I am scared

Eh, IDC doesn't grow that fast. I was diagnosed with an aggressive variant of IDC (HER2+ that was grade 3) in late June 2014. But, I didn't have my first neoadjuvant (pre-surgery) chemo until the third week of July 2014. Nothing really changed during that month. The lump was still big (5 cm.) and one node was still implicated. That month was very useful -- I got my port; I had an MRI; I had a PET scan; I got a heart scan. By the time chemo rolled around, I knew the situation and was ready to begin my treatment.

Take your time; IDC has probably been in your body for awhile. Nothing is going to change in a week.

Ashley, I know you are scared (we all were when diagnosed) but waiting until the 5th of January (just Tuesday next week) doesn't seem long. Waiting is the hardest part, but in this instance I think it will be worth it, in order to have more information, and to have a breast specialist evaluate your situation. Take deep breaths. Tuesday will be here before you know it.

One thing you could do: call the breast surgeon's office and ask if a MRI is recommended and if it is possible to schedule that between now and your appointment (honestly, it may not be given that Friday is a holiday). Having the MRI done while you wait would be helpful if possible.

Hugs and best to you.

Octogirl

I also agree with everyone here. You should have a team review your tests and come up with a game plan. Medical oncologist, breast surgeon and an oncologist radiologist.

I just got the call yesterday after my core biopsy on 12/22. I have been diagnosed with IDC grade 3, ERPR+, Her-2 neg and a small area of DCIS. I am meeting with a team(same as mentioned above) Jan 6th. I was told that I will have more testing(scans) and lumpectomy to determine the stage and further details. She said to prepare for more surgery in the next 2 weeks and that may include a mastectomy. But you need more info to see if this can be treated with chemo or hormonal therapy before jumping the gun and getting a mastectomy right from the start.

Can you access your reports online? If so, do that and come back here and share. Sounds like you may need a second opinion. Take a breath and know that you will get through this. Everyone here did.Be strong😘

Ashley, did the breast surgeon give you a referral to a medical oncologist? That person should be on your "team" before you make the surgery decisions. After surgery, the surgeon often disappears...and you'll be working with a medical oncologist. It is often better to have a medical oncologist involved in formulating your treatment plans from the beginning. For example, you'll want copies of all of the new tests to go to the medical oncologist too!

HTH,

LisaAlissa

Brenda-

Welcome to BCO! We're glad you've found your way here, and hope you find this to be a supportive place.

The Mods

When will yoi be seeing the Medical Oncologist (chemo) and Radiolical Oncologist? Both need to be seen along with the surgeon (and plastic surgeon) for a complete treatment plan. If you will be doing rads, they can have effects on the recon if recon is done first.

It is a team effort to get the best results with the different Specialists in their fields working together.

Ashley it will be ok. I promise you it will be ok. If you can get your doctor to give you something to help sleep or for anxiety that will do wonders and give you time to weigh your options and to make the best decisions for yourself. Will you see an oncologist before surgery? That might be a good idea, to talk about the ENTIRE process. It may seem overwhelming, but getting the full picture does help. Don't settle on your docs either, work with a team you really really like. You know something has to happen, so once you ease into the situation and you are able to look at things a little easier you'll see that you can and will get through it. I was diagnosed in November, up until Christmas I was in a very dark place. I've started treatment this week and emotionally better now, although I literally just started chemo. Because I have a plan. And you will have a plan. And once you start that plan your goal will be to GET BETTER.

This week was the first time a doc (my new oncologist) said to me, "You'll be just fine."

So let me relay that same sentiment to you now. You will be fine. We all will be fine.

in México is Common the "awaking not knowing if You still have your boobs". Yep. Not MRI not pet scans.

Ashley, it's good news that you are ER and PR+.  After surgery you will want an Oncotype test done (your MD's will mention this) and that will give you a lot of information about your risks, and the benefits from chemo or no chemo and only anti-hormonal meds.

For now, it can help to stay off of google except this site    Lots of things online are old actually.

I watched a lot of Netflix. And ask your primary care doctor for medication to help with sleep or keep you calm, if needed. I .got some Klonopin and even though I only took it once, in that first week, I felt good having it available

I had my mastectomy very quickly after diagnosis. I met with a surgeon and oncologist just before. I didn't have reliable information from pathology until after the surgery. I didn't get  a second opinion before surgery but got 4 afterwards!!

Good luck!

hey Ashley. - you are in the worst phase of this journey right now - having a cancer diagnosis without a treatment plan. It will get better. Re reconstruction, check out the info on this main site for a description of the options. If you want to read about experiences using your own fat, look for info on diep or free tram, which is where they use you own belly fat ( I had bilateral diep). I also has lots of tumours (10!), but they are all gone, as yours will be. I can't help on the nodes Q, but someone will be along who can. Hang in there

Many of us had  "sentinel nodes" removed.   Radioactive material is injected in the area of the tumor(s) and then they can trace where the material drains first: the "sentinel nodes" are first on the path out of the breast in the lymph system. This relatively recent way to examine nodes means that many women only have 1-3 nodes taken. If they are clean, the assumption is that the cancer did not get to any lymph nodes, since the cancer would have had to travel through the sentinel nodes first and would usually have left some trace.  (I have read it is possible theoretically for a few cells to have made it through the sentinels without leaving a trace, but we try not to think about that.)

If you have other nodes besides the sentinel nodes that are suspicious, then the surgeon will remove them.  I don't know how the surgeons know whether to keep going and take, say, 24 nodes. Maybe someone can tell us.  Are the nodes looked at by pathology on site, to determine when to stop taking nodes and when to keep going? Or once one node is positive, do they just remove all nodes they find?

Coming back around to provide (I hope) more staunch support. We will be here for you, no matter the path you take. And there are many correct paths.

1) Lymph nodes: the fewer the better. These are more an indicator of how far the cancer's spread than anything else. I think. Removing more doesn't reduce your chance of cancer recurrence in future (that I'm aware of. I'll defer to those with metastatic cancer. But for now, don't worry about it.)

2) Reconstruction: tissue expanders/implants is one of the two basic methods, the other being tissue transplant (that is, the surgeon moves your own tissue from here to there in order to create a breast mound) There's also "nothing at all" (going flat). Which is best? I don't know. That's something you need to consider for yourself.

But whichever path you end up following, we will be here for you. That's a promise.

Thank you for the update!

I offer you what comfort I can. I can well imagine that you're still down and not feeling you at all! The mastectomy is a major surgery. The TRAM flap reconstruction is a huge surgery. Together? whoof. Five days later is "About ready to get excited about brushing my teeth by myself".

Have you someone there to help you?