I just got diagnosed with IDC/DCIS

Most oncologists will have you get a port to keep your veins from repeatedly getting stuck for I.V.s & blood draws. As to hair, you might want to look into "cold caps" (FDA approved as safe and expensive). They're a pain in the butt to use, costly and uncomfortable while wearing them (from just before to a few hours after each chemo session), but they've been proven to reduce hair loss by half. If you already have thick hair, cold caps can still leave you with enough hair to look normal. Some insurers cover part of them, some won't.

As to wigs, have your oncologist write a prescription for a "cranial prosthesis." That way, insurance will cover it, if the wig salon accepts your insurance. There are specialized wig salons for cancer patients (they also sell prostheses, compression garments for lymphedema, mastectomy bras and even camisoles that can hold a prosthesis).

Don't worry about changing your diet, except for cutting way back on alcohol if you do drink, because ER+ breast cancer patients are advised to have no more than 2 or 3 "drinks" (5 oz. of wine, 12 oz. of beer or hard cider, 1 oz. hard liquor) a week due to alcohol inhibiting the liver from clearing estrogen from the bloodstream. As to what to eat, follow common sense for your particular situation (if you tend towards higher blood sugar or if diabetes runs in your family, simple carbs are worse than fats). Fruits & vegetables are a good idea for everyone. I buy organic not just because it is probably safer, but just plain tastes better. If you eat dairy, meat or poultry (including eggs), make sure it's organic with no growth hormones, and raised on pastures--rather than "battery" chicken barns or feedlots. Beef, if you eat it, should be 100% grass-fed. You aren't just what you eat--you are what you eat eats. Carbs should be as complex and unprocessed as possible too. Dietary fat is not the demon that doctors used to believe, nor is dietary cholesterol.

With ER+ cancer, though, you need to try to maintain your current body weight (and if overweight, try to lose some of it before treatment begins). Steroids are usually given to lessen chemo's side effects, and after chemo you will be put on an anti-estrogen pill (which kind depends on your menstrual status and what you want to do about it). Steroids & anti-estrogen drugs lower metabolism and make weight loss, or even maintenance, difficult. I know it's hard to believe after all those images of the emaciated cancer patient, but with breast cancer you are likely to gain weight, most of it body fat. And even if you no longer have functioning ovaries, your fat cells and adrenal glands make a hormone that an enzyme from your liver converts into estrogen. You can't do anything about your adrenal glands (we all need those), but you should try to keep from adding more fat cells.

As to antioxidants, do not take them as supplements, just in foods in normal amounts. This is important during chemo & radiation, because the point of those treatments is to destroy the tumor cells. Just as chemo drugs can't tell the difference between tumor cells and fast-dividing normal cells (like hair follicles, etc.), neither can antioxidants. Antioxidants mop up free radicals, and free radicals damage cells. While you are doing chemo & rads ("adjuvant" treatment, and if in your case pre-surgery, "neo-adjuvant" treatment) you want to damage those cancer cells!

Neo-adjuvant chemo serves three purposes: first, to shrink tumors to a size that can facilitate lumpectomy (and also shrink or eliminate tumor cells in lymph nodes); second, to get a head start on killing any stray tumor cells that may have escaped your breasts & lymph nodes and prevent further spread; and third, to gauge which chemo regimens will work best for your tumors. ("Pathological response" is the term).

Hi Virgo I went thru what you are currently going about 6 months ago.I was diagnosed the end of April and had surgery finally in June. I am currently finishing up chemo (2 treatments left) and then on to radiation. Everyone tells you that the beginning when there are so many unanswered questions is the worst and they are right.

I suffered thru quite a bit of anxiety. I will tell you anxiety can do horrible things to you. During those early weeks prior to to my surgery and pet scan and when we still didnt know everything and was I was still having mris, biopsies, etc. I suffered with shortness of breath, back pain in shoulders and low back, numbness and tingling in arms and feet, migraines, vertigo, vision wasn't good, etc. I suffered thru a lot. Every new symptom meant the cancer was some where else. I will tell you it was a horrible time. But my pet came back clean and as I learned my treatment plan things improved. It was all anxiety and those symptoms improved and disappeared. And my life became a little more normal again. Hang in there, talk to your dr about your symptoms but remember this is a stressful situation and our bodies can do weird things when we experience stress. Just be gentle to yourself. Sending you a big hug.

