Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma..Do 8/8/14

I think this period you are going through is one of the hardest...once you get a treatment plan in place things will settle down.  I am triple negative (tnbc) and from Tamoxifen prescribed I'm guessing you are not.  Many tnbcs have chemo before surgery.  I had no choice but mastectomy on the breast with ca.  However, I had a really hard time with Chemo (and had lots of time to think.  By the end of chemo I decided to have both breasts removed.  The ca can recur elsewhere but I 'very eliminated one place it wont(the second breast).  The real loss in this is of my sensual/sexual sensations being gone in this area.  My husband and I are finding other things to substitute for this previously important part of foreplay.

I'm about two years out and when first diagnosed sex was the furthest thing from my mind, but your decision about surgery should give a little attention about repercussions sexually.  My breasts look better than they did pre-mastectomy.  It's the sensation I miss!

Hang in there and keep posting.

Hugs,

Peggy

Hello enim20, Welcome to the BCO community. We are glad that you found us and understand how you must be feeling overwhelmed. It is hard to get through the anxiety. Hopefully you will feel better when you have more information about your genetic testing and surgery. You have joined a caring and knowledgable community of others who can readily identify with what you are going through. Please do keep us updated on how you make out with everything.

Sending (((hugs))) your way.

The Mods

Strongcanuk, don't know what you have as it isn't in your 'signature'.  Young ladies, ask about freezing your eggs prior to chemo.  Set up second opinions now, they can always be cancelled.  See if the 'testing' can be rushed, due to the fact you have cancer and need it for a decision.  They told me my BRCA could take 4 weeks, but could be rushed too.  Realize you can do everything, double mastectomy, complete reconstruction, maybe removal of ovaries, chemo and radiation or nothing.  Find a breast cancer support group and go to a meeting or call the coordinator ASAP.  Sign up for the look good feel better class from the cancer society, you may get a free wig you like (if you need one) instead of paying for it, although many insurances cover up to around $250, mine didn't.  I looked at each doctor and said, OK, 5 year statistics don't work for me, I need 20, my youngest is 7.  Unfortunately some of these drugs are so new, they just don't have that info.  I liked the following books for my kids, I got them from my library, or went to the state resource and they shipped them in from other libraries.  Read all books first, to see if they go with your parenting style.  My mom had cancer when I was 10, in the 1970's, no one talked about it, it scared me to death.  So I went the other route, we talk about it all the time, do go away cancer dances, talk about how laughing helps speed the healing process, I even let them pull clumps of my hair out, on day 17 of chemo, when it was coming out badly.  

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Medicine-Julie-Aigner-Clark/dp/B0058M5JM4/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1GC3TYHXDPZ3P2N6RTG6

http://www.amazon.com/Nowhere-Hair-Explains-cancer-children/dp/0984359109/ref=pd_sim_b_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=1GC3TYHXDPZ3P2N6RTG6 LOVED, talks about losing your hair, and the little girl hunts everywhere for her moms hair.

http://www.amazon.com/Mom-Polka-Dot-Boo-Boo-Eileen-Sutherland/dp/0944235875/ref=pd_sim_b_6?ie=UTF8&refRID=1GC3TYHXDPZ3P2N6RTG6

http://www.amazon.com/Whats-Up-Bridgets-Mom-Medikidz/dp/1604430214/ref=sr_1_24?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408832433&sr=1-24&keywords=childrens+books+breast+cancer We haven't read this, but it seems to be one of many about different types of cancer. I volunteer at the elem. school library, and they cannot keep graphic novels on the shelves, they are always checked out, by 3rd-5th graders, so might be good resource.

http://www.amazon.com/Goes-Light-Irene-Aparici-Martin/dp/8415503202/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408832586&sr=1-1&keywords=mom+goes+to+war This is the one I talked about, where the red and white blood cells are soldiers and the cancer are the 'bad guys'. The children are two boys, and I think the parents may be divorced, as they talk about you might have to live in the Kings lands for a while, while mommy fights, but both the king and queen (breast cancer) talk to the children together.  

Hi there! I'm sorry you have reason to be here. Congratulations on your marriage and your babies!!!  I was 46 at the time of diagnosis back in March. While I'm done having babies, I had just brought home our newest daughter via adoption. 

I also have IDC (see my signature for all the details) Originally I was told this was going to be, "Just a lumpectomy and radiation." no chemo needed. But I can't take tamoxifen and my oncotype came back giving me a 25% chance of recurrence. Too high for me to be comfortable. Chemo was a coin toss for me (I'm in an intermediate group where its not known of chemo is beneficial or not.) I opted to have chemo. I just finished that 5 weeks ago.  My insurance will not approve BRCA testing for me because I have no family history. Very frustrating. 

I decided that instead of radiation I am going to have a BMX with immediate reconstruction and nipple sparing. This would not be possible after rads. Because my nodes were clear my doctors agree that I don't need to have rads if I'm having the BMX. 

It really is hard to make all these decisions sometimes. I wish someone would just say, "You must have a mastectomy!" Things would be so much easier. 

I have several real life friends who have had bmx and immediate recon. After lumpectomy my cancer breast looks perfectly normal except for two pencil-line scars (one from the lmx and one from the sentinel node biopsy) Although 7 cm was taken in order to get clear margins I did not loose any volume. 

I had a tummy tuck 5 years ago and my plastic surgeon also does breast recon with the surgeon who did my lmx, so that's the team I'll be using. I really like both of them. 

For chemo I had Taxotere + Cytoxin. That regimen is every 21 days for four rounds. I made the mistake of thinking "Oh, only 4 rounds. Piece of cake." Ummm no… I'll leave those details for another time.  For women who's cancer has gone into the nodes, they usually get a different protocol that lasts much longer. 

Have you had a sentinel node biopsy yet? A lot will depend upon those results.