I Need Reassurance Badly
I am scared to death. I was diagnosed last Thursday with IDC (1.2cm, Estrogen and Progesterone Positive, and Her 2 Negative). I just need to know that this treatable, and I will live. I have a thirteen-year-old son and husband. I am about to throw up worrying about this because I am so scared I am going to die. Please reassure me.
Comments
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Breathe deeply, my dear. If there a good breast cancer Estrogen and progesterone positive is that. It's very treatable. You also have a small tumor. Hopefully you'll only need surgery and then anti hormonal therapy afterwards-a tiny pill.
Last data I read said 100% of us Er+ gals w/o lymph node involvement are still here after five years. Not bad odds I'd say.
Breathe. It will be easier to handle over time. If you need, your doctors can prescribe anti anxiety meds to help you through this difficult pretreatment time.
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Breathe, and keep asking questions. As doxie says, so far, so good. Find a thread or two that pertains to you (like a September surgery thread) an until you feel calmer, stick to it--I found poking around on this site intolerable until I knew what applied to me and what didn't. You'll get through this!
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The shock of the news is hard. You don't say when you will have your first appointment with a nurse navigator or surgeon, but likely it is soon. At this point, it may help to just write down all the questions you have for them. Once a plan is in place and your questions addressed, you'll have a better understanding of what's happening to you. Just don't do a general information search for breast cancer on the Internet. Everyone is different and you need to focus on your specifics and the options the medical professionals give you.
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I'm 81/2 years out. The 'year of cancer' (surgery, chemo, radiation, recovery) was very tough, but I came out on the other side and am really, truly, not only okay, but great! Hang in there. You are in the worst part now, once you get a treatment plan in place, you just do it and get it over with.
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I'm ER+/PR+/HER2-, stage 2 IDC, 1.7 cm + DCIS in both breasts, 1 node +, bilateral mastectomy without reconstruction, chemo, just finishing radiation, and I actually feel pretty good. It's been a long haul, but really okay, and I'm looking forward to just popping a Tamoxifen every day and settling in for the next 40 years.
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98765-
We want to welcome you to our community here at BCO. We're sorry for what brings you here, we know how hard the first days and weeks after diagnosis can be. Like others have said, try to remain calm, take a deep breath, and take it one day at a time. This is the hardest part! Once you get a treatment plan in place, you'll start to feel much more in control. Use these boards and rely on us for support, that's what we're here for!
The Mods
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Hi 98765,
I too was diagnosed with IDC and also 1.2cm, Estrogen and Progesterone Positive, and Her 2 Negative. This was back in April, and I too was terrified. I did a lot of research and when I met with my radiation doctor, he told me that if I was going to have breast cancer, this was the best scenario and that it is the most treatable breast cancer to have (80% of women I was told are diagnosed with this). I had surgery in April, and radiation completed 3 weeks ago. I feel good and on my way back to health. I have recently been spending a lot of time on working on my health overall, I thought I was healthy but there is always room for improvement. So, between positive mental imaging, and healthy choices, I feel like this is an opportunity to really focus on what my body/mind/spirit need. Just be sure to take some gentle time for yourself, its hard to think straight but take time out for YOU. Being gentle with yourself and not pushing to hard can be very helpful. This website is also incredibly wonderful with so many amazing women helping each other. Wishing you all the best, please be sure to stay in touch here and let us know how you are doing. Hugs!!
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It is so good to hear from someone that has my exact same situation. I went to Duke Wednesday and that was one of the hardest days of my life. I am literally paralyzed with fear. However, the doctors did seem very reassuring. Right now they are thinking of doing a lumpectomy, four weeks of radiation, and hormonal therapy. They don't think I will need chemo, but that will be based on my brac1 and brac2 results, my oncotype, and my lymph nodes. My lymph nodes were clear on the ultrasound from a couple of weeks ago. I know that is not 100% accurate until they check them in surgery, but I am holding on to hope that that is a good sign. The main thing I am worried about is the word invasive. I know they said I caught it early and everything, but the oncologist did say there is a chance it could have spread. That makes me so scared. I do feel so blessed to have caught it early and to be at Duke. God is good! Did you have any chemo? Are you going to need hormone therapy? I feel tight in my chest around the mass, even though it can't be felt at this point because it is still so small. It is probably nerves. The oncologist assured me it would not make a difference to wait four weeks, but I am so ready to get this over with and worried it might spread.
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this is the hardest part-- waiting for the little pieces of information that will round out the picture (which seems pretty good).... Like others, I am almost 7 years out-- invasive ILC--- and I am doing great-- rarely do I think of it-- but when I was where you were, all I could think of was cancer. And, if chemo is on the table (get the oncotype) you will be able to do it-- I honestly remember almost nothing about it except that I got up, went to work every day, took care of my kids (12 and 7) and just muscled through it.. you are way stronger than you think.... I consider myself a total badass now.... nothing really bothers me!!!! It is a great life--- and you are getting good care..... get some ativan or xanax to help you through this hard time, get the support you need then kick cancer's @#$%!
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I, too, was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma. ER-/PR+/ Her2-.
I, too, had the terror, panic, anxiety, hopelessness and such.
I spent a lot of time on forums such as this. I spent a lot of time listening to Bernie Siegel audiobooks.
I spent a lot of time researching my treatment options. In addition to lumpectomy with radiation versus single or double mastectomy, there is also the treatment that I had just this past Tuesday, 8-25-15 -- lumpectomy and intraoperative radiotherapy.
I knew I didn't want whole breast radiation. I was searching online and learned of a treatment I'd never heard of before. It is called intraoperative radiotherapy. My breast surgeon is one of the pioneers of the procedure (see attached link).
Essentially, I had a lumpectomy, then the radiation therapist administered 20 minutes of radiotherapy direct to the tumor bed in surgery. Please have your friend review the link below. I was terrified of whole breast radiation, yet equally terrified of single or double mastectomy. I am immensely grateful for IORT. If you google "IORT breast" and the city you're in, you may find breast surgeons and centers that do this. Here is my breast surgeon:
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hello sweetie, mostof us had the same feeling, but we are here for u, and you are not alone in this,i remember feeling and saying to mom, friend and Fiancee,yes i was making weddingplans when i found thelump came out of nowhere,you can get thru this with our help, for Inspiration, i am a 21 yr Survivor(Praise GOD), having HOPE, my Faith and most of all for me stayin Positive, went to sleep after meds(activan) saying, "i will live", hang in there sweetie. msphil(idc,stage2, 0/3 nodes, L mast, chemo and rads and 5 yrs on tamoxifen)
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