Newly diagnosed IDC with + lymph node involvement

(((Amberains))) so sorry both you and your sister have to face this disease...good that you knew how to do a self exam and found the lump. Like many others on the boards here I had positive nodes but my oncologist said that did not mean it had spread to other areas. I like what some people have said about the positive nodes...they did their job and "caught" the cancer. I had a PET scan and there were no signs of spread but we did chemo anyway which will also help if there are tumor cells that got past the nodes. You will find out so much more when they get the pathology on your mass and your nodes. I have found so much wisdom and advice from the survivors on these boards and you will too. I hope you have a treatment plan soon and know what your options are (((Hugs))) Maureen

Amberains -- like the other folks, unfortunately I don't have answers to your questions either.  What I can tell you from my experience in the past two months is that once you find out that you have breast cancer, you tend to question all the other ailments and aches that you have had in the past year.  Headaches scream brain mets, unexplained coughs scream lung mets, and bone pains scream bone mets and so forth.  I've had a bone scan just because of that and a ct angiogram (for surgery purposes but looked at other parts of the chest/pelvis area) that had me really scared until the results -- "scananxiety!"   I have to remind myself that we are all normal people, subject to the same colds/coughs, arthritis, body pains...and that doesn't necessarily mean mets.  Unfortunately, after a breast cancer diagnosis, nothing we see will ever be the same again.   

There is so set rule or standard for breast cancer.  You'll see that many women who have extensive lymph node involvement don't have mets, while those that had no lymph node involvement unfortunately have mets.  Like lostinmo indicated, there are definitely groups out there and state programs that assist with medical coverage for those that are uninsured, so hopefully you'll be able to find one where you are.  Hang in there....you'll find a lot of women here that went through the same thoughts/emotions that you are going through now. 

I too was dx (5 years ago) with IDC and lymph node involvement. I had been suffering with pains in my shoulder etc which (strangely seemed worse after my dx). I was convinced that it had already spread but scans showed a cyst in my liver (a shock) and also a cyst on my adrenal gland (more of a shock).

The answer is ....'of course you can survive this'. I'm still here, enjoying life and you will too.

Amberlains- I had my BMX Feb.28,with tissue expanders put in, 2 drains on each side. I still sleep better in a recliner, but have not had to take pain meds in almost a week:) 1 set of drains came out a bit over a week later, the other a week after that. I was feeling highly uncomfortable after that for a couple days (I guess because expanders were shifting & I was healing from drains). A month out now, just uncomfortable and chest feels very tight from expanders. Started physical therapy Thurs. to work on range of motion, & do what we can to limit chance of lymphedema (14 nodes removed on rt.) Hope this gives you an idea,but as I've learned from this site, recovery experience can differ greatly by individual , even with same diagnosis and surgery, but you will find enough similar with enough people to reassure you that you're not alone (or crazy)...and if anything "off" occurs with you, you'll have plenty of people to tell you to call your docs! Best of luck & much love...whatever comes your way, you can handle it, and you will have plenty of whatever kind of support you need at any given moment here.