Dx'd IDC w/ other health & life issues :(

wow..you have a lot going on right now...but try not to get to overwhelmed, once you see your surgeon on Monday a lot of your questions will be answered.

I did not have radiation or chemo. I had ILC and it was small and I had no node involvement. If you decide to have a lumpectomy, you will have radiation. It all depends on your tumor size and if there is any node involvement whether you have chemo and/or radiation after or before a mastectomy. I had my mastectomy 34 days after diagnosis. But again it would probably depend on the aggressiveness of your tumor. But a lot of people don't have surgery right away. The recovery for a mastectomy varies from person to person..I would say I could have done a desk job 4 weeks out from surgery. But any kind of physical labor would have been longer. I had a SNB, BMX and tissue expanders placed at time of surgery and my range of motion wasn't back to normal for at least a month.

I don't know about the MRI question but someone will know...

Good luck on Monday!

So here's a few questions/issues

-I have rods,screws, and a metal plate in my neck from a previous surgery so I cannot have MRI. What else can be used to look further before surgery.

Hi, Allicat!

I have no metal in my body, but I never had an MRI to diagnose my IDC. The Radiologist depended on diagnostic mammograms (more detailed than screening mammos), ultrasounds, ultrasound-guided core needle biopsies, and a ductogram.

-I had complete hysterectomy in 2011. I had fibroids on one ovary and in my uterus but I elected to have both ovaries removed because I had problems differentiating between Crohn's pain and female pain, so I wanted it all out. I did take hormones for a while after but have been off all hormones for 2 years now. And had my last mammo since going off ....

I was on BC pills my whole life, went through menopause, then had a complete hysterectomy for fibroids. Did ten years on hormone replacement therapy. Any cause-and-effect to my breast cancer? Who knows. Sometimes BC is just a crap shoot.

-I just started a new job and worked exactly one week. Not sure what they will do as far as me needing time off for tests, surgery recovery etc. I saw that lumpectomy recovery is a few days. What about for masectomy?

We are all SOOOO different! Some women with bilateral mastectomies recover fairly quickly, while some with lumpectomies might take longer than others. Those who have MX plus reconstruction may take a longer time to heal. You just can't predict these things, especially since you're not sure what you will be having done.

-Do most people end up needing radiation and/or chemo?

Hard to say. I had IDC, a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction, and an SNB. There was no evidence of cancer in my lymph nodes and my tumors (multifocal) were small. I did not need chemo or radiation. You probably won't know the answer to this until ALL the information has been gathered. There are tests that can be done indicating the need/benefit of both.

-I was in the process of leaving my husband and actually moving out within the next 3 weeks. He is an alcoholic and is verbally abusive. I know that many of my health issues are likely a result of living with him for 31 years. I have already been approved for a little apartment and I can't wait to get there so I can have peace as I face this battle.

I am sorry you are in the process of leaving a marriage – that is never easy, no matter how bad the circumstances are, and now you have some additional challenges to face while you are doing this. But – you are making the most MENTALLY HEALTHY change by having the courage to leave… and this could greatly impact your recovery. What we all try to do is minimize stress during this crazy time. So glad your mom can come help out.

Would there be any type of IDC that would require immediate surgery or would 30-45 days until surgery be reasonable? I can have my mother come stay with me.

My IDC was dx'd in September 2011, and because of scheduling difficulties at the hospital (first surgery date) and me getting sick (second surgery date) I didn't have my surgery until December 2011 – three months later. But remember – my tumors were small and there was no lymph node involvement. My immunohistochemistry (IHC) report showed that this was not a particularly aggressive cancer.

Anyway, any guidance to particular pages here would be most helpful.

Like others have said, there is so much you don't know yet. You will be getting a boatload of information on Monday when you meet your surgeon. Be sure to take a list of questions and paper to take notes, and if you think an extra set of ears would help, take a friend along.

I'm sorry about your dx, but SO glad you found us! This is a place of support, information, healing, and – yes – laughter.

As far as guiding you to relevant pages, I would start with the BCO main page…. Lots of good information there.

Once you have seen your surgeon, and have some specifics, I hope you will come back here and update us, so we can suggest helpful threads.

And in the meantime? Find something you love to do and do it. Stay busy. Monday will be here soon enough. Nothing will change in two days.

Wishing you peace until you see your doctor. It really does help to have a plan. At that point, you'll just take things one day at a time, with a bunch of wonderful women here to help you along your path.

Not everyone gets an MRI. My BS(breast surgeon) sent me for one after my cancer was found in my right breast. She told me that I was an impossible breast exam & mammograms weren't helpful due to very dense breasts.

I'm almost positive you can have a CT/PET scan with "metal". I had this after surgery at the recommendation of the tumor board. It was to look for more advanced disease after 2 sentinal nodes came back positive. Perhaps you'll get this as part of your journey.

Good luck,