Just diagnosed... Terrified!

banderso, sorry you have had to join this club that no one wants to belong to. My tumor was about the same size as yours (also grade 2 IDC) but I did not have any lymph node involvement. Everyone is a little bit different but once I received the news after the biopsy, I had an MRI of both breasts to get a better idea of what was actually there. I then met with the surgeon (same day actually) and we discussed what my options were. My advice is to stay off google. It is not your friend. Take some deep breaths and try to relax (easier said than done, I know). The waiting is really the hardest part. I know I felt much better once I had met with the surgeon and had a plan on how to proceed.

Good luck!

I'm so sorry you had to join this club. It really is terrifying. I cried all the time in those first weeks because I was so scared and I knew nothing really about breast cancer. Waiting is the worst. Your team of doctors along with you will come up with the best plan possible on how to proceed.

In the meantime, there are a few things you can do while you wait. You can a) make sure your insurance covers the doctors you are planning to see b) line up a second opinion now with another respected breast surgeon and/or medical oncologist. If you haven't already, one of these should be with a National Cancer Center. c)identify local cancer support organizations- they may have support groups or offer therapies like massage and acupuncture. Also you can call the social worker at the hospital where you will see the Breast Surgeon.

I was initially told my insurance would cover Dana Farber in Boston, but then they wouldn't. But I found I could switch to Beth Israel- a sister Harvard institution with doctors who do research with DF, if I switched my primary PCP there.. And that is what I did. And it was great.

You may already have done all this.

Coming here is a great place to start. I wish I had when I was first diagnosed. The doctors say stay away from the web, but they don't mean this site. You will find community, companionship, comfort and hope for every step of the way, beginning today.

Big Hugs.

I was diagnosed with IDC Grade 2 last week, so I'm pretty much where you are!

I just had my first appointment with a surgeon today. She told me that it's very likely I'd have to have surgery, chemo, radiation???, hormone therapy. I'm debating in which order. Chemo would shrink my 3cm tumor a bit so lumpectomy MIGHT (or not) be smaller... but friends worry that it might mess up the staging that is done by surgery, or might delay surgery due to complications... I'm going to talk to the Breast Cancer Coordinator (RN) tomorrow to see what she says. Maybe make an appointment to see an oncologist, since they know about the chemo part... But not sure if I should skip that and go straight to surgery!

I'm still thinking lumpectomy, since the surgeon said it didn't matter which (lump- or mastec-) I chose, and said surgery for lumpectomy was easier to recover from, but then I would need radiation treatments for the rest of the breast, just to make sure no cancer would come from there (although I still hear it can happen??? SO CONFUSING!).

I think what next for most people is what I just had-- surgery appointment. The doctor should be able to tell you what your choices are and answer general and surgical questions. Most people seem to have surgery first in order to actually remove the tumor and test to see if the margins are clear--and to check lymph nodes.

But I hear some people get more tests like an MRI.

Oh, and you should try and get your biopsy pathology. They test for all that ER/PR/HER2 stuff, which can determine treatments... but your surgeon will have it and talk to you about it, if you don't have time to get it yourself (that's what happened to me--Thanksgiving holidays got in the way and my surgical appointment came up before I could get the report, so I just got mine from the doctor, then).

Or see an oncologist also to discuss that aspect (although maybe that's not important until AFTER you find out the results of the surgery???).

--You can see I'm pretty confused about what comes next, myself!!!! I'm just going to keep talking with doctors until I figure out what is the best route for me, I guess...

Good luck and best wishes!

I was diagnosed today. Unsure of staging until after surgery, but they said probably 1-2. I am scared too. My surgical consult is Monday. Talk to me if you need too. I can use the support of others as well.

Kristin

Thank you! I want to lend my support where I can too as well as make friends that can support me. A nice happy circle of support!