Giuliana Rancic early stage BC

Sorry to jump in on your forum, but I hadn't heard the new about Giuliana's diagnosis.  After reading your thread I found her recent "Today" show interview and while she's clearly a scared newbie it's also clear that it's not just DCIS, she has an early stage tumor and was biopsied and diagnosed in the hospital in LA.

She may not have said everything perfectly but at least she came forward with her story with the best intentions.  In this month of pink sh*t everywhere and companies trying to capitalize on breast cancer we should treat all our sister with kindness. Especialy the ones who have a voice that can reach the masses on our behalf.  

Be gentle.  All the best to you.  

I believe she was trying to let people know that she should be screened early.  I am one of the fortunate ones (so far) that had pure DCIS (lumpectomy and radiation).  I was struck by how fast everything went.  I went to the surgeon and he gave me the names of the medical and radiation oncologists that day, made the appointment the follwoing week.  Everything was scheduled before my lumpectomy.  Of course, it has to be resceduled because I had to get better margins.

I could not find what kind she had.  I also was assuming dcis because of her talking about being so early. 

I wonder if this will be a continuation of her reality show.

That might be good - it may educate people.

Thanks for your support, Chickadee.  I feel like a wild bull today ; )

This could all be very well what she wants the "press" to know and report.

I mean she may not want all the details all over the news just yet....privacy.

She also has a career to think about - as well.

I know I tell my work, I will be back and be fine, even though I am really unsure of what my future is at this point.

LtotheK, I understand what you mean about luck.  I had a baseline mammo at 35, just because I had good insurance and my primary care doc offered it.  It was absolutely clear.  Three years later I was lying in bed watching a movie when by pure luck I scratched an itch that changed my life.  I have chills thinking what would have happened with my Her2+ , 1.2 cm tumor had I waited another two years for my repeat mammo at 40.  Something as small as that can make the difference- it's very humbling.  

I'm mourning the loss of my cousin and one of my best friends, both recent casualties of this insidious disease.  I don't know why I had the good fortune to scratch that itch that night and find my lump while so many of my sisters have a far worse diagnosis than I, but I can honestly tell you my heart aches for them and I'm doing everything I can to educate my friends and family- including asking them to contribute their hard-earned cash to causes the fund research, not awareness. 

Who knows what my future holds, but I will try to share love and kindness.  I'm sure you and Chickadee and others can educate not only the general public, but us "early stagers" about your particular journey.  There is so much to learn, and we should all be doing everything we can to FIND THE CURE!  

As usual, a very educated thread.

Thought it was important to clarify:  for my personal privacy (teacher, lots of trollers online) I don't list my stage and diagnosis.  I am an early stager.  I'm the only early stager my age I know, and I have made it my job to tell the world that women under 40 are often stage 4 out of the gates.  People just don't get it!

Love and kindness to all indeed, good words to live by.  And guess what:  I had almost the exact same experience you did, Lady M.

I've decided that celebrities and other high profile folks should just shut up for a while when they are diagnosed with breast cancer.  Over and over again, they work out their issues publicly and end up halfway to crazy.  Remember when Sheryl Crowe said radiation (she didn't have chemo) was like being raped?  And over and over again these women announce that they caught it early and are all better because they were such good breast cancer dobies.

 I think they do this for reasons that are common to many of us when we are first diagnosed: (1) they want to reassure themselves and those around them.  I told all my friends that my bc was caught really early, even though it was node-positive.  Why was I saying this?  (2) or the opposite.  LIke Sheryl Crowe they want in on the drama they missed by being diagnosed early.

I have to believe these phases pass and they get some perspective, but they should really shut up until then.

 I'm also tired of women being called "brave" because they go public with their itty bitty cancers.  Betty Ford was brave.  Very few women went public before her.   And stage IV women like Elizabeth Edwards are brave because they get up every morning and fight until they have no fight left.  But Andrea Mitchell doesn't get brave points in my book.

Member of the Club, well stated.  I agree with your comments.  

 Jellydonut, certainly, kind hearted prayers are always intended to anyone/everyone who has been struck by this disease.

I saw the interview with Giuliana Rancic.   She was shaken up and I'm sure she has just begun her research.  I remember being very shaken up and I'm sure I did not convey what was really going on as I was still a bit in denial and extremely scared. 

I know that things can get worse even if you are stage 0 from the start; but I believe the earlier stages give hope to people that they can be cured.  I know many do not agree, but having some hope for recovery & possibly living a normal life  is not so bad.  I bet it prolongs a person's well being and life in general.

Terri

I wish the best for Guiliana. She is very young however so that should be concerning unless she knows for sure it is DCIS or LCIS. Perhaps the nature of her situation is such that the tumor is very tiny and can be contained. we just don't know and we never know so early on. at least she sounds optimistic and hopefully has reason to be. I just have some issues when celebrities who really don't know much about the disease make it sound like there is a magic bullet of early detection that solves the problem. I have been around the block many times as many of us have and we know how this works.

I want to second the comments of jelly and nancy.  I am appalled by the continued attack of women who not only are unfortunate in having BC, they are unfortunate in having to deal with it so publically.  The suggestion stated often here that these women should not believe they are going to be okay or be positive about their diagnosis or encourage the benefits of early detection is, quite frankly, embarrassing.

For what my two cents is worth...I've seen her reality show on TV. Not an avid watcher but seen it enough to know Giuilana has had many struggles and she lives her life by sharing what is going on in her life. She and Bill have been struggling to get pregnant for quite awhile without success. She's laid it all out there on her show. I kno it's TV but she seems like a "real deal" kinda girl. I've not seen the Today show interview but I'm sure celebrity or not she's reeling from this cancer. And knowing their show it will likely be written into it. I wish her the best.