If you have just been diagnosed....

I've just been diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma in my right breast right behind my nipple and atypical cells in two spots in my left breast.  The pathology report said the cancer is well-differentiated and I didn't respond to HER2.  I have no symptoms.  I can't feel a lump or tough flesh or anything and the surgeon said I'm in a very early stage.  They did both mammogram supported biopsies and then MRI supported biopsies on both breasts.  I'm like the rest of you....scared out of my mind.  There is no family history of any type cancer except prostate.  This is the last thing I ever expected to get.  I thought for sure that heart disease was going to factor into the equation!  No sign of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, nothing.......now this!  The surgeon said he is going to do a mastectomy on the right and a lumpectomy on the left so that the pathologist can further examine the atypical cells.  I'm almost tempted to tell them to take both off. 

Now I am doing further waiting.  I've been dealing with this since mid-February when the first mammogram showed calcifications and I was called back for more mammograms.....now they are trying to get the surgeon and plastic surgeon coordinated and keep delaying the surgery.  I just want this cut out of me and taken away!

Hi Artsysue,I'm doing Ok now and thank you for asking.

I'm over the shock and now ready to face this thing head-on.  I have another surgery on the 27th to test the lymph nodes and clean up the areas from the first surgery.  I'm cautiously optimistic that all will be OK but I'm also being realistic.  I have some swelling under my arm and my surgeon swears it's just swelling from the surgery but I'm not so sure.  But, I'm ready for whatever is ahead.  Like everyone else on this board, the waiting is torture.  I just want to get moving and take care of this already.  But I'm no longer afraid of possibly having to get chemo.  I live in Florida so no hair or extremely short hair will be a blessing in the middle of August!  Hey...you've gotta try and have some humor in all this.  It really helps!  Thanks again for your thoughts and you will be in mine, too.

Gina

Hi Gina just had my wire guided excisional on Tues and should hear from my Dr what the next step is..... trying to maintain focus and some humor but I hate the "wait" time. So glad things are moving along for you and you're attitude is up there! Blessings!

I was diagnosed on Tuesday the 17th, I new in my heart that it was going to be cancer but hoped for the best. My doctor told me over the phone because I didnt want to wait another day to hear it. My husband is very suportive and with me all the way. I have been diagnosed with DCIS , I am waiting to go see a surgeon , hopefully soon. The information you have given me helps. Its info I need because the more I know the more it helps me to cope. If thats what you can call it ! I woke up yesterday very angry and wanting to take the cancer out of my body myself. But I have a co worker who was diagnosed with amost the same cancer and she is my suporter as well. she has offered to help me with anything and everything. I think without her I may flounder. She told me about this web site and it is  a God send. Again thank you for your information, it will help.

Things moved really fast for me. I had surgery for a duct removal on May 15th and was diagnoised with breast cancer on May 21. By June 1 I was scheduled for a lumpectomy with a possible Mastectomy. Ended up having to have a mastectomy. My dx is DCIS with invasive breast cancer. My Dr. has moved me to stage 2 breast cancer. I was told out of the 22 lymph nodes only the first one was cancerous. The sad thing for me about all of this is that I did my mamograms faithfully and none of my cancer ever showed up on the mamograms. If I hadn't started having a discharge from my breast the cancer would not had been found until it was maybe to late. I am suppose to start chemo and maybe radiation. I am nervouse about the chemo because I also have a disease called ankylosing spondlytis. Which I already have a low cbc count and have to take shots to keep my blood count up.Any advise?? Thanks

My mom was just diagnosed 9 weeks ago, she is 88, they recommended masectomy but she declined due to her age and she also declined lumpectomy did not want to go through that with her other health issues. She was a candidate for the oral pill and tried Arimidex for 2 weeks, but the side effects were horrible. She sees oncologist on Monday but she has decided no further pills she will be 89 next month and wants to enjoy whatever time she has left not being b ed ridden until the she has to. She is a strong woman and of sound mind so I have to respect her decision even if I would make other choices. Then today I got results from my mammogram taken 2 weeks ago that they found an abnormality and I need to go for further testing. Needless to say heavy on all our minds. My mom grows more tired everyday and sleeps more but at least she is eating again since stopping that pill.Although today she woke up with pain in the other breast, plus having alot of issues with her feet and hands.

I've just been diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer. I'm going to be 84 next month and weigh 87lbs.  My Dr. said it's a slow growing cancer. I'm inclined to turn down surgery and just wait it out.  i've read where there's a high percentage of something else killing me before the breast cancer at my age. Is there anyone else in the same predicament? I feel really good and I know surgery will lay me low and then I'll come down with something else.

I just posted about this a few days ago.  I'm in the same situation as your mom, I'm going to be 84 next month and feel the same as she does.  Could I ask what stage cancer she has, I have stage 1 and am in no pain, so I'm hoping to outlive it. I feel good and can still golf a few times a week and don't want to be layed low with an operation and then be left open to anything else that might come along.

