If you have just been diagnosed....

Dear Many,

You picked the right place to come for support. My husband said the same thing you did when I was diagnosed. He felt lost in the beginning, but I think he is an expert now! The more you participate with your wife's treatment, the more you will learn. Ask questions of the doctor. Keep notes. If you do this, you will know when to be concerned and when you can relax a bit. Cancer happens to the whole family. Share your concern, talk about it. You don't have to shoulder the burden alone. Ask her doctor what the prognosis is and what the chances of survival are. The doctor should spell it out for you. Remember! Every woman is different. Some women beat the worst diagnosis of cancer. She can beat this and live a long, full, wonderful life with you by her side. God bless.

Hi Mandy sorry you need to be here but welcome.  I'm not from the USA but I do know there are some organisations that help people in your position.  If you posted your question in this forum but start your own thread you will get a whole lot more ladies answering that can give you the information you need.  To start a new thread just go to the forum index and scroll down to the heading Just Diagnosed and click on that, then at the top left of the page you will find a box that says Start a New Topic.  Just click and follow the prompts.

When you start the topic, don't forget to say which country you are from so the right informaton can be given.

Love n hugs.  Chrissy

I was diagnosed with IDC, grade 2 (preliminary finding) about 2 weeks ago, and I have an appointment with my surgeon and plastic surgeon tomorrow.  I think I've decided to have a total mastectomy with resconstruction started at the time of the initial surgery.  However, I was just hoping and praying that someone could give me some advice and guidance on what questions I should be asking both doctors.  I'm just so overwhelmed and confused by all of the information that's available.  And to make matters worse, I'm scared out of my mind and can't quite think clearly at the moment.  Any advice would be much appreciated!

Just got the news (IDC).  Have to wait until Monday (4 days from now!!) to see the Breast Cancer Coordinator at Kaiser, who's going to show me a "helpful video" and hopefully answer more questions.  Then a "Breast Cancer Clinic" where 3 different doctors (BC surgeon, radiation oncologist and medical oncologist) come in, one at a time, for 30 minutes (kind of like speed-dating, I guess), and give me their pitch.  

Definitely have to get a lumpectomy and remove one node, possibly mastectomy.  Since I already have HIV/AIDS, I can't imagine a lot of positive scenarios.  Forget any reconstruction.  All this stuff will leave me 10X more vulnerable to other infections.  My regular doctor, who is an AIDS specialist, will only be notified of what's happening through "notes on my computer record."

Oh, the Breast Cancer Coordinator said some people opt not to have the Breast Cancer Clinic.  I don't know why people wouldn't.  How would you even know what's going on, otherwise?!

You'd think after living with AIDS this stuff wouldn't be so terrifying.  I'm not terrified of dying, but I'm as scared as ever of pain and suffering, and I have a very low pain threshold.  After all these years, I still get scared when having my blood drawn!  I wish I weren't such a friggin' baby. Thanks for lenting me vent.

Etherize, did they estimate the size of the IDC or tell you a tentative stage or grade or anything like that? Just because you have IDC doesn't necessarily mean you'll have a mastectomy. Most women (though not all) who have lumpectomies report very little pain. Lymph node removal does generally involve some pain, though again, for the majority of women it's not severe.

I didn't have a mastectomy and I haven't read a lot about it, but not all mastectomies are created equal either.

Either way, though, it's very likely you'll the pain you'll have will be quite manageable.

If you have some additional info, such as what I asked about above, some of the women here can give you an idea of what to expect. Hang in there! 

Dear Etherize

Your story was so touching and I especially felt so bad when you said that a previous discussion board many years ago questioned whether you were who you were and whether you had HIV/AIDS. 

I am still waiting for results but I can tell you that the ladies here are so compassionate and willing to help everyone.  I hope you find some peace and lots of answers here.

