I, too, was told I will report to Nuclear the day before but they just told me that they will do it in the morning of surgery for me becuase I'm scheduled for a Monday...surgery will start 2 hours later...

Well today was a shocker for me. First visit with the plactic surgeon fore reconstruction. Am doing immediate TRAM. When I went to the scheduler, I found my date had been moved up from April 16 to March 29. The BS said waiting till mid april was out of the question. Also, not able to get scheduled at my PPO hospital, so another hospital takes matching payments, and writes off the rest. Tried to get information  from my insurance company and they were less than helpful telling me the surgeon has not submitted any information to make sure this is medically necessary and it can take up nto 30n days to get this type of surgery approved. When I went to pieces on the CSR with the insurance company she said the board of review will need to see everything and when I asked why this was alll so hard, she said, it'snot if you do everything in the right order. Anyway by the time I talked to them the BS office was closed so I will not have anything to be sure about till Monday. I think I am having surgery Thursday and how can some medical board say it is not necessary when I have had all their approved tests to show it is cancer and the BS says it is agressive.  I just cant take this. I may spend the whole weekend out of my mind on anxiety medicine. First the shock of moving the date up so soon and now problems cuz the insurance does not want to pay it. I cant stop crying.

Well HELLO ladies!

I'm a newbie so please bear with me. Just received my diagnosis of IDC on March 5th and one positive lympho node on March 22nd.Early stage, 1 lump, 1 CM.Am scheduled for surgery April 20th.

This is moving along quickly .. though it feels SLOW .... soI guess I'm pretty lucky. Am reading and gathering all the info I can trying to make an educated decision, however, I find my mind has decided to take a break.Yikes! I realize this is to be expected, but how do you clear the fog so that you can make a rational decision?

Docs are talking lumpectomy w/breast reduction, I'm leaning towards MX, even considering double cause I want this gone and do not want to dwell on it for the rest of my life.The "what-ifs" and endless possibilties are REALLY messing with my head right now. 

Am single and live alone, but I have a great group of friends, co-workers, etc. who are supporting me through this. Am really glad to have found this site and am looking forward toeveryone's input and shared experiences.

Heidi54: I went through 3 biopsy's on the right and 2 on the left over 5 week period. My mind went crazy and I took a break (actually a week long business trip) which came at the perfect time to not have to deal with everything. Anyway during that time I decided to get second opinions which was the best thing I could have done. I met new doctors one which I hated the other two I loved who explained all my opitions clearly which allowed me to think it all through. I have DCIS on the right in one area two other area's extreme high risk, something non cancer on the left. I decided to do double mx so that I don't have the stress about the yearly mammo's, be biopsied left and right (literally) and bring my chances of any kind of cancer early or invasive down to a 1% risk. My choice to do both and not just lump w/radiation and then 5 yrs of tomox I constantly think, what am doing! What will it be like afterwards, tattoo's fake nipples OMG!  But I figure this breast cancer thing is an epidemic and so many of us have gone through this and live on with reconstructed boobs and are happy, right! I think to myself when I get down on it all and say, OK it could be worse I could have no options so I continue on...my date is 4/23 so I have 4 weeks which a long time away in the waiting game; sometimes I feel when I read all the posts the anxiety is building and I can't breath and sometimes it helps and helps a lot; so thank you to everyone!!!!! 

I am in the final throws of picking a surgical team for an April BMX.  I have April 23rd slotted as of right now.  It's so hard to get my head around., just two weeks after being diagnosed with DCIS and needing to make the decision between a lump/RAD and BMX.  I Finally have concluded this this is the right choice for me.  So, RTNYC, it looks like we may have the same date.   I am mostly trying to ease my anxiety by not thinking about surgery and instead focusing on feeling good in June, being healthy, and having a new pair of fake, but perky boobs. ugh! think i will need so good drugs to chill out as the date approaches. 

Hey Rtnyc . . . yeah, getting out and walking with the pooches was great . . . DH and the 3 "fur-kids" . . . helps a ton. I will be sure to post everything I learn at my pre-op . . . your BMX is April 23rd . . . so there is lots of time to share what I learn. My BMX is April 25th. Unbelievable eh? Crazy stuff.

Longislandmom . . . hopefull since your date is the same at Rtnyc . . . the stuff I post will help you too Surgery Sister . . .

We should all have a glass a wine this evening . . . it is Saturday night after all . . .

Hugs.

Plymouthpeople . . . you're funny!!! Eminem eh? I've never heard it either . . . but I hear it's pretty raunchy . . . do what moves ya' girl . . .