Hi all, I was just diagnosed with stage III Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, just 4 days ago, one of the tumors is greater than 6 cm, the other two, I'm not sure of their size. I'm going for my PET scan tomorrow to see just how far the cancer has spread, but my breast surgeon is sure it is in my lymph nodes and possibly my ribs already...but I won't know until next week just how far the cancer has spread. It seems to be pretty aggressive because 2 months ago I had normal breasts, just a small lump in my left breast, now I have a left breast that is much larger and misshapen than my right and 3 distinct and very large tumors growing in it. I swear, everyday this breast is larger and larger. I'm supposed to start my chemo next week, I'll have 3 months of chemo and then a radical double mastectomy. I'm only 41 years old with no history of breast cancer in my family. To say I was terrified is an understatement. My husband just lost his only sister 2 years ago to breast cancer and she was only 43 when she passed, so this is especially hard on him.

My doctor says this is not a death sentence, but to me it seems that way. Does anyone know the survival rates for someone with my type and stage? I will post more details as I learn them, I am still so early in the process and everything is moving so quickly it's kind of making my head spin.

Thanks for listening,

Jenn

Hi Jenndurk, 

I spent a good ten minutes writing a response to you last night and my wifi decided to kick the bucket and I lost the post before I could submit! Anyway, this won't be as long but I wanted you to know that you are not alone. This website if full of amazing, strong wonderful women and men who are compassionate and  understand what we are all going through. My only advice to you, as I am also new to the BC world and still haven't been staged, is that it might be better to avoid looking at the numbers for awhile, like survival rates. You have a lot to do to stay healthy and the most important right now is to keep you mental health. You and I and every other woman with a new diagnosis are going to beat this. The odds are in our favor and if we can try to keep out minds busy with the good stuff in life, the less likely we'll be to fall into a depression. I felt this coming on a few days ago and I ended up drinking myself silly. I hadn't started any treatment yet so I knew I could handle it, but my point is that it is very easy to let this dx control our lives, lets NOT LET IT. Lets fight the urge to focus on it and focus on the good stuff instead!

Much love and hugs to you and I am always here if you want to talk! God Bless! 

patriciahur-

I am so sorry you're going through this and I can totally relate. I was diagnosed Aug 2nd of this year and its been tough. You're not alone either. There are hundreds of people on this site and we are all here for you.

I still don't know what stage I am, still in that process, but have IDC. Sending lots of ((((HUGS)))) way. It will be okay. You will get through this just like all of the amazing women on this site.  

I was just diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer yesterday.  I believe I was in a huge state of shock although I had a gut feeling I was joining the list of upcoming cancer SURVIVORS.

My question is, has anyone here opted for a lumpectomy & been disappointed with the results???  I have one scheduled for the 24th of this month and really am not afraid of any deformation that may occur.  My concern is with the aftermath.  The follow up care, the probability of a relapse (is that the right word?) etc.  I know a lot of women opt for a mastectomy right off the bat.  I don't want to have to do that if it's not hugely necessary.  Being that I was given the option, I'm assuming a lumpectomy may be successful for me but I'm just curious if anyone who has gone with that option regrets it.

Thanks!!! 

Patricahurtado,

I was diagnosed a year ago and know of the fear and uncertainty that you are feeling, but just know that it does get better.

What helped me most was joining a local support group called "breast friends", where I met many wonderful women of all ages that support each other. Try to located a support group in your area...many are associated with the hospitals, perhaps there is one where you are receiving chemo? I was also very lucky to find an amazing psychologist that specialized in cancer diagnosis.

You will find great support on these boards. You might want to start with posting on the chemo board so that you can connect with others that are currently going thru chemo.

{{{{{{Hugs}}}}}}}}

I was just diagnosed on 12/26/12 with intrusive ductal carcinoma in my left breast. No history of breast cancer in my family and I will be 45 years old next month. I'm scared and in shock! But I know I can beat this. I'm just curious about my treatment. My gyno recommended me to a surgeon but I want to make sure in getting the best care. How many other surgeons should I talk to and should it be just a surgeon or an oncologist? Or are those two different doctors in this process?

I was diagnosed on Nov 17, 2012 at age 55

I am frustrated since I have not had my surgery yet. I do not have insurance since I am unemployed. I qualified for a special cancer program here in California that covers everything related to the treatment. But it takes so long to be approved. I just came home from my MRI. Kind of hard to do for someone with burstisus in my shoulder.

My surgery is now scheduled for January 28th since I have to stop taking one of my medications 10 days before the surgery. I am worried that in that time, the cancer would have spread. I had the lump in my breast for over 6 months but thought it would be like the others, just a cyst. Well in wasn't a cyst. It was infiltrating Ductal carcenoma. Possible stage 2.

I am hoping that it hasn't spread during this delay. The FNP at the hospital says it hasn't but I don't really know.