back and they confirmed bc, which is the fastest i have ever seen,but you didnt have to wait what seems like an eternaty to get results back, Im so sorry, i was hoping you were going to find out it was b9- When they confirm b9 for breast cancer it is the norm to have catscans, bonescans, etc to make sure there is no mets any where or any other problems, so hopefully they dont suspect anything, its just routine.

Try not to read to much on chemo, it will just scare you and most of the data is not up to date, there are so many good tx out there now and although it is not fun it is doable, most of us have had chemo and we got thru it, i would do it again if i had too, I cant tell you the percentages right now, since i was out with friends having a few drinks tonight and dont want to get it wrong, but, depending on your stage,grade, node involvement, her, Brcca 1 and 2 weather will you have to have chemo or rads, some woman dont have to have either, but remember you can and will get thru this if you have to either or.and if you are recommended to have it and arnt comfortable with there recomendations you can always get a second opinion, and it is a good idea to do so, Im not quite a year out from mx, chemo, tx- but im doing pretty well- I know you are scared but cat, you will get thru this, i promise- hang in there we are all there for you

Gentle hugs,

Debbie

Cathy, I am just floored that you were awake during the lumpectomy. They give you more sedation at the dentist office. I am so sorry that you had to go through all that awake and be receiving this extra information. Not one moment did I think you were going to just have local freezing. Wishing you clear results, clear margins, DCIS only in the jar. Hoping you get lots of support and hugs at home.

Hi Cathy--I have my lumpectomy on Monday but they advised me that it will be under General not Local anaethestic. I am guessing as I am having Sentinel Node biopsy etc--that is why it is general? My biopsy came back as IDC so I'm not so sure about DCIS. My surgeon mentioned that it would take approx. 2 weeks for final pathology. That will be the worst waiting time--am hopeful to try and do something during that time to take my mind off it. Hope you are healing well and doing better today.

Cathy,

I think you have done the right thing letting us all know how hard it was being awake for you. If we don't inform each other this kind of thing could continue to happen.  If you need the lymphnodes checked are they planning to put you to sleep?  As I said I was asleep for the entire operation. My BS took out 1 node which was negative so no additional ones were removed, but my arm is still some what swollen and sore from that.

Karen

kira1234- glad your node was neg, yes I will make sure I am for any further surgery.

Keepingthefaith - Thanks  Once I made it home I had some T#3's which I took and they really helped. Again, doing much better today. 

Thank you all for everything,

Cathy

I am having a lumpectomy on Wednesday and I cannot even imagine doing it with a local...  Put me out, out, out!!!  I'm more worried about the dye injection for the SN biopsy, which I've heard is brutal. 

 Cathy - I'm sorry you had such a difficult experience, but I appreciate your sharing it as a warning to others who think maybe they want to stay awake.   Take the drugs!

Michelle