Virgo, you are not crazy, we all under so much stress, any little thing we will over react. I’m trying to learn focus on the good days and let the bad days go. I had a bad days yesterday from my SE, today is better day for me, so I have to tell myself things aren’t that bad after all.

Neck & shoulders are the first places nervous tension shows up, manifesting as pain. Xanax is better than Ativan, acc. to my shrink--it has a shorter half-life and doesn't make you feel "hung over." Sitting too much is never good for one's health--get up and take standing breaks. And make sure your computer, desk, and chair are set up ergonomically to avoid tension & neck strain.

If you're not getting a port, either you will be getting chemo infusions less frequently (or a shorter course), or you've got good, robust veins. Your tumor was Luminal A-type (the least-aggressive type of invasive bc) and grade 1, the least aggressive grade. Stage IIA is probably why chemo was indicated.

Virgo,

I don't like to take meds, heck B4 this all happened I barely took ibprofen. My husband was with me to do my 1st chemo treatment yesterday so I met Dr B4 my appt. My husband told Dr I was going crazy with worry. I wake up in the middle of the night crying, I take a shower and cry ETC. This is not normal my husband & I know myself as a very strong woman that always can keep my ground & very rarely ever cries. So the Dr did prescribe me small dose of Xanax. I have to report last night was the 1st night since October. 2 no nightmares and I feel pretty good today! Let the Dr know all of your worries I promise eliminating the anxiety helps tremendously 💪

I wish all you ladies the best of everything you are all in my prayers!!💖

Virgo, I have the same issues with neck and shoulders. I tense up when sitting at my computer - I work in information systems. Even bone scan showed something in my shoulders, but it was symmetrical and they called it "degenerative" (which is, apparently, a good thing when alternative is bone mets!)

Do you like baths or hot showers? I can only relax while under hot water, so I take showers twice a day, and may even sneak one extra here or there.

As for meals, I decided to give up red meat and sugar. It's not easy for me (especially with sugar), but it's coming along. I eat a lot of steamed vegetables (zucchini, carrots, tomatoes) over healthy grain. I'm originally from eastern Europe, and pretty much grew up on buckwheat. Look it up, and see if you can buy it in your area, ideally at an eastern European ethnic store (Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian), because what Whole Foods sells as buckwheat is not roasted correctly and results in a mushy kasha, while what is sold at ethnic stores will give you nice firm flavorful grains that separate easily like rice or couscous.

Good luck with your first chemo!

Virgo- the upper back/shoulder/neck pain is very common. Many people hold most of their tension there. I went to the chiropractor right before my BMX w/DIEP recon in Feb and didn't get to go again for a full adjustment until about a month ago. He was alarmed as was the massage lady I went to at the XpressSpa at the airport while waiting for a flight. And the heated roller table at the chiro that I usually love and never want to get up from was absolute torture. Lots of tension built up in those months. I spend a lot of time leaning over laptop/iPhone/iPad. There is actually now a clinical term for the strain on the neck caused by the posture while using electronic devices (can't remember the term right now though). Keep going to the chiropractor while you can and resume again post-surgery when your surgeon says you can and you yourself feel ready after given that go ahead.

Can't help much on the food. I just eat regular but avoid excessive amounts of soy as it has estrogenic properties. I had to go gluten free a few years ago and it was then that I learned to look at food differently based on what my body needed vs all the hype about "good for you foods". When you're gluten free and go to the store and see "heart healthy whole grains!" advertised all over the place, all I see is out & out poison - at least for my body. And today's good for you foods are usually tomorrow's horrible for you foods. Case in point: margarine, low fat/no fat foods, artificial sweeteners, eggs, red meat, etc. It might be easier just to go with whole foods (shopping on the perimeter of the grocery store), go organic if you want, and avoid estrogenic foods. As someone else mentioned, eating foods/taking supplements that help boost immunity and/or act as anti-oxidants may interfere with your treatment protocol as anything that makes a regular cell stronger will make a cancer cell stronger too. I would wait til treatment is complete before adding those foods/supplements into your diet in great quantities. Hope this helos

Virgo,

Look into the Meditteranean Diet...which is not a diet, but the type of meals eaten in the Meditteranean. Fish, fruits, veggies, meat sparingly,,low carbs, low/no sugar. If you google it you will see, it's not a big change, its more of what not to buy, like cookies, cakes, processed stuff. I bought a cookbook but it honestly is something you can find right on the internet for free. I've been trying to cut the sugar and carbs. Snacks is my hardest part. Cut out alcohol, just as other posters have mentioned its been said to fuel ER+ cancers and I have even read in general by not having alcohol a woman reduces her risk of getting breast cancer.

