Recently Diagnosed at 31

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lg10
lg10 Member Posts: 71
edited February 2018 in Just Diagnosed

Hi everyone. I was recently diagnosed with DCIS in my right breast on January 3rd. The biopsy showed DCIS, but the radiologist believes that it does have an invasive component. They also biopsied a lymph node and that was negative. I had a breast MRI on 1/16 and another tiny spot was found that they would like to biopsy by MRI. It may be another week before that can be scheduled. The surgeon is really trying to keep this as a breast conservation surgery, but the results of the MRI show that he would have to remove tissue all the way to my chest wall and under my arm. So I am now leaning toward mastectomy with reconstruction on my right side. My wedding is on March 10th and I would love some feedback/advice on how you all felt a month after your surgeries. I am 31 and very healthy so I am hoping that I can bounce back pretty quickly. But I am also realistic that this is a major surgery and I want to be as prepared as I possibly can be. Thanks in advance. This is my first post, but I have already been exploring and have found so much wonderful information.

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  • Molly50
    Molly50 Member Posts: 3,773
    edited January 2018

    Welcome lg10. I am sorry you were diagnosed at such a young age and right before your wedding! If you cancer isn't aggressive type why not ask your doctor if you can postpone surgery until after the wedding? I felt pretty good at 4 weeks post mx but you will not likely have fills in your TE yet and still healing from surgery.

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  • Axolotl
    Axolotl Member Posts: 56
    edited January 2018

    I'm exactly 4 weeks out from my unilateral mastectomy with immediate implant reconstruction and feel almost fully recovered. This weekend I went rollerblading and yesterday I joined a strength training fitness class. I can sleep on my stomach. However, I think each woman's experience may be different. I didn't have radiation, and I'm only just now beginning hormonal treatment so i don't have many side effects from that yet. I only needed a sentinel node biopsy. I was active before surgery. If you need radiation, have a different type of reconstruction or have more nodes removed the recovery may be longer or more complicated. Best of luck, and congrats on your upcoming wedding! I also hope you only have DCIS.

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  • raisan_angels
    raisan_angels Member Posts: 29
    edited January 2018

    Hi lg10,

    I’m sorry about your diagnosis. I’m 31 as well and I was diagnosed this month too on Jan 10th. I have to have a mastectomy. I was told recovery would be at least 6 weeks and because of that I actually am having chemo first. I won’t have my surgery for several months. Everyone’s body heals differently and at a different pace. They caught yours very early so discuss options with your oncologist.

    I’ll be thinking of you.

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  • lg10
    lg10 Member Posts: 71
    edited January 2018

    Thank you all for the replies. I will certainly be thinking of you all as well. I am hoping to get surgery out of the way before my wedding so I can see it as a celebration that this huge step is over. Even if I'm a little battered and bruised, I want to walk down the aisle without as much stress as I feel now. Axolotl that is amazing that you are already exercising, etc. I truly hope that is the case for me as I am active now. Did you get the silicone implant at the time of your surgery? No expanders?

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  • Rrobin0200
    Rrobin0200 Member Posts: 433
    edited January 2018

    warmest welcome to you, although I wish none of us had to be here. I was diagnosed with DCIS on 3/6/17, and decided on a BMX. I had that surgery plus my reconstruction (direct implants) on 3/31/17. It wasn't the most difficult thing, but you must allow yourself time to heal. I personally think that a month to recover is okay. I bounced back immediately after my surgery. But, I am very active and eat extremely well. Listen to what your doctor says. I'm living proof that it can be done. But remember, you might still have drains in. Talk to your doc about it. Best wishes.

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  • MBPooch
    MBPooch Member Posts: 229
    edited January 2018

    Sorry that you have found yourself here and hoping for only a DCIS DX for you. I had a BMX on Nov. 30th with direct to implant and recovered fairly quickly. I hosted 15 people for Christmas Eve dinner and traveled 6 hours up North for a 5 day NYE celebration with friends. It can be done, like the some of the others I had done yoga and worked out prior to my diagnosis and was religious about doing the arm exercises/stretching after surgery. I think that was key in my recovery. Not everyone is a candidate for direct to implant and if you are it will be a game time decision day of surgery based on a few different factors (condition of skin and is there enough skin to cover implant size desired) I didn't care if I had to be slightly smaller but know that a small C is the largest implant that can be done with direct to implant. Definitely worth asking about, it was comforting and motivating to wake up from surgery with breasts that looked very similar to my own. Best of luck, you got this!

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  • lg10
    lg10 Member Posts: 71
    edited January 2018

    thank you all for responding. It has really calmed my nerves. I eat well (really well since my diagnosis) and I have done pure barre for 5 years. I’m hoping that helps with recovery. I met with the surgeon today and we are moving forward with a mastectomy (right side) with TE next Tuesday. That gives me almost 5 1/2 weeks to heal. Hoping I can feel relatively normal on my wedding day. I’ll just be so happy to have this behind me

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  • 32B
    32B Member Posts: 238
    edited January 2018

    Best of luck on Tuesday, lg10. Please let us know how it goes. I'm 32 and was also recently diagnosed with DCIS. I'm getting married in Septemberand, like you, hoping to have this all behind me by then. I haven't decided which treatment/surgery plan to go with yet. How did you end up making your decision? Do they know yet whether they will be able to save your nipple?

