Diagnosed at 35 - trying to stay positive

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ERNurse21
ERNurse21 Member Posts: 15
edited February 2015 in Just Diagnosed

Hi all. My mom, who has stage IV invasive macropapillary carcinoma, suggested this site to me. Because of strong family history I was to go for a baseline mammogram last month (I'm 35y old). Long story short, they found a suspicious mass on my right breast. The needle biopsy results came back yesterday and it is invasive ductile carcinoma. I'm meeting with my breast surgeon next week to discuss next steps.

I am divorced with two daughters (13 & 9). I will be getting the BRCA testing as well. In a strange way I feel a little better now that I know what I'm dealing with. I am a trauma nurse and as such I like to have a plan of action as I feel that helps me to react quickly and efficiently to ever-changing situations & challenges. The good news, at least as I see it, is that we seem to have caught it early and that it is relatively small (1.3cm). We'll see where we are after the excisional biopsy. Trying to stay positive and find some wins for now!

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  • ml143333
    ml143333 Member Posts: 658
    edited February 2015

    ERNurse - so sorry you have to deal with this, but you are in the right place here.  You can come here for information, solace, or whatever you need.  Take the time to get all the information you need regarding your treatment and go from there.  Just remember to breathe...

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  • new2bc
    new2bc Member Posts: 559
    edited February 2015

    ERNurse21,

    I am very sorry you had to join us but your mom suggested a very good place for you to get support. I suggest you do some homework and learn about your type of cancer before you meet the breast surgeon. Write all your questions and take someone with you if possible to take notes. This way, you can understand more when the breast surgeon talks and I am sure if will be easier for you since you are a nurse. I would ask the breast surgeon if you can get an MRI and make sure your insurance covers it. The result of BRCA test will take some time to get so ask them to do it right away so you can make a wise decision about your surgery. I wish you the best of luck.

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  • Beachbum1023
    Beachbum1023 Member Posts: 1,417
    edited February 2015

    ERNurse, Welcome, and I hope you visit the threads often. You will find an incredible amount of love and support here. The info is real time, and I would think as nurse you will be able to ask all the right questions. Keep us posted, and join the other threads as well. Good Luck, I hope you have good news.

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  • mdg
    mdg Member Posts: 3,571
    edited February 2015


    Welcome to our club...sorry you are a member though!   You will find great support and information here.  You came to the right place.  The beginning is the hardest part.  Once you have a treatment plan and start moving forward it somehow gets a little easier.  Best of luck to you!  Stay positive!

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  • sweetbean
    sweetbean Member Posts: 1,931
    edited February 2015

    Hey there ERNurse! So sorry to hear that you are joining our club. I was diagnosed just after my 37th birthday with a tumor that was 5 x 4.5 x 3 cm (Eeeeek!) Plus lymph nodes that were 1.9 and 1.3 - and those were the ones they could see easily. I did ACT + Herceptin, a BMX, and radiation. Almost four and half years later, I am still NED - I hope that my age and diagnosis give you some hope. The first month after diagnosis is the hardest, but then it gets easier once you start treatment. Hang in there!

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited February 2015

    ERNurse-

    We want to welcome you to our community here at BCO. We're so sorry for what brings you here, but we're glad you've found us, and hope you find this to be a place of support when you need it most.

    Our forums are vast and full of lots of great people and information. We put together important links for our members who've just been diagnosed, which you can find here: https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/5/topic/8.... You may also want to take some time to read through our IDC forum: https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/96 and our Young With BC forum: https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/27. Lots of information in both, and you can connect with other members in your shoes.

    Please let us know if we can be of any assistance.

    The Mods

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  • Cammychris
    Cammychris Member Posts: 99
    edited February 2015

    ERnurse I was 34 at time of DX. I can talk any time. I just finished up chemo in December and I have to tell you know matter what, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Take care. Chrissy


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  • ERNurse21
    ERNurse21 Member Posts: 15
    edited February 2015

    Thanks everyone! This site has been very helpful so far. I'm learning more about my dx in order to be better prepared for my surgery & oncology consults. The thing I'm trying not to obsess over is maintaining my nursing job during treatment as I am a single mom and the only source of income/insurance. It's really the unknowns that make me the most batty. Just keep reminding myself to breathe & take it one step at a time.

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  • MAMiller32
    MAMiller32 Member Posts: 2
    edited February 2015

    Hi All, I'm new here. I'm 34 and having to deal with this. I was just diagnosed last month with breast cancer. As of right now my treatment is taking tamoxifen. As of right now, my surgeon/oncologist does not think that I will have to have chemotherapy or radiation. She told me that I caught it very early, that I have stage 0. I know that my mother is just venting her anger about the diagnosis, but she has told me that its my fault that I have cancer, if I had just exorcized more, if I had eaten healthier....etc. I'm just trying to live my life normally as if I dont have to worry about thids.

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited February 2015

    Hello MAMIller,

    Welcome to the BCO boards.

    We're so sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis, it must be tough to get your head around everything and the community is here to help and support you along the way.

    You might find this thread helpful for information and support while taking Tamoxifen.

    Bottle O Tamoxifen

    Sending gentle hugs your way,

    The mods

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  • Damselfly
    Damselfly Member Posts: 62
    edited February 2015

    Hi MAMiller, Welcome to the group and sorry you are here.

    I'm also sorry (and a little bit angry) that your Mom even thinks about blaming you for your cancer. It's a roll of the dice and you will find loads of women on these boards who exercised, ate right, did everything right and still got cancer. The thing that you DID do is to be the ball enough to get checked out early and find the cancer at an early stage so good for you. Listen to negative people if you feel you can, but your number one job right now is to take care of you and that includes tuning out bad energy when you can and staying strong. You've found a great group for support and information and hopefully will just kick that cancer to the curb!

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  • msphil
    msphil Member Posts: 1,536
    edited February 2015

    Stay Positive sweetie, it definitly helped me thru,i was younger also, and making wedding plans to my now husband, when i found the lump, got my cry out, then decided its time to fight, iamnow a 21 yr Survivor(Praise GOD) msphil(idc,stage2.0/3 nodes, L mast, chemo and rads and 5 yrs on tamoxifen)

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