Please help me understand IDC

So sorry that you are going through this but you have come to a great place for information, resources, and support.

It would be highly unlikely that your tumor "grew" between your mammogram and MRI. Each imaging test can reveal different things.

My experience was that the "size" detected was bigger with the ultrasound. My MRI revealed more still. My surgeon, a breast cancer specialist, could not ascertain from the imaging if the additional area revealed on the MRI was all part of the same tumor mass. She thoroughly explained that it wa possible with the final pathology that we would be looking at a much larger tumor if it was all one mass or two separate areas that would not be sized together.

As it ended up - the final pathology did not reveal that there was a much larger tumor of IDC. The other area was not "added" because it was not part of that tumor.

The waiting can be very difficult for most. For me, I had my boys coming home from college, Christmas & New Years holidays, and meetings with my medical team including setting up immediate reconstruction once we had the MRI results and before my surgery. Time both flew and stood still - which I was quite greatful for.

Try to keep busy. Do things for yourself that you enjoy. Hold your loved ones close and lean into your support system if you need to. Being active now will help with your recovery - so if you regularly exercise, keep at it. If not, and you can work in some time for getting in some walking - it will be to your benefit.

Gentle hugs!

Diana

great journey

I had an mri and ultrasound in July and an mri in August. The 9mm became a 1.7cm. I was hoping it was just tough to see the little guy. Surgery at the end of September (because they wouldn't believe me that I felt it was growing because the ki67 number was low) the tumor was 2.5 cm.

So I'd say keep advocating for yourself. I called often trying to get the surgery date moved up to no avail and I tried to remain peaceful as to not agrevate the cancer. Sorry to hear about your situation.

Hi Mariz, I thought I'd share my experience so it all won't seem so scary. I had a unilateral mastectomy with sentinel node sampling. The preop part was like any other surgery. They put an IV in your arm or hand, take blood tests, check your vital signs. After getting into the gown I then put on a 2nd gown which is known as a Bair Hugger; it is attached to the wall with a hose and blows warm air into the gown. Wonderful. The surgeon and anesthesiologist both make appearances and draw on your skin with markers. An OR nurse wheels your bed to surgery and you let them all transfer you to the table (narrow) and then they put you out with an injection into your IV and you sleep immediately. I didn't have reconstruction done. I remember waking up in my room on the surgical floor although my family said I talked to them and the doctor in recovery. Good drugs. They put you in a surgical bra over the bandages to keep things snug and you will have wound drains taped or pinned to your bra. I wasn't bothered by those but some people are. They look like clear plastic grenades and slowly fill with yellowish-red blood as your wound drains and heals. Kind of like menstrual blood in appearance. The nurses take care of them while you stay in the hospital and teach you how to empty them b4 you go home. No big deal. For me I didn't have much pain, it was more a feeling of tightness under my arm as the incision is quite wide and there was swelling. The breast can be blue in color from the dye they inject to map the lymph nodes and you'll pee blue for a day or two. You get to order room service and watch TV and sleep. The anesthesia makes you dopey for a while so reading didn't work out for me. When you have visitors stay too long just close your eyes and sleep. I stayed overnight (no recon) and had a 1-hour car ride home. I was tired and slept when I got home. Ice packs helped with underarm pain and I took a couple Tylenol the first couple days. I felt like myself again at 1 week but would have a nap most afternoons for a good month. Mostly the incision felt tight, not painful. The drains came out at 10 days in my first postop visit and then I could stop wearing that surgical bra too. Slowly I healed. At 6 weeks postop I flew to Atlanta to attend my son's wedding. I danced twice with my husband and held up pretty well although I couldn't wear the strapless dress I had originally bought before life happened. I'm 7 months out now and have no lymphedema (3 nodes removed) or pain. The scar is fading. I hope this is helpful. I'll pray for you too. You'll do fine. We ladies are tough.