It was confirmed today (33 years old).

Kelly,

I am so sorry to hear about your DX.  Please know I was/am in the same position you are about 2 months ago.. These ladies on here got me through my darkest hours.  Although there is a long road a head of you trust that your are Bigger then this and will kick its behind.  If you ever need to talk I am here Chrissy.

Hi Kelly, your situation motivated me to join the site so I could offer you words of encouragement and add to the sentiment that you are not alone.. Im 44, two beautiful kids, life is pretty awesome except I have a looming surgery to tell me if nodes are involved, which of course means chemo would be a serious consideration for me. Chemo has always meant something tragic in my family, but times have indeed changed, I know now it would be manageable with proper support.

The past 2 wks have been hellish waiting for test results, but strangely once I had confirmation I had IDC (two places) I was actually relieved to finally wrap my mind around something and investigate a potential treatment plan, because I had already skipped all that and planned my own funeral in my head. Thankfully I have had wonderful medical support and knowledge is power. Life is not a tragedy (unless you think it is). God bless you and I will say prayers for you while you figure out your gameplan.

Kelly I'm so darn sorry! But it sounds like you have a medical team who is ON THE BALL and that is awesome! You can do this girl. Take a deep breath, and go.....

I'm so sorry you've joined the ranks.  I'll try to be brief.  First, it's apparent you're quite intelligent, so don't jump to treatment decisions until you know about your particular situation.  Ask for copies of your reports, because you're obviously well researched from your past scare. Read about how different posters feel after having mastectomies, reconstruction, chemo.  Then listen to your docs' suggestions, and research more, and go with your own gut.  But, even with reconstruction, for example, there are different types. And, I had chemo even after a modified radical mastectomy.  I was able to avoid radiation by having a mastectomy, but not chemo. There is just so much to know. 

FYI, I worked through my treatment and surgery with a few days off each time, and, at age 55, I'm finally completing my undergrad work (not postponed due to the cancer-I'm just saying that your education WILL continue).  I am an English major and I did write a paper that included how we identify with our hair more than we realize.  I was happy to have the cancer cut out, yet the mastectomy proved hard on me. But I wasn't worried about my hair (it will grow back, duh), but it was more traumatic than I thought.

Depending on your treatment, you may not feel up to doing what you could do before.  Everyone reacts differently to each step in the process. After my mastectomy I didn't even take any pain killers and was at work three days after.  BUT, a double mastectomy is very different. We can get by without full use of one arm. Both at the same time?  Different.  As for chemo-fatigue can be an issue.  Nausea, confusion. My own problem was extreme nausea.  Even a few days later when I returned to work (I had no choice)...I sat with a wastebasket at the ready (but I never threw up after the first 3-4 days). That's extreme-most don't react that way. The anti-nausea meds didn't work.  I'm the type that throws up after EVERY surgery, with many meds (antibiotics, codeine, Demerol, any medicine that puts me out, etc. I even threw up when I had a doctor tell me I had to start eating meat again-blech!). I ended up quitting chemo, and found out that not all oncs would have made me do it anyway, and then had another onc who said the 5 years I spent on adjuvant therapy was much more important than the chemo.  So...?

So, take the time you need to learn, digest, decide, change your mind, learn more. And never second guess whatever decision you make, because we cannot know the future.  You and your team will factor in SO many things (grade, stage, oncotype, size, age, health, hormone receptors, etc etc) before deciding.   

For now, try to take someone with you to appointments (if you have one, I didn't) who can listen and write things down.  There is SO much to absorb. And don't be in a hurry (I was; I was worried because I felt there was no telling when that first little cell would want to go exploring all over my body with all its crazy friends like it was Spring Break). And come back here because no one "out there" understands like those who have been through it.

Best to ya.