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KellyMSM
KellyMSM Member Posts: 15
edited April 2019 in Diagnosed and Waiting for Test Results

Hello. Diagnosed with IDC on 3/28/19. Clinical Stage 1A. Lumpectomy scheduled but radiologist recommended preoperative MRI due to dense breast tissue. Now surgery postponed, biopsy on new found mass comingTuesday. This probably means mastectomy now. I get that, i think i want it regardless of biopsy results because i have one confirmed cancer at 1100 and an area of atypical cells to be removed at 100, and now suspicious mass and possibly iDCIS at 600. Now here's the horrible part. I am a smoker. Yes i know, i probably deserve cancer. I beat myself up about it every day, yet i continued to smoke. Just found out they won't do reconstruction unless i have been a nonsmoker for 30 days. Thought i could do mastectomy without reconstruction but now I'm not so sure. Have asked for Chantix (smoking cessation drug) but that means waiting another 5 weeks or so to have the cancer removed. Which means it has more time to grow. I know chances are slim but is there anyone out there who has gone through something similar? What did you decide? Does anyone else have any advice ? I appreciate any thoughts or advice. Thank you.

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  • HappyAnyway
    HappyAnyway Member Posts: 446
    edited April 2019

    First of all, no, you absolutely don't deserve to have cancer.

    I was just diagnosed myself and haven't even had my MRI yet. This is so new to me that I can't provide pertinent information.

    Perhaps there is a drug or other treatment that may help you until you are able to stop smoking.

    I know that there are people here that can offer more insight and support.

    You can do this!

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  • Salamandra
    Salamandra Member Posts: 1,444
    edited April 2019

    You don't deserve cancer! Nobody does! Please stop beating yourself up. Smoking is one of the hardest habits to kick - it truly is addictive for some people. It's not a sin and not a reflection on your worth as a person! I wish I could lift all of the self-blame and self-recrimination off of you. Leave that baggage behind.

    I think you should speak with your cosmetic surgeon to understand as fully as possible the reconstruction options. It doesn't always have to be done at the same time as the mastectomy. Hear from them about the benefits and drawbacks of waiting.

    You an also get input from your oncologist about whether they think your tumor is aggressive or not. That'll probably be based on the hormone status and the ki-67% if your biopsy tested that. For most cancers, waiting another couple of months really wouldn't make a difference - but you'd want to hear that from your doctors.

    I think you should think about what will be less stress for you - having plan A be a mastectomy with reconstruction down the road after you quit, and plan B be a mastectomy with reconstruction in case you manage to quit smoking in this window - or vice versa. Will the extra pressure of needing to quit in time for the mastectomy be a helpful source of motivation for you, or a stressful source of anxiety and/or guilt?

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  • edwards750
    edwards750 Member Posts: 3,761
    edited April 2019

    Kelly - there are plenty of women who don’t smoke who got BC. My sister is one of them. There are also countless women who lived the healthy lifestyle and they got BC. The reconstruction surgeon that was recommended to friends who had BC and also smoked agreed to do the surgery but it was limited. In other words not the same procedures that were available to non-smokers.,

    Regardless we have all just drawn the unlucky card.

    Diane

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited April 2019

    Dear Kelly MSM,

    Welcome to the BCO community. We are sorry for your diagnosis but glad that you reached out here. You have already receive support and good information. There is a Stop Smoking thread here on the boards. it is not very current but it may offer others to whom you can pm for suggestions. As the others have said here please do not blame yourself for your breast cancer. No one deserves this. Find the support and information you need to make the decisions that are right for you. Keep us posted and stay active here.

    The Mods

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  • KellyMSM
    KellyMSM Member Posts: 15
    edited April 2019

    From the bottom of my heart, thank you Happy Anyway, Salamandra, Diane, and the Moderators for responding so nicely and being so supportive. I already love you all. I guess I really don't think I "deserve" cancer; I just tend to think it was inevitable and that others may think I do. 

    Happy Anyway, I absolutely love your name. That's what I want to be...happy anyway. I mostly am but this new mass has thrown me back into uncertainty and kind of jaded my positive attitude a bit. I'm getting it back though and you all have helped. 

    It's so nice to know there's a place where I can talk about my fears and frustrations, see success stories, and just know there are others who may understand all that I will be going through.

    Love and prayers, Kelly



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  • illimae
    illimae Member Posts: 5,710
    edited April 2019

    No one deserves cancer and I have yet to see any real link that smoking causes it (breast anyway), it’s not even near the top of risk factors, the biggest risk is being female. However, it does play a role in recovering from surgery. I smoked but I found nicotine lozenges worked well and I used the in place of cigarettes (like break time at work, after meals). Try whatever you think might work and if you stumble, try again.

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  • Ingerp
    Ingerp Member Posts: 2,624
    edited April 2019

    I just wanted to add that there are several threads about women getting reconstruction long after mastectomy. My mother had a mastectomy, didn’t have reconstruction, but after several years of having to stuff her bra, she got tired of it so had the reconstruction. I think it’s enough for you to focus on surgery and stopping smoking for now. The reconstruction can wait.

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  • KellyMSM
    KellyMSM Member Posts: 15
    edited April 2019

    Thank you Ingerp. That is a possibility too. Even if smoking wasn't an issue at all i keep wavering back and forth and dont know what i truly want. This site is so helpful to read about how others made their choices. I am amazed at the courage shown by those who choose to go flat, just not sure i have that courage or the body type. But i am beginning to see i dont have to decide immediately.


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