Diagnosed after Very First mammogram

Options
Blessed_1
Blessed_1 Member Posts: 7
edited August 2015 in Share Your Experiences Of Life After A Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Hello,

I'm so thankful to have found this community. I've been on an unbelievable emotional roller coaster. I'm a believer and sometimes feel ashamed that I worry. I'm 37 years old. My gynecologist ordered my first mammo at 35 and the insurance co called and cancelled. They don't pay until you're 40.

At the time I didn't know that there was a family history of breast cancer and that I could legally insist.

Fast forward to now (2 years later) I start feeling odd pains that I hadn't felt before in the breast that I "sort of" questioned in the past because of the "lumpiness" but then I thought it was just the usual normal, dense tissue that I've had in my larger breasts. The lumpy tissue felt the same on both sides but the pain was in only one.

Mid-March this year, I make an appointment with gynecologist just to "make sure everything's alright". I get scared and cancel. The very day I cancel my appointment a high school classmate creates a closed FB page to share her "Personal Journey". There she shares with a group of loved ones that she's been diagnosed and will have a mastectomy and chemo. I was sad, felt silly for being scared and empowered all at the same time. I made another appointment. This time I actually make it (end of March). The gynecologist says he can feel what I'm referring to and that it's probably "just a cyst or something". I speak to my Mom who now remembers that her grandmother had BC. I tell gynecologist.

I go a day later to radiology. They say we're going to do a mammo and if needed an ultrasound. Once they called me back into another room for the ultrasound I felt that there was some kind of issue. The ultrasound was painful. After I clean up after ultrasound the doc comes in and tells me I have two "irregular" growths shown on ultrasound that are hiding behind growths explained to me as fibroadenoma. I immediately start crying and then quickly dry my tears. Searching for a bright spot and thinking "thank God for the pain". I may not have gone if the cysts did not cause pain. Right after that thankful moment, I walk out in shock. Cry again in the car, get scared, then angry, then scared, then depressed. Worried about my 3 children (17, 10 and 6). I felt completely in the land of the unknown and I didn't like it.

Between that day and now I've had what feels like a million appointments. The wait, the back and forth, the attempting to retain information after consultations when I'm out of my mind, working out issues with insurance, being diagnosed a week before starting a new job (4/27/15) have all been frustrating while still accepting that yes, you've been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. And yes, you MUST decide what procedure you're going to have even though there's a small difference of reoccurrence rate no matter which procedure is chosen.

So I made the decision on the lumpectomy. After biopsies, MRIs and consultations, my surgery has been scheduled for July 20th. It feels like years have gone by from March 31st to today and this is really only the beginning.

Thank you for allowing me to share. It's such a blessing and breath of fresh air to be in a community with others who know what it's like and can share helpful insight. God bless everyone.


· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

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

    Dear Blessed _1, Welcome to the BCO community. We appreciate your sharing your story with us and everyone who reads here. We wish you the best success and a quick recovery with your surgery. You may want to consider posting in some other forums. We find that typically people post in this forum after treatment has ended. You may want to connect with others who are just starting out. If so check out some of the topics in the Just Diagnosed Forum or Surgery Sisters. Regardless of where you post we hope that you will connect with others for support and information. It is great to have you here. The Mods

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Englishmummy
    Englishmummy Member Posts: 337
    edited July 2015


    Welcome Blessed,

    Breastcancer.org is indeed a breath of fresh air, a light in a dark and scary time....hold on to that light and stay bright.

    I was diagnosed on my first mammogram (May 20th, 2015), but I had also felt a lump. Turns out mine was Bi-lateral BC.... no family history, no real risk factors (other than being female and 40). I was blown away. My children are 8,10 & 12, they have handled it better than I could ever have expected - children are truly amazing and oh so resilient.

    You are so right, all those appointments, more than I think I have had my entire life. All those decisions, all that information - plus the 'do-gooders' that may mean well but, have no idea about what you are going through. I totally agree it is overwhelming and I don't work outside the house.....I only took fish oil and vitamin D to this point....I think sharing your story is the start of the healing, getting it out there....reaching others that know what you feel and don't judge.

    For me having a plan in place and acting upon it was a great mind set: fast forward 5 weeks. I had a NSBMX on June 10 and I am 'lucky' enough to not have chemo at this point, just Tamoxifen. I am healing great - physically I feel better than I imagined, I have always been really fit and active : emotionally - each day gets a tiny bit better....things are changed but still 'normal'. I so love normal...Now I can breath and cope, not every minute but more and more minutes, more and more hours at a time, in a day. No more Dr's appointments until October (I don't count the PS appts for recon.) so I have a sense of calm.

    Hang in there, everyone on here says it gets better and I believe them. You are so strong and so brave.

    Extending a virtual hand to hold.

