Got the call yesterday - IDC at age 40

The wait is hard. I did get my pathology results before I met with the doctor, one time at medical records and another time through the portal, if that helps. If you have to wait until Monday, take walks and watch a lot of movies if you can, or get a few Ativan!

It sucks, I know. And I remember the shock and then the fear and then the anger when I began to wrap my mind around the news. Just know that it's treatable and in many cases curable depending on status, grade etc. Look for as many silver linings as you can. I refrained from reading everything and avoided Dr. Google who is usually a quack when it comes to alarmist info on this disease. I did examine research related to my own subtype but when I did, I made sure it was a large sample and that the research was as current as it could be.

You'll find so much support here and that helped me as much as anything. I felt singled out and isolated, and knowing there were so many women (and men) going through this at the same time as I was made me feel more hopeful.

I also sought out women who had dx'es from years ago, and let those good stories drive my thinking. Still do.

Hugs,

Claire in AZ

Lots of sympathy from me. I was so not expecting to be going through this again. All I can say is it is what it is and you will get through it, really you will. After the “how the eff did I get here?” begins to recede, you’ll put your big girl panties on and deal with it. Hang in there, honey.

I too am newly diagnosed, also IDC. On Monday the 8th. A date I will always remember now. Words I have always been afraid of actually..Female cancers have always run rampant through my family unfortunately. Both sides have been affected. My mother lost her battle with breast cancer in 2001. She was diagnosed at 43, and passed at 53. I am 43 now. For years I was scared to do the gene testing (and also financially unable to). Only pretty recently did insurance companies begin to pay for it, and consider it 'preventive' instead of 'preexisting'. I have religiously been getting mammograms since I was 30. Anyway, my gynecologist took the blood samples and sent them in. That was about 4 months ago. About a month later, I was in for my annual checkup, and he informed me that I in fact had tested positive for BRCA1, with a 48.5% probablilty. That alone was a lot to come to terms with. That is basically a 50/50 chance. So, after many days of thought and talking with friends and family and doing my own research, we decided to move forward with a preventive double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction. I even had my consult with the plastic surgeon.

It took a lot for me to be okay with that decision. But I was. It was better than getting cancer I thought. So, one of the pre-op tests was a breast MRI. A few days after the MRI was done, my doctor called me back and said it showed something that needed further evaluation. So he ordered a breast ultrasound. When I went for that, they ended up doing a biopsy right then. Well, Monday was when I heard the words. The C word. Yuck. I freaked out, left work, cried with my sweet husband for a couple of days. Had my first meeting with the general surgeon on Wednesday. He is wonderful. He spent over an hour with me. Talking, explaining, answering questions. This coming Monday the 15th, I have another consult with the plastic surgeon. I haven't seen an oncologist yet, I have been approved and I know who the doctor is, they just haven't called me for an appointment yet.

It's crazy and miraculous at the same time to think that if I hadn't planned on getting the girls chopped off to PREVENT cancer, I wouldn't have known that I already HAVE cancer! By the way, the mammo I had in August was 'perfect'......

I have read some amazing and inspirational things in these forums. I have total admiration for everyone here :-) xo

Kelly

Hi Kells,

Welcome to the club none of us wanted to join. I'll simply say that this is was the best place I could have found for support and information. Let us know what your status is, and when you do know, there are other discussion boards where you'll find what I did: kindness, encouragement, good outcomes, great information for treatment and treating side effects from that treatment, and everything else you'll need to navigate through this chapter of your life. It's only a chapter, and not the epilogue, so try to remember that. You'll get through this, and it sounds like you have a wonderful husband who will be there for you. I did too, and couldn't have done it without him.

One thing I did do--to both the original poster and for Kells: I was careful who I talked to in the beginning. I found so many people wanted to share horror stories about their own family member or friend who had a similar dx and although they were well-meaning, they weren't helpful. I only wanted to know about women who were years out from their dx. Just know that oftentimes well-meaning people can really throw us off and turn a positive feeling into a negative one.

Hugs

Claire in AZ