Carolyn 

BUMP

I just received the phone call from my oncologist surgeon and I have been diagnosed with IBC.  I will meet tomorrow at 7 am to discuss the specifics.  I was told that I have to have an MRI and pet scan to see if the cancer has spread.  I was wondering what other's experiences were like.  If the cancer has spread then do you still go through chemo, surgery, and chemo/radiation?  This has moved so fast. I just got married in July of this year and have been feeling good and then the right breast developed this rash about a month ago.  I was already scheduled for my mammogram in October 17, 2011 so this has just thrown my husband and I for a loop.  I just keep telling him I am so sorry.

I was just diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. Still don't know much. Waiting to hear from surgeon with appointment for PET scan. Then he said chemo and mastectomy. I feel like I'm dreaming or in a nightmare.

My mom has been diagnosed with Ocult Breast Carcinoma in late september after a biopsy of her lymph nodes revealed cancer. She had a second surgery about 2 weeks to remove more lymph nodes which also revealed more cancer. MRI's and PET scans revealed no other anomalies in her body. Her oncologist has sugested today an agresive treatment of radiation chemo and hormonal therepy. It seems her Dr's practice trated one other woman with this diagnosis 15 years ago and is still with us. We would love to hear of any other woman out there that have had the same diagnosis and to know what treatment they have gone through and how they handled their experienced. Thank you so much for listening.

Hi Everyone.

Through self-examination in September I found a lump in my left breast. As I am an unemployed chemistry/science education professor I have no medical insurance. Therefore since I am a veteran I decided to go to the VA Medical Center in Miami to seek treatment. They work in conjunction with Jackson Memorial and the University of Miami Hospitals. The doctors/nurses/residents/lab assistants/technicians/clerical have been aswesome. The Women's Clinic at the VA sent me to see the Mammography Radiologist (Dr Fletcher) immediately. They scheduled me for a intense mammogram and ultrasound on 3 October. Dr. Fletcher showed me my tumor and the possible lymph node involvement. They scheduled me on 6 October for a breast biopsy at Jackson Memorial Hospital. On Oct 12th ( I was told that I had Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, P-E negative, Her2 +, probably stage 2, grade 3 (very aggressive). The team decided to perform reconstructive surgery with the scheduled mastectomy on 24 October. My chest x-ray, bone and CT scans were clear/negative. Ocotber 31st pathology surgical report found only one of the 54 lymph nodes removed was cancerous and I am stage 2b. Very sore, especially under and on the back side of my left arm. Will begin chemotherapy on December 1st.  

Amy = avjenks8 - Hello. Saddened to hear your going through this horrible situation but your not alone. We're all in your corner and are always here to share with. Yes it is frightening to hear this kind of news about yourself. More especially when your being moved from one test to another without being about to fully understand the outcome or the end result. If you have the coverage that provides you with the Social Worker on staff it may help you a lot to call the Doctor and ask to visit with him or her. A Social Worker for BC patients is usually a specialist in the area and can help you  cope with your fears. He or she can help you ground yourself and give you ideas and ways to share your fears with family and friends. They can also provide a world of information when immediate needs are present. They are great in helping us deal with the type of stress you've shared so don't be afrraid to ask the doctor for that type of assistance.

This forum is great for sharing as well. You need all our support and we're here. You're in my prayers for you and your family. We're all fighting the same disease at different levels but we all understand the fears you have. So share. Keep us up to date on what's happening and we'll be here for you. Many virtual Hugs and comfort being sent out to you tonight. 

Nancy75,

My wife was also diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer and is now 10+ years cancer free. I have created this site specifically to share the path she decided to take. Copy and paste the link into your browser http://unbouncepages.com/juicing 

I am 37 years old and I was diagnosed with breast cancer on December 20, 2011. I am still waiting to meet my surgeon on January 20, 2011. I have so many questions, and from reading the many posts on this website so much to learn about this disease. All I know right now is that I have ductal carcinoma, it seems to be non-invasive and has been caught very early. This site will be a great resource tool.