    Best wishes to you!!

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  • lg10
    lg10 Member Posts: 71
    edited January 2018

    Thank you, 32B. I'm sorry you find yourself here. I'm sure you were just as shocked as I was. My surgeon and I were really trying to keep this as a breast conservation surgery, but after my MRI, he just found that too much tissue needed to be removed. They were willing to try, but I had to dig really deep down and realize that the best thing for me would be to remove my whole breast. I just didn't want to deal with unclear margins or having to go back in a year or two because of a bad mammogram. I needed the peace of mind. I decided to keep my left breast natural. They didn't find anything in the mammogram or MRI so I am choosing less surgery right now. Of course I hope that is not a mistake, but being so young I just feel like I want to keep that part of me. They offered to try and save my nipple, but again, I really had to consider my options. I decided to let that go too. My plastic surgeon is amazing and they do the reconstruction and tattooing in the office as a medical procedure. Thank you for your support. Please don't hesitate to reach out. I am new to this breast cancer thing, but I have already learned so much and I am happy to be open and honest with you about my process.

    I will let you know how it goes Tuesday. I'm trying to keep it in the back of my mind right now, but I'm pretty terrified.

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  • 32B
    32B Member Posts: 238
    edited January 2018

    Hi lg10. Thinking of you today and hoping everything went well yesterday and you're on the road to a speedy recovery. I've got my SMX scheduled for February 9th. (Also right side.) I'm feeling much more at peace having made a decision.

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  • Maggie7272
    Maggie7272 Member Posts: 11
    edited February 2018

    hi all. My daughter is a breast cancer survivor as of 11/2 ago and I was diagnosed today (shock), but have to wait for the biopsy. Tumor appears to be approximately 1.5 cent with some nodes (biopsy will determine if sin or aux nodes)

    Unfortunately I know a lot about BC having been my daughter's advocate. I'm calming down a bit more. Hoping for a biopsy that shows I can have a lumpectomy.

    I am self employed and need to work. A bad cold can knock me out for weeks.

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  • 32B
    32B Member Posts: 238
    edited February 2018

    Maggie,

    I'm so sorry to see you here. Best wishes to you. I hope you can find some comfort, community, and help on this message board.

    I'm in the hospital right now recovering from a right side mastectomy. It feels so good to be on the other side. I hope you get there soon.

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  • lg10
    lg10 Member Posts: 71
    edited February 2018

    Hoping that you are feeling ok, 32b. I can tell you that time heals!! I am two weeks out and got my last drain out today. It is AMAZING. I feel like a real person again. Sending you lots of love.

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  • 32B
    32B Member Posts: 238
    edited February 2018

    lg10, Thanks for checking in, amd congrats on getting the drains out!! Mine are driving me bananas!

    Other than that feeling pretty good. Stronger every day and very thankful.

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  • Knitpig
    Knitpig Member Posts: 42
    edited February 2018

    I'm sorry about your diagnosis. I was diagnosed on January 3, 2017, DCIS at first. I was 33 at the time. I am glad you're recovering well and I hope your full pathology doesn't have any invasion! It took about 10 days to get my report.




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  • 32B
    32B Member Posts: 238
    edited February 2018

    Hi Knitpig,

    I'm playing the waiting game now with pathology report. A little stressful. Are you all cancer-free now?

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  • lg10
    lg10 Member Posts: 71
    edited February 2018

    32b—I don’t know if the surgeon suggested this, but I used a thick maxi pad under my bra and it help hold the drain down/covered incision

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  • 32B
    32B Member Posts: 238
    edited February 2018

    Hm, I haven't tried that yet. Thanks for the tip!

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  • Knitpig
    Knitpig Member Posts: 42
    edited February 2018

    I hated those drains. Couldn't get them out fast enough! It's such a relief.

    The waiting is hard. I've gone through treatment and the cancer we know about is gone. My oncologist doesn't say cancer free or remission, I think they like the term 'no evidence of disease'

    Have you seen an Oncologist yet or are you waiting for pathology? Don't be afraid to get a second opinion if you can. Some Oncologists are old school and order chemo for women our age when it's not necessary. I didn't have chemo. I'm doing Ovarian Supression (monthly shot) and estrogen blocking drugs for 5 years. It's annoying but manageable. If you don't have any invasive cancer at all in your pathology you'll probably just get to take Tamoxifen for 5-10 years.

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  • 32B
    32B Member Posts: 238
    edited February 2018

    Just got back from having drain #1 out. #2 is still annoying, but the feeling of the NP peeling off the tape and cleaning up the skin underneath with a damp cloth was AMAZING. Can't wait til that happens again with the next one next week.

    As long as pathology comes back just DCIS I shouldn't need chemo, and if my genetic results come back BRCA negative, my risk of recurrence on the the other side will be low enough that I can try to get pregnant first and put off tamoxifen a few years.

    The one silver lining about being diagnosed so young is being able to heal quickly from surgery. Thanks as always to everyone in this community for your stories, suggestions, and encouragement.

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