Newly diagnosed

Sorry to hear that you will most likely be joining us here. With 3 separate areas of malignancy, yes, a mastectomy is most likely. I wouldn’t jump ahead to worrying too much though until you’ve met with the doctor. Different types of “malignancy” are more or less serious so you need to know exactly what you will be dealing with to formulate a plan, and why borrow more trouble than may be warranted.

Try to take it one day at a time, and just know that you are in the worst part of the process - knowing something is wrong but not knowing what exactly to do about it. Once you have a treatment plan and move forward with treatment it all gets much easier.

GAMomma...Hang in there...I know it's easier said than done. Use your cell phone to record your consult with your surgeon. I found that very helpful. I was able to pay attention and not worry about taking notes. I went home and was able to listen to the session and take notes then. Waiting time between doctor appointments, test results, etc is the worst part. Good luck.

"I have 1 anterior and 1 mid and 1 posterior" -- does that refer to your margins? If so, you may just need another lumpectomy to try to get clear margins. A second lumpectomy is often needed because the extent of the DCIS is not known until the pathology results are in. So a mastectomy might not be needed. I hope you can speak with someone soon. The waiting and the unknown elements are the worst part of this! Keep yourself busy and get some exercise to keep your mood elevated. This early process is dreadfully slow, epsecially around the holidays. Hugs to you!

Welcome, GAMomma. Sorry you've had to find your way here, but you've found a good place. The articles here are very informative. And the community support is excellent.

When I was diagnosed last year, I, too, did a lot of research. I kept it to this website, the Mayo Clinic, and American Cancer Society websites. My BS agreed that those were good sites for education. You'll be able to breathe easier once you know more and have a plan. There are so many types of breast cancer and so many different aspects to it. Take things one day and one step at a time. Focus on your family for now and take good care of yourself. Best wishes for a good outcome.

I see -- it's 3 biopsy results. Ouch, second biopsy even. That's a lot of pokes! I hope you are getting some rest, and definitely don't spend too much time googling until you get a diagnosis. Things can move really slowly, so if you can take little breaks from thinking about this, it will help a lot. Even 5 minutes without thinking about it will be like a mini-vacation. I got a lot of help from the women on these boards. They provide moral support, practical tips, ideas for other treatment options, and a sounding board. There's nothing like a group of women from all over the world that GET IT. Best wishes to you through this process. I was diagnosed nearly 5 years ago, and life is sweet on the other side of this. You will get there too.

GAMomma, I also want to offer you support as you wait to meet your surgeon. I completely agree with Annette47 that the waiting and not knowing is the absolute worst; with your imagination and fear coupled with the powerlessness of doing nothing. Once you meet with your surgeon and begin to discuss specifics, you can formulate a plan of action together and feel more in charge of what is happening.

I too had multi focal DCIS and that was why MX (mastectomy) was ultimately recommended for me. I am glad that you kept your appointment with the surgeon and that he provided you with good care, finding your cancer early. There are very smart ideas above from others who have made this journey, bringing someone with you, recording your meeting, staying away from googling etc. I will also encourage you to find the things that can help you relax (warm bath, music, yoga, reading, meditation, prayer etc) as this will be useful to you no matter what your treatment includes. I found myself using music not only in the waiting room or at home but also while I lay on the nuclear med table as they charted my sentinel nodes (long boring process).

Good luck and let us know how you're doing!

hi gamomma,

My IDC tumor was small so the original plan was lumpectomy and radiation. However the lumpectomy failed to achieve clear margins - no more IDC but some DCIS. So I moved on to Plan B., a mastectomy. No regrets.

Best of luck, Luna

I didn't get clean margins in either of two lumpectomies, so a mastectomy was recommended. Benefit of a single mastectomy was avoiding radiation, and benefits of bilateral mastectomy were avoiding both radiation and aromatase inhibitors.

I had a bilateral mastectomy last year and it was not bad at all. My 16 year old helped cooked and looked after me through the first 2 weeks. We did eat simply,but healthy, as I did not expect her to cook complicated meals. I remembered I couldn't lift my arms much so I needed help to get even a drink of water. I was told that I could shower after a couple of days but I really just washed up and sponge bathe until the drains were out ( about 2 weeks for me).My DH and daughter helped with the process. The hospital provided all the gauze, bandages, saline etc that I needed to clean my incisions. My daughter helped me do that as well as empty the drains. As far as pain, I had the hospital remove all painkillers from my system as soon as I was coherent. They were giving me a migraine. I only took tylenol the first 2 days, more because I thought it would hurt if I didn't. Truth is, I did not feel much pain and I do not have a high tolerance for pain.

I lived in comfy joggers and flannel shirts ( worn inside out so that I could slip my drains into the pockets). I did manage to go for short walks and shopping (it was Christmas). I needed to prop my pillows up to sleep but I was sleeping well. I read that many, also, got a wedge pillow to help with sleeping.

In retrospect, I was rushing to be 'normal' again and my frustrations during the healing process stemmed from my anxieties. I was worried over not regaining full range of motion especially after I developed some cording. I might also have started exercising too soon. So, if I have any words of wisdom, it would be to take it easy and do not over exert, at least, for the first couple of weeks. I did start physical therapy about a month after and I did regain full range of motion within 3 months. In addition, I was anxious over all the numbness, tightness, and tingling in the chest area. It is all fine now a year later. I do believe that it is important that you ask your surgeon or MO to recommend a good PT as soon as they give you the green light to start rehabilitation.

Here's wishing you an uneventful and smooth recovery.

your pre-op will give you some advice.

But I'll try to answer some. Button down front or zip the best. They probably won't want you lifting arms.

Home from hospital I wore a zipped hoodie sweatshirt to cover up my binder.

At home first few days I had a comfy and soft button up night shirt

I wore exercise pants when I went out instead of my jeans , you will be swollen.

They may send you home in binder or bandages. I was in binder every hospital/ DR different.

Ask about bra and special cami for drains makes life easier and once you can shower have a lanyard handy to clip your drains to,

Ice helped ( my Dr recommended) especially (if you can't take pain medicine

Gauze , tape, antibiotic ointment etc should be on hand.

Lots of soft pillows to keep under your arms with lymph node removal you may be sore

Plenty of fluids and food you like

Reading material etc.....

Hope this helps

GAMomma, a quick note which may or may not be pertinent to you. I can only sleep on my stomach which was not possible after my mx. I got good sleep meds from my bs so that I could actually get to sleep on my back. I used lots of pillows to discourage me from rolling over in my sleep as well. If you think that sleeping will be an issue (you need good sleep for good healing), don't hesitate to ask for sleep meds.

I agree with Kiks and Luna, I had soreness and a bit of discomfort, but not intense pain. I only took pain meds for a day or so, and then only at night for a few more. Having something easy and comforting to eat is helpful (I always had several soup options on hand after a surgery) and my partner washed my hair at the kitchen sink for me (he actually enjoyed that part) until I could shower. I had some oversized sweaters that I wore, hanging my drain at the waist of my (old baggy) jeans. I could actually go to work that way (which was a great 'get back to normal' thing for me).

Maybe having some movies picked out so that you and the kids can binge watch some things together while you're newly healing? A bit of planning ahead so that you can relax and heal for a few days will go a long way to making sure you heal as quickly as possible.

Hugs to you!

GAMomma - good luck on Tuesday.

I know it is a shock and happening fast but I think you will be happier with a double mastectomy than single in the long run. You will know that surgery is behind you. No more mammograms! And easier to have a totally new chest, I think.

I'm just over 4 months post-bmx.

Please update us.