It was tough with the kids, I remember. Mine close to t^{he ages of yours, 22,20 and 16. My daughter took it harder than the boys but was right there for me. Tough chicks!}

Virgo- I'm am so happy that your PET scan came back clean, you have been on my mind every-single-day!! And we seriously must have had the same doctor at first because that is how my appt had gone! "I want to act fast since we don't have much information except that you have cancer" and "If the surgeon says he can't get you in for the lumpectomy by next week, let me know, because you WILL be having surgery next week!" I was like HOLD UP!! Why would I go through with a lumpectomy if I'm going to have to turn around and have a dmx anyways! I have a lot of BC on both my mom and dads side, so I think my surgery decision is already made for me! Also, I'm a fire fighter so the less time that I'm off of work, the better!! How is your husband doing with all of this? My fiance is having a really hard time with it and I also think that he is almost scared to touch me. I flat out told him that there is time limit on how much longer I will have my boobs...he better take advantage of that

Stay healthy, get plenty of rest and keep that chin up momma!! You and all of these other beautiful ladies are in my thoughts and prayers!!

Your husband sounds pretty awesome! I get through all of my hard times using humor, (I told my guy, that before long, his boobs were going to be bigger than mine!). Clint has been super supportive, he is just so scared that he is not able to joke about it. We caught it early, so I'm hoping that it is contained. I found out today that my BRCA test was negative, so it looks like I am just a random person that I got cancer! When my best friend was dx with a brain tumor, she asked me to shave her head...that was so much harder than I thought it was going to be. We cried and we laughed! I really pray that your treatment is gentle on your body and your spirit. As far as losing your hair and any other side effects that you might have, just try to find something positive to take away from it. Cry when you need to cry, laugh when you need to laugh, but most importantly, KEEP ON FIGHTING!! And remember, no one fights alone! Use family and friends to help you along the way. You can also message me if you want to, I would be glad to lend you a shoulder!! Our roads are going to get a little bumpy, but rest not my new friend, we will get through this!

Two things that I live by: Philippians 4:13 and Proverbs 31:25

I am not sure if I weighed in here or not but I would strongly suggest you go over to the chemo section and join a support group. They usually go by start date. So all the people who start in a month join that month's group. That way, you can talk to other people going through exactly the same thing you are at the same time. I don't think I could have survived chemo without my group. We are still Facebook friends today and the group takes trips together. I haven't been able to go because my kids are 12 and 13. You will know down to the day almost when your hair will fall out and what to do about every side effect you can get. (You won't likely get all of them).

My best advice during chemo is to exercise daily if you can. It saved me mentally and physically. Eat what you want. I ate a lot of liver. I know. Most people think gross but that's what I craved.

Jenny - just wanted to say that the scripture you list at Philippians has been a strong hold for me during all of this. My faith and my family really is helping me endure.

I know. I understand. But you can get some good help for what to do about side effects IF you have them. I swear I got more good info from that group than from my doctor.

Ugh, I've been up since about 3am! Today I have my first oncology meeting...even saying the word oncology is scary! Virgo I survive on strength and humor, it's the only thing I know! I am so dang happy to hear that your first treatment went ok, I prayed so hard that it would be gentle on you. This site and the women on here are so great and I'm thankful I found the site. I will let you all know what I find out today...wish me luck!! Xoxo

oh and btw, I too had a negative BRCA 1/2 test. In fact, I was negative for everything they tested for, and it was a lot.

It could be weird coincidence or there might be a BC gene they haven't identified yet.

Or might be environmental.

My sister ALSO had breast cancer (DCIS in situ). I wonder sometimes if my mom's smoking led to this..we were both exposed to lots of secondhand smoke. Some studies show a correlation; some do not. It's controversial.

We may never know how we got this crap.