depression

I also have an ADH dx.  I would not be comfortable with just annual mammograms for monitoring.  Although I have no family history, I get some kind of test every 6 months:  mammogram, ultrasound, or MRI, at my breast surgeon's discretion.  Did you have all the abnormal tissue removed by lumpectomy?  I would not be comfortable just leaving it there.

 I totally understand the persistent feeling of dread.  Although I got this dx in February of last year, it continued to hang on.  I saw a psychologist for therapy and continue to see a psychiatrist as well, for an antidepressant and anti-anxiety meds.  All of this has helped a great deal.  I also see an integrative oncologist for alternatives to Tamoxifen, which all my doctors agreed was not a good choice for me, since I have a history of endometrial issues. 

Hi honey, It seems you have alot on your plate. I am a 6 Year Breastcancer Survivor. Being Depressed is a normal emotion. I was. With being diagnosed and going thru treatment with the awful disease, I fought and held my head high and was positive. It was tough though. You can do it. I learned to take baby steps. And, just take one day at a time. As it comes. Going through my illiness, I learned to keep my deep Faith and Hope each day. You try this. It will help the Depression. I know it did mine. 

Kaloni

Just want to second the suggestion of medication and/or therapy.  For me, this has made a HUGE difference-- the difference between being able to think about nothing but the eventuality of BC, and being able to function (albeit with that threat still hovering in the background, but it is not nearly so overwhelming.)  Living under a constant depressed cloud of anxiety and dread is NOT normal.  It is debilitating and there is help to make it more manageable.

Kalonis, I am currently on Wellbutrin and Klonopin-- both seem to be doing the trick.  That cloud of doom does still hover above, however.  The drugs make it more manageable.  Klonopin is in the same class of drugs as Xanax, only longer acting.

How long has this been going on?  The dragged out dreading feeling may well be depression, and you might consider a doctor.  Other things that are important:  good exercise, 30 min a day for at least 5 days a week.  Might be just brisk walking.  A very healthy diet; plenty of fruit, veggies, whole grains.  Interacting socially:  meeting up with friends, a book cllub, volunteering, for example.

 For me and a lot of others, one way to help with depression is to get control of one's environment.  Cleaning out a closet, drawers, etc.  One advantage to doing this when you are depressed is that you can be less incllined to want things, so throwing out is easier.  I clear away about half my kitchen after I saw a very horrible and tragic accident.  I  had no desire for anything.

carpe - I just clicked on her member name and saw that she has not returned.  I hope she is OK.  Maybe it just caused her to have more anxiety.

My surgery decisions were based on the little voice in my head that said it would be good for the breasts to be gone.  I always had half a dozen cysts at any given time (they were all present in my post-op path, including one right next to my tumor) and I can't tell a B9 lump from a cancerous one.  I would have been doing self-exam every 5 minutes and always in freak-out mode.  I have also had many ovarian cysts and a B9 3cm ovarian mass, a golf ball sized B9 nerve sheath tumor in my calf,  and uterine fibroids, so my body likes to produce these things.  Don't know why.

Now that Herceptin is done my MO wants a new PET.  I had one pre-chemo, a post-chemo and now he wants to post-active treatment.  I am on Femara, which is making me hurt all over, but I will stay on it.  Unfortuately, I also have osteopenia so he wants me to have bi-annual injections of Prolia.  Just had a bone density done yesterday so we have a good baseline after chemo and 6 months of Femara.  He is also a believer in tumor markers and CMP on a regular basis, so I will be having more of those.  He likes to see if they are trending in any particular direction.  I will be followed every 6 months, and I am going to try to stagger it so I see the BS, the MO or PCP every 3 months or so.  I don't know if anyone wants to do any MRI in the future, or if we will rely on the PET only.