    Laura x

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Tresjoli2
    Tresjoli2 Member Posts: 868
    edited July 2015

    I am so right there with you. I turned 40 and went for my annual physical. Doc said that since I have dense breasts good idea to get a baseline mammo, and I shouldn't be worried because the false positive rate is so high. Go for mammo. Doesn't look right. Go for second mammo. Doesn't look right. Go for biopsy. I went from celebrating my 40th to cancer in 3 weeks.

    It will get better once you have a plan, I promise. You will go into active mode.

    If you have started a new job, please check that you don't have a probation period for your benefits. Make sure you sign up on time. And find out what your companies short term and long term disability plans are because you won't qualify for FMLA if it's a new employer.

    Keep us posted, and please post your diagnosis when you have it. It will help us answer your questions.

    Hugs!


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Blessed_1
    Blessed_1 Member Posts: 7
    edited July 2015

    Thanks Mods on the insight. I feel so comforted. It is hard but not being alone makes it so much easier to cope. :)

    I will check out the other forums.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Blessed_1
    Blessed_1 Member Posts: 7
    edited July 2015

    Thanks Mods on the insight. I feel so comforted. It is hard but not being alone makes it so much easier to cope. :)

    I will check out the other forums.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Blessed_1
    Blessed_1 Member Posts: 7
    edited July 2015

    Thanks sooo much Englishmummy and Tresjoli2. Wow are our stories similar. Feeling the much needed virtual hugs and sending them and prayers for strength right back to you.

    Im going to learn how to properly use this thing. :)

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Englishmummy
    Englishmummy Member Posts: 337
    edited July 2015

    Blessed, keep in touch and let us know how you're progressing. Great advice on the job front, Tresjoli. Stay strong and know your far more courageous than you think you are. Xoxo

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • AnniebNJ
    AnniebNJ Member Posts: 33
    edited July 2015

    Hello there! I was diagnosed with my first mammo as well. I have always put off annual exams, doesnt matter if it's with my primary, gyno, I dont go unless I have an issue. So in October of last year, I turned 50. I thought, well, I havent seen the gyno in about 6 years, I should go. All is well, no problems, breast exam is routine, he scolds me for not coming in sooner, doesnt understand why I didn't get a mammo with the script he gave me last time and gives me another one. It sits in a drawer for 3 months until I thought, well, let's get this done. Appointment on a Thursday in March, over weekend hubby says, 'Oh, the radiologist called twice on Friday, forgot to tell you.'. I'm not thinking anything is wrong, maybe they didnt get a good shot. I forget about it, they call me Monday to come back in, I go the next night. Radiologist tells me, looks like breast cancer, we can biopsy right now. Um, what???????? I was blindsided. They call my gyno for a script for the biopsy, gyno calls my cell and tells me to leave. He says I need someone to talk to before rushing into the biopsy. He saved me.

    I know procrastination is a terrible thing, however in my case I got 'lucky'. I know how I was, if I had a mammo last year, or even the year before, perhaps nothing could have been seen and I know I wouldnt have gone back this year. I would have waited, and instead of a 1.7cm tumor at stage 1, who knows what the situation would have been.

    I just finished rads yesterday (yay!), now off to tamoxifen fun on Monday. :)

    I hope your journey through this nightmare goes smoothly. Big hugs.

    Anne


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Englishmummy
    Englishmummy Member Posts: 337
    edited July 2015


    Anne, Congrats on finishing your rads....I am about to jump on the T fun train...not sure if I'll be brave and just do it tomorrow and risk ruining the 'last' weekend for the family, or just wait 'til Monday since they suck anyways.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Blessed_1
    Blessed_1 Member Posts: 7
    edited August 2015

    Hi all,

    Thanks so much again for the support. I've been recovering from surgery only to be told at a follow up appt (right when I was feeling somewhat functional besides major drainage) that I will need another surgery. Pathology test showed that more tissue needs to be removed than they removed during the lumpectomy. I was officially diagnosed Stage 1 (very small tumors and other factors noted on a "fact sheet").

    I feel so overwhelmed and ready to get back to life. Now. I know that's not realistic but that's what I want. I do know that I'm blessed and that my situation could've been soooo much worse.

    Is it normal for the doc to have to "go back in" and remove more tissue? I'm getting pressure from my family to go to another facility and it's mentally and emotionally weighing on me. *sigh*


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Tresjoli2
    Tresjoli2 Member Posts: 868
    edited August 2015

    Blessed - the current standard I believe is that they want to see 1mm margins. If you have less than that, then they have to go back in. It happens more often than you may think. I'm so sorry that you are having to face another surgery. The Lumpectomy Lounge on this board is a great place for support and for advice from the LX team there. HUGS.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Blessed_1
    Blessed_1 Member Posts: 7
    edited August 2015

    Thanks so much Tres! Such a comfort. Can't tell you how much. I will head to the lounge.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Blessed_1
    Blessed_1 Member Posts: 7
    edited August 2015

    Thanks for sharing your story Annie. It's so comforting to know that I'm not alone. The shock and mental and emotional strain can be as bad if not worst than the physical.Prayers for us all and (((hugs))) to you as you continue through your journey.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories