I always felt I'll be one day diagnosed with BC. Anybody else…

SS21, I knew BC was coming for me.....I had 3 paternal relatives with breast/ovarian cancer. I started getting mammograms at 36 y/o. I got cancer insurance in 2002 and in 2005, there it was! I called it my golden tumor because I got some cash from it and have been in remission for 11 years. Now it seems to be making a come back but I refuse to give it control over my life. I believe cancer feeds off the energy you give it and I refuse to give in to it. I refused to take Tamoxifen because I couldn't function on it. I am happy with all my decisions! Stay strong

Oh, yeah, since my mom died at 33 from BC I was always sure I'd get it. When my firstborn was young I used to obsess if he was old enough to remember me - okay, he's 6, will he remember me if I got sick and died now, okay, he's 8....... He's 43 now so I guess he'll remember me.

In fact when I first met my BS I told her I was always sure I'd get it, I was just surprised I made it this far.

I firmly believe, though, that it is never coming back

(Edited to correct typos)

I never suspected it was coming. My mother was diagnosed 6 weeks before me (she was 75) and she was the first in our family. I was 45 at the time. For the first couple years after, I was CONVINCED I’d be dealing with it again - either as a recurrence or a new primary.

Now, 4 years out, I no longer feel that way. I do think about it occasionally, but I think my assessment is more accurate now. My big thing now is to decide whether to stay on the Tamoxifen for 10 years vs 5. My MO was thinking 5, but he is more concerned with recurrence, and my chances are low. My concern is that 20 years after diagnosis, I’ll still only be 65 which is pretty much prime time for being diagnosed, so my fears are more around new primaries. Still though, I recognize there is a much larger chance that this was a one time thing than that I will be facing it again.

KathyL624 - I think it is very normal at only a year out ... it took longer than that for me to gain a more rational perspective! I’m guessing it was at about the 3 year mark that I started to calm down about it. I think it’s because we “beat” such significant odds to be diagnosed in the first place, it skews our perceptions of our risk going forward, and makes us think we can’t rely on statistics, but really, the VAST majority of people with a prognosis of DCIS or even early Stage I are going to be just fine in the future.

I’ve had several friends who have been diagnosed, and we all had the experience of thinking about it pretty much all the time at first, then gradually less and less often. I don’t think the background worry ever goes away entirely, but it does subside over time.

SherryS21, I am with you. I feel so lost at times and at times I feel tougher and ready to fight hard and think that it will all work out. No b/c history in my family so I am the first one. I am 46 and the DX came as a total shock especially since I had some abnormal cells removed 2 years ago and thought this was it and over with. DCIS came in a completely different spot. Weighing options was agonizing, but eventually I have decided to go for the LX as MX seemed way too aggressive for me. It gives more of a peace of mind, but a few docs called it an over treatment.

So LX is next, then radiation. I will try Tamoxifen and see how I do with it. What you have to focus on is this, radiation reduces your risk of recurrance and so does Tamoxifen. Your risk with both is down to about 7-10%. This gives you almost 90% chance that you will never have to deal with it again. Think positive, 90% chance is a lot! Look at the glass half full and at least give Tamoxifen a try. I might need a buddy once start it, because I know I will hate it. I already feel side effects without even taking it yet. Lol, I am over paranoid so it will be fun. Also you may tolerate it better than you think.

Stay in touch, we can do it

xoxo

Sherry- I forgot to mention I'm on Tamoxifen and I really haven't noticed much in side effects. At one point last year I was feeling very anxious at time of periods and I wondered if Tamoxifen was contributing. My doctor agreed to take a trial off and I discovered this must be more perimenopausal symptoms even though I totally normal cycle because I felt the same way off Tamoxifen and I took three months off. Our hormones do change in our 40's. That being said one of my sisters did come off Tamoxifen due to endometrial issues but she also had other issues and didn't want a hysterectomy so we are all different. The most I get is an occasional hot flash in the middle of night. For me it's no big deal and little extra assurance. You could try it but I'd say give it 6 months, any other symptoms I had (real or imagined) disappeared after 3 months. Feel free to message privately if you have any questions.

Yes, my mom was diagnosed at age 48, so I was not surprised. Not how I want to spend life though....

Gkim.. our diagnosis are. Very very similar. My masses were larger so a mastectomy was recommended. I was removing my left prophylactic. However after my pathology came back I was told it too had cancer. Very very small amount. A Mammo or hands would never had seen it. It's a lite scary to me because I had a sentinel node biopsy an hour before surg,only on my left. It aS negative,but 3 nodes were removed. I worry about my left. It was DCIS also. My doctor are/were not worried,treatment did not change for me. I guess when your mind is fixated on something then it gets changed its hard to understand,ya know?

I'm healing.. longer then I planned. I had a double mastectomy Jan 17. I think I will have reconstruction,eventually. I still have fluid build up. I had a drain retarded that helped. I had it removed 2 weeks ago. Yesterday I woke up with neck pain,yup,fluid is back.. frustrating.