anyone find cancer in other breast while in tx

Well, I wasn't exactly in treatment -- I had not yet had my first mastectomy last fall after an excisional biopsy found IDC and extensive DCIS in my left breast, but after an MRI of the "other breast" found three suspicious "enhancements," I had three more MRI and ultrasound guided core biopsies -- and still only LCIS and ADH were found. But the radiologists kept stressing I had "very active breast tissue and at very high risk of cancer already or in the future in the right breast." When all was said and done, I had a double mastectomy and when the pathologists got a look, there was indeed IDC in the second breast, too. That means I had "synchronous (at the same time) bilateral invasive breast cancer," which is pretty rare (2-4 percent). I was told they were two independent primary tumors. Fortunately they were were both stage 1a, both hormone receptor positive and HER negative, and I needed no radiation or chemotherapy. Am currently taking anastrozole. My surgeon said if the second tumor had not been discovered now, it would have been found in a year or two and then I would have thought it was a "recurrence," although it had been there all along. I've read that may be true for up to 10 percent of women. All in all, I was very glad to go through this once -- although, of course, a true recurrence is always possible for the rest of our lives.

I have yet to last one year from active treatment.  It sucks.  Two summers of chemo, though not back to back summers.  I had a lot more help the second chemo and my girls are a littler older (and used to it!).  Hopefully after this go around you'll make it longer.  Both of us!

It's been quite frustrating to go through it again.  Having to lower all the expectations again is very disheartening.  Once you accept it you can adjust the attitude accordingly.  That time to grieve is important.  The crabby will morph and fall away and you will do what you have to do.  

I was definitely a touch hornery for chemo.  I knew the routine and just wanted to get in, get out.  I went to most of my chemos alone because I could do it myself and I just wanted to be left alone for it.  I never let my parents come to chemo the first time.  I guess I wanted to protect them.  The second time around I let them visit me,  for their sakes.  I understood that whatever they imagined was worse than the reality.  The reality was it was so boring!

Hang in there.

Hi Bluepearl,

Mind if I ask what you did differently the second time around?  My surgical consult is on Monday, but I pretty much already know she will recommend lumpectomy plus radiation again.  Maybe if I get the same thing done again, they'll match again now