Do you call DCIS "breast cancer"?

Dixiemine - no worries on the name.   A beach house sounds awesome.  Funny story - my hubby knew all along that Disneyworld was my destination of choice and was cool with it.  I even told him we were staying at Polynesian and paying the big bucks.   Then we do our taxes and were bummed to owe more than we thought.  He says to me "maybe we should scale back on DW."  You know that look we can give our husbands...you know... "THE LOOK!"  He sees it and then said "No.  Of course not.  We won't do that."  Good boy!  You just redeemed yourself!  So funny.

Thanks - I'll start my dictionary!!

I told everyone that I had breast cancer that was caught as early as could be.

I think the way I explained it to my 7 and 10 year old children had the most meaning for me.  In the fall of 2010, when I was diagnosed with ADH, I told the kids that cancer is cells that grow like crazy and therefore are dangerous to the normal cells around them.  I told them that I had ADH which were cells that were not yet dangerous, but could become dangerous, so we were removing them. 

Then, when I was diagnosed with DCIS this fall, I told the kids that I had dangerous cells this time, but they hadn't yet been able to cause damage.  The doctors were removing the entire breast to be sure there were no cells left that were dangerous. 

I explained that IDC is when the dangerous cells have started causing damage, but that wasn't happening in my case.

I think, in essence, that is all accurate.  At the time, it helped me come to terms with what was actually happening.  I felt much reassured, as did my children.

I personally feel very lucky.  They caught my cancer at the first moment and I had all sorts of options and choices available to me.  I, too, was nearly vegan and worked out extensively and quit smoking years before and rarely drank...etc...  A couple of times, I thought, why'd I bother??  But mostly, I was grateful that I was in such good shape and it allowed me a quick recovery from surgery.  I wonder if it also caused my cancer to grow much more slowly.  I will never know, but I am not going to second guess myself by knocking myself down.  I am glad I am in good shape and I believe that it HAS helped me in relation to cancer.  I didn't get cancer in spite of my lifestyle, I am surviving cancer in style because of my lifestyle!!

I feel for all of you who are so newly diagnosed.  Those first months are really a roller coaster.  It is getting better now, but I still feel newly diagnosed, 5 months later.  Wishing you all the best...hang in there...it gets better.

Claire

CLC - I love this statement you made..."I am surviving cancer in style because of my lifestyle!!"

That is quite a list of short forms . . . oh my! Much to learn . . .

VeganGal - a couple of other terms that I find kinda funny...

Foob(s) - fake boob(s)

Fipple(s) - face nipple(s)

You chicks are awesome!!! Thanks for making me laugh for the first time in almost two weeks . . . and . . . yes. . . I don't think I said the word "boob" outloud so much in my entire 43 years of life as I have in the last 10 days . . . so funny . . . and I've never looked at so many sets of boobs online either!! Boob, boob, boob, boob . . . . I may write a boob song . . . or a Bye, Bye, Boob song . . . I was even considering throwing a Farewell Boobie Party before my surgery . . .

Merritmalloy . . . sounds like we have a lot in common . . . it is a pleasure to "meet you" . . . .

CLC - maybe you should head on over to the DCIS/AARP board. ;-)

Several ladies have had farewell parties for their "girls".  One even had an awesome boob cake...haha.  If I can find that link I'll PM (private message) it to you.  It was great!!

I know!!  My husband and I have both been looking at boobs for weeks....sometimes we both crack up at ourselves.  I am almost positive that before January 3 had I come home and found him looking at boobs on the internet there would have been a huge fight.  Now I just ask him if he's boob shopping...LOL.

VG -- you are going to be fine.  Is it fun? No!...but it is doable!!!  I am also 43...one more thing in common.

Love & Hugs ~Karen

Merritmalloy -- real or fake breast cancer?....totally cracks me up.  I will be 43 in July :-)

Hello girls, I had to chime in w/ a thanks for making me laugh and making me feel relieved that there are others out there like me who have been completely blindsided over the past few months.  I was diagnosed in Nov 2011 w/ DCIS. I wanted a BMX from the beginning , knowing that I would worry myself sick for the rest of my life worried that it would come back. I've had many people that are super supportive. I do feel very lucky that my cancer was found so early. Biggest complaint... I've had a few people that have had breast augmentation comparing their recovery to mine.... REALLY??? So I'm forced to either smile and nod (knowing that they just dont have a clue) or ...kindly remind them that these are very different surgeries since I had cancer..

Well said Emaline.

Love this thread! Thanks for making me laugh and cry at the same time....