Today:I was told I have Invasive ductal carcinoma

Hello Miles, yes it is normal to cry, feel sad, scream, stomp, whatever you want, you go right ahead!

Glad you found these boards as you will find much support and information. We have all been where you are and you will get through this. The beginning is the very worse time as everything is unknown. It will get better as you meet with your docs and put a treatment plan into place. Meantime be good to yourself and know that you are the most awesome person in the world at this moment. Others will chime in and you will see that our shoulders are wide and strong. Hang in there.

Defintely would be good to cry about it. Sometimes, crying hard about it can give you ideas on how to handle certain issues that may come up and it is never good to keep stress inside.

I still randomly cry about my recent diagnosis due to fear, but do find that once I cry it out, I may get a better perspective on certain things I need to deal with.

Please do stay on these boards too, invaluable to have people who have been where you are and there is LOTS of info to be had at any stage of diagnosis to treatment. So much support is here.

Sorry you had to join us but we will help anyway we can.,

(((Miles))) yes...cry when you need to...you've been blindsided by this beast...when I heard my diagnosis I cried and every time I thought about telling my kids or my friends or coworkers I cried. It was hard to admit that I had breast cancer - it wasn't supposed to happen to me, I had done "everything right". My family tried to reassure me by telling me "you're going to be fine, you're healthy, breast cancer is the best cancer to have" etc. etc. etc. So I called the cancer hotline at the American Cancer Society and cried to the counselor on the phone - I needed someone to understand how scared I was and thankfully she did. Then I found this website and found so many wise and supportive women who knew what I was feeling and what I was going through. We are here for you, we know how it feels and, hard as it is to believe...we know that having a treatment plan and knowing what we're facing helps - it gets better. I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers (((Hugs))) Maureen

Awww Miles I'm so sorry you find yourself here , but welcome! A lot of crying is what I did when I got diagnosed so cry away. I think I cried for a good 2 months after I got diagnosed. It's totally normal as it's quite a shock. We all know what you're feeling. It's so not fair, but as others have mentioned once you get a treatment plan in place it gets better. Hugs to you

Nancy

Hi Miles... Im several months ahead of you and remember your fear and pain. Cry when you need to but try to find something that brings you joy whenever you can. A massage, a new CD, a night away... Whatever makes you happy. You deserve it.

hi miles, I cried buckets at first now I just get leaky eyes at the odd time. You'll get into a routine with treatments and somehow things just fall into place.

Take care

Helen

Miles, I am not a crier in general, but when I went home after I was told that I likely had Breast Cancer and cried for hours while I looked at photos of mastectomy scars. At that time a friend of mine was near death from BC, so I knew that my life would never be the same again and my body would never feel the same again. Then the day the I got the biopsy results, as soon as I saw my husband that evening, I soaked his shirt with tears. I also cried a few tears when I found out that I would have to have chemo.

I'm approaching my 2nd Cancerversary next week, so I can tell you from experience that this part is the worst and once you get your treatment plan, you'll feel more in control. I also feel better today than I did two years ago. I took up yoga and rowing, and I joined my church choir. I'm determined to live as best as I can going forward.

I cried. It was just a routine mammogram that I didn't want anyway but decided to have since I had already taken off work for lab tests. I had no symptoms but got a call a month later requesting additional mammogram views. I had the additional views, an ultrasound and a biopsy. The radiologist it looked really suspicious for cancer. The biopsy confirmed it.

I was now a part of the big C club. Yes, I cried. This was a complete surprise. Suddenly I felt old. Suddenly I felt that my life was coming to an end. Two weeks later, I was laid off. There went my health insurance.

I had sometimes thought of suicide -- my recovering alcoholic mind still sometimes ruminates about that.

Now with breast cancer and no health insurance, I stood at the turning point -- live or die.

That is exactly what my head said: are you going to live and figure out how to get treatment or are you going to do what you've often thought about and die by your own hand with cancer as your excuse??

It took cancer to give me the desire to live.

I got my own health insurance which enabled me to have the treatment my HMO didn't offer -- intraoperative radiotherapy -- which was performed after my lumpectomy.

This August 25th, four days from now, will be my one year anniversary that I have been cancer free.

I had often heard that many cancer survivors felt that cancer was a blessing in disguise.

For me it was that too because it made me have to decide if I wanted to live or die.

I definitely cried when I learned I was in the big C club -- fear, stress, loneliness, uncertainty.

I still cry though now they are tears of gratitude that a mammogram I didn't want to get a year ago has changed my life in ways I could not have imagined.

Today I want to live. Cancer, ironically, cinched that decision.

My cancer was triple negative invasive ductile carcinoma. I'm waiting for chemo.Has anyone else got triple negative?

I'm triple negative as well.

I, remember being NUMB for a long time....it seemed like this was not happening to US and I was watching my life from the outside.  I did find early on that some people were Toxic to be around for me....it takes a long, long time to move on....I will be 6 years this December....but at the end of the month I go to the Hospital for my Mamo.....Always a very Stressful time...Liz

Hannahstrip.....YOU are so right...it was like an out of body experience.....Liz

Miles,

All the feelings you're feeling are normal. Please know that. And please know that there is hope and lots of resources for us. I ran the gamut of emotions, treatment options, walked through immense fear, loneliness, overwhelming thoughts and such.

I know this is scary -- I was there last year. Living is worth it. Breast cancer treatment is worth it. You're not alone, my friend.

"Today I was handed a copy of my pathology report and I do not understand it."

Sometimes I have seen people sharing here parts of their pathology report that they don't understand.

There is also a fantastic brochure on this website at the bottom of this page:

http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/diagnosis/get...

Most importantly, whatever it is, share it here...there is nothing too big, too taboo, too scary, too anything that people here haven't already had to deal with. If words or phrases or paragraphs of your pathology report scare you, share parts of it here or review the brochure on this website.

Please don't isolate. Keep sharing, scary and lonely as it may feel, we're all right here inside your computer and eager to share our experience, strength and hope.