Yup. And the F-word is my favourite word these days too!!!! I've been a bloody trucker mouth . . . and I kinda like it . . .

And, yes . . . I'd love to hold your hand . . . and the hands of all the Surgery Sisters as go though this F-ing hell and find something better (I hope) on the other side . . .

F-ing right we will . . . . !!!!!

the "f" word...or FUCK!!! for short.  has been a big part of my personal vocabulary this past week.  Not a very good example for my 7 and 10 year old.  but we had a big and much needed laugh the night i finally told them that mommy needed to have surgery.  i told them that they had found something in my breast that needed to come out and that i needed surgery.  to keep it light..i told them that when the Doctor told me the first thing i yelled was "FFF."  they were on the floor laughing, which lightened the moment.  Then they started yelling "FFF"...and i let them do it for about two minutes.  When i told them enough..my 7 year old son asked to do it one more time.  i said OK.  he yelled FFFFF loud.  and then i told him if i heard it again in the house he'd be punished..as usual.  lol. 

  I find it so incredible that all of us and so many others on this website are going through this.  it's just unbelievable.  And VeganGal/RTNYC -- i am on glass #2 of wine tonight.  RTNYC-- per the summer, all of my friends who have been through this swear that i will be back on my feet and feeling pretty good in a month...so let's both (and all of you other april sistas) focus on a happy day on the beach..feeling good and being healthy!  also went for a long walk today and told all of my friends and family that i love them but that i needed a cancer free day and that i'd talk to them tomorrow or monday.  I don't know about all of you, but my brain is just so tired from talking and thinking about this. 

I saw a class at Sloan Kettering about meditation to relieve pre-surgery anxiety.  may try that.  and if it fails.  xanax!  wishing all of you peace and good dreams.  sorry we are all part of this crap...but happy to be in it with people who TRULY understand how i am feeling right now.    As i said to my mom today when she asked how i was...i said well, within the context of feeling totally shitty..i am feeling really good.

Good Morning Surgery Sisters . . . .

Loved your post Longislandmama . . . you gave me a great laugh this morning!!!!! You sound like a super cool Mom . . . yeah you:-) And . . . yup . . . DH and I watched a movie last night with a bottle of vino between us . . . all good . . . all necessary . . . .

OK Chicks . . . I kinda need some advice . . . I see my GP tomorrow morning at 9:00am . . . she wants to put me on anti-depressants to get me through to surgery day, and beyond. I have been resisting . . . but she wants to chat with me about tomorrow morning. I really like her, and I don't feel like she's pushing me . . . she wants to just talk about options. I am up and down like a bloody yo-yo . . . some days I'm good, others not so much. I've never been on anti-depresants in the past . . . and I'm kinda confused . . . thoughts? advice? suggestions????? 

I want to introduce myself, but all I can think right now is WOW.  I read this whole thread and I laughed and cried the whole way through.  What an amazing group of women you all are!  You are all so inspiring to laugh and cry and yell, but all the while support each other here through the surgeries and all of the other challenges you are facing at the same time. I hope you will allow me to join in!

I don't have my date for surgery yet but it will be a double MX with Diep flap all at once.  I will hopefully hear within the next few days, so I really-REALLY hope it will be an April surgery!!   

I feel like I still have so much to learn, even about my own diagnosis.  I am trying to learn all I can but also need time to get everything ready for the surgery and being out of commission.  I also want to spend time with my 2 little girls (about to turn 5 and 7) since I know that will be harder after surgery.  I am also extremely anxious about the wait.  

Is anyone else having dizzy spells and nausea?  I am hoping it is from anxiety and not a sign of things spreading!  I am such a basket case right now and I am normally so calm.  Like all of you, I just want it to be over. 

Backing up a step: I am 40 years old and was diagnosed after my first routine mammogram.  No family history.  This totally came out of left field for me on 3/8/12.

also RTNYC-- on the look of reconstruction-- i have seen a bunch of really beautiful looking ones.  I, too, have had friends lift up their shirts for me and send me pictures via email of their new "girls".  My husband swears up and down that he really doesn't care.  we even try to laugh about it.  I'm a 34DDD, which doesn't make this easier.  After 2 kids, those 34DDD are not as----"perky"-- as they once were.  I told him he can help me pick the size of "his" new pair.  lol.    i think the not "feeling" and/or the feeling the TE and implants part is scaring me more than the how i'll look part.  PS said I'm not a good candidate for DIEP because i don't really have enough belly to make two new gals-- just one nice one!  ugh.  They should have told me that before i wasted the last 3 months on Jenny Craig.  lol.