Waiting for Results

Farmerlucydaisy gave you great advice. Having the test is a good start. I have four daughters, only two great aunts had BC. (Don't even know their ages because they lived in Ireland.) I am going to ask for the blood test anyway. I will keep a good thought for you.

Hi Beccam,



Please surround yourself with positive people. Your feelings are very real to you. Please find a kind and caring breast specialist who can help you put your fears into perspective. Taking the brca test is the first step to finding out how great your risk is. I lost my mother to this terrible disease. Tomorrow marks one year since my prophylatic double masectomy. It was a very personal choice. You are so very young and the odds are in your favor that you have time to think about surveillance. I started yearly mamograms when I was 28. I also aligned myself with a wonderful breast specialist who followed me 18 years. At 40 I started with yearly MRI alternating with mammograms. I found taking anti anxiety meds helped me too. Please take care and know you are not alone! Xo

I am High Risk with Bilateral MRI with/without contrast 2 times a year, every 3 months is my mammogram and the past 10 years had to return for compression/ultrasound. I've been followed by my cancer MD. I've been taking preventative medication for years, had a total hysterectomy in 2010 with one on the side effects of the preventative meds was uterine cancer. Mother had 2 breast cancer, sister had cervical cancer, along with cancer thru the family that I discovered when my mother went thru genetic counseling. Had a serious car accident with surgery that delayed my MRI by 3 months. My mother 1st breast cancer was Sept @ 50. I'm 50 @ Aug. I received a call that I had to have a MRI guided biopsy that I had on Tuesday. Now the wait! Really questioning the radiologist, she told me to prepare for the worst and pray for the best. The anxiety of the high risk testing, very dense breasts, it's been recommended that I have a bilateral mastectomy for years. As the sole income in the household and family living far away, I've delayed that surgery for past 3 years, even approved by insurance.



NOW is the real anxiety waiting until Monday appt with my cancer MD. Knowing that the enhanced linear showed up on this MRI, and the radiologist reviewed my past 5 years imaging and there was nothing at all in that area. The Internet information is very scary-I can't research anymore! Terrified that it is cancer - then the treatment requirements, side effects. Plus due to surgery from car accident this year, I have very limited PTO left, along with the fear of losing my job/health insurance & FMLA protected leave ends 11/13 from injuries in my auto accident. Along with my fear, anxiety of the results----I don't know if I should tell my employer or not? If it is cancer, hoping its very early due to regular screening & hoping I can figure out if I can attend treatment after work, if its even possible. My employer uses any information against anyone who uses short-term disability which of course they deny (even pregnancy) the are very cleaver, less work, excluded from emails, not introduced to new employees, stuck sending regular emails asking for work, etc.



I have NO clue what or how I would be able to afford my bills/home/health insurance IF I lose my job! Anyone have advise if I should wait to tell my employer unless I have no choice? Or tell them if I receive bad news on Monday?

Thanks Farmerlucydaisy,



Thanks for the response, and encouragement. I received good/bad news. Since I've been under high risk care for 10+ years, they were able to discover the cancer very early that only showed up on my MRI and not the mammogram. I have a tentative appointment with my breast surgeon on the 11th, who was just returning from vacation. The secretary said that after she reads the results she may want me in sooner to plan for my surgery and hopefully 1 level on my lymph nodes since its very early. Pre-scheduled in advance, before my testing I see my cancer MD tomorrow. In the words of my radiologist (who couldn't have been my caring, patient and honest, with knowledge, I asked very direct questions and wanted answers as much as she was able to give) who said prepare to prepare for the worse and pray for the best. But all the years of anxiety of my regular high risk screening was able to discover my cancer very, very early even before it showed up on my mammogram. It's scary to think other woman not under high risk screening not to show up until it advanced further which just shows that women show never be late/miss their mammograms.



No sure if my appointment tomorrow well not give me much information as to treatment/after care of treatment until after surgery and the findings.



It horrible to have the added stress to insensitive employers to the added stress. But you are right, at this point I have to just deal with my surgery, results, treatment, etc.



It's been a horrible couple of years--uterine cancer 2010 from the hormone therapy to prevent breast cancer(during working full time without accommodations working thru menopause, chemo & side effects still carried over 12 PTO days) when I was mentally prepared and informed and insurance approved to have my double mastectomy, a man uninsured, unlicensed hit me and pushed me into a wall where I had to be cut out of my vehicle in 2012 with multiple injuries, knowing my employer reaction, with a severe concussion, multiple injuries only missed 3 days of work, back working FT in extreme pain, 8 month in a knee brace, limping, they wanted to performed knee reconstruction surgery December (I had my own private auto insurance, that did not acknowledge their private disability plan -so I didn't use or cause any increase their premiums). When I notified my employer, they back dated the FMLA completely against Federal Law that I confirmed with DC, local agency & attorney. They have a rolling FMLA backdated before surgery was even considered that now ends November 2013. Along with treating different employees, different on FMLA. The very LAST thing I want to do is get into a lawsuit, I just want a job/health insurance. Just about recovered from multiple injuries, with a slight limp, so I could start looking for other employment before November. Now this new issue which I need insurance and also what type of treatment that I will need but getting close to the November FMLA protection ending.



I had to tell HR, due to short request to see my surgeon, plus the possibility of the consultation appointment being moved up. The response of HR needless to say was unprofessional, cold, ill informed, then immediately demanding me I have to disclose my MDs names BEFORE I even have any information, any treatment nor a surgery date scheduled, let alone my surgery consultation appointment, on the same day receiving the news of my biopsy (numb & in shock).



I'm told the removal of the mass/lymph nodes surgery is most likely a 1 day procedure with a few days recovery but not sure until I have my consultation visit. I still have earned 23 PTO days left for the year. Most of my treatment, I attempted after work hours for any/all my injuries as much as possible. It's not until after surgery will I have any treatment plan decided, if I can receive most treatment after work, etc. I've made work during surgical menopause, chemo with numerous side effects day/night with not even using my earned time off for the year. I've just explained the details, that I've done everything possible to be a productive, reliable, employee, limiting any time off despite any illness/injuries - returning earlier AMA attempting to limit any necessary time out of the office. The firm is over 100 employees, so it's not like there limited resources for others to perform the workload, including when I cover others workload during their vacations.



This company "punishes" any employees who use FMLA. Sadly, I like my job, just not the politics nor having an HR department that has no clue of the laws that they attempt to enforce, worse being a law firm, who has uneducated HR employees that open the firm to many lawsuits but I can't fight "the authority".



It's hard being single, no family close, needing an income and health insurance.



But really mentally, I have to stay focused on my surgery and results, treatment plan/after care - that's as much stress as I can handle at this point. I'm just going to force myself to count my blessings (catching it as early as possible) and ignore all the other negativity as much as possible. As much as I hate it, don't want it - I can't change what is but denial sometimes is really nice. But I do want to live, and will do whatever I can/have to do-- this time, and any other time!



Previously, I hated the anxiety, fear of the high risk constant testing every 6months, daily hormone medication, MDs apps, NOW I realized that really was my blessing - I continue to pray that they find a cure sooner than later!