Would love feedback!

Hi Joyce, there is no better, just what is right for you, and sorting that out can take some doing.

I sometimes say BC is the chatty cancer because there are so many decisions.

You will probably decide about what type of surgery to have, whether to do chemo, what method of radiation, and whether to take anti hormonal medication. Fortunately you don't decide this all at once.

Good luck and hang in there.

Hi Joyce,

I am so sorry you received this diagnosis but you have come to a great place for information. You have a steep learning curve ahead of you. After your MRI you will most likely have a biopsy. Once you have the biopsy you'll get a pathology report where you'll learn what type of cancer, if you are ER/PR positive or negative and HER2 positive or negative. Your Drs should be able to judge if your lymph nodes are involved (but they'll know for sure after surgery). Once you have pathology then it's time to talk treatment options. Will you have lumpectomy or mastectomy? Will radiation be recommended? Is chemo recommended? Do you want reconstruction? Ask your surgeon to order an Oncotype test to see if the benefits of chemo outweigh the risks.

You will most likely have a Breast Surgeon, and a Medical Oncologist. You might also have a Plastic Surgeon, and a Radiologist Oncologist. Many, many people get second opinions. It's always nice to get several points of view regarding treatment.

I was 62 when diagnosed also. My surgery was delayed 3 weeks because of commitments but my Drs were fine with the delay. Generally this is not an emergency and you have time to get all the information you need to make decisions. The diagnosis scared me to death and shook me to my core but now, 5 months after surgery, I feel like I'm 100% - ripping down walls and hanging drywall to remodel my kitchen. I refuse to let this cancer slow me down. I had a double mastectomy, was able to skip radiation and chemo and just take one little pill every day to make sure no nasty stray cells come back.

Joyce, sorry you found yourself here. I was DX'd at 58. It is a hard pill to swallow. I think feeling like your body has betrayed you is a normal reaction. Do you have ILC or IDC? If you are going to go to a multi-disciplinary facility, they will coordinate with a nurse navigator and all Dr's involved to get the best treatment plan for you. Kind of a team concept. As far as telling people, you may want to wait until you have more information, but that's up to you. As far as "are some treatments better than others?"....you will find that BC is not a one size fits all disease, as we are so often lead to believe. So, yes, some treatments are better than others, depending on your type, stage, grade, etc, but it's still not as black and white as we wish it would be. Get as much information as you can about your DX, be your own advocate, follow your gut and BREATHE! You've go this. PM me if you like. Best wishes.

i did not tell anyone for three months. I finally had to tell my employees because I had to start chemo and of course, I would be out for appointments, etc.

Just take your time. You do not have to tell everyone or anyone. Also you could just ask somebody you trust to inform the other people that you want to know about your diagnosis. This is a very emotional time. Take it easy.

I worked through the whole treatment. The longest time I was out, was two weeks, for the mastectomy. Working had two major benefits: it kept my mind focused on other things than my condition and it kept me within a group health insurance so I was protected from abusive behavior from the health plan company.

You have to decide for yourself about working, depending on your treatment and line of work, but you have time for that also. Wait until you have all the facts and know how the treatment is affecting you.

Good luck!

HI Joyce, welcome to the club! I was diagnosed recently and am having surgery on Monday, less than two weeks after diagnosis, which is awesome as far as I am concerned. I found it helpful to do lots of research so I could understand what the Dr was talking about. The BC.org website is great, so too one at Johns Hopkins University. No doubt there are others. What threw me was my Dr talking about 'Conservation' surgery without saying it is the same thing as a lumpectomy, so I agreed to it even though it comes with compulsory radiation, which I don't want unless necessary. I am 57, I personally don't feel (now anyway) threatened in my identity by having just one breast. After speaking with the breast nurse (my age, 14 years experience) it confirmed my strong instinct that a full mastectomy is right for me. Will I regret that? If I want to I can have reconstruction later on (unlikely).

You have to listen to the Dr, and trust them, but listen from an informed position. Read the booklets from the cancer society (given to me too late, it has to be said) they are really helpful although do bang on about 'bereavement' when losing a breast. I am sure it is true for some, but not all of us feel that way.

Mostly I keep thinking that I had cancer for a while before I was diagnosed, and it is so hard to resist the impulse to get it removed asap. But I had just as much cancer before so a few days to think probably won't make any difference. A couple of weeks / months might, so don't take too long but I implore you to think hard and listen to your heart to choose from the options presented. And if you don't know what they are talking about, ask ask ask until you do. Best of luck.