Just diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma-Help

Options
kandrews70
kandrews70 Member Posts: 6
edited October 2019 in IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)

Hello-

I was just diagnosed and in some what of a shocked state. One minute it’s real, the next it isn’t. I am so scared. I just want the cancer out of me. I’m sure everyone has had my exact feelings. I want to have the lump removed (it is just under a centimeter) I also want reconstructive surgery done right away. Tissue and nipple preserving if possible. I am thinking of a double mastectomy even though the cancer is in my left breast. I had two cousins die from breast cancer in the past few years so that is very fresh in my mind. Prior to my diagnosis I was put on Estrodial because I was have horrible symptoms from low estrogen. After taking the Estrodial I finally felt like myself again. Now this🙁

I’m afraid that if hormone therapy is recommended, how will that affect me as a woman? I don’t want to be a depressed person with a horrible memory and brain fog on top of fighting cancer.

I don’t mean to ramble on, my thoughts are all over the place right now.

My thought is get a double mastectomy and immediate reconstruction.

Is there any advice on that? I have my meeting with a surgeon tomorrow and an oncologist the next day. I am so confused and upset, I don’t know what do do.

I have a loving husband that I have been with 30 years and two great children. A Daughter (23) and a son(21) they both live with us at home.

My world is upside down.

Is there anyone that can relate?

Thank you!

I appreciate any help or suggestions.

💕Kathy

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • MBPooch
    MBPooch Member Posts: 229
    edited October 2019

    Hi Kathy,

    Sorry about your diagnosis and how you're feeling. This is the worse time, when you've gotten a diagnosis but don't yet have a treatment plan. I think you'll find that once those details start to come together, you'll feel more in control of your situation. I was a lot like you in that I knew immediately I wanted a BMX with immediate reconstruction. I wanted to be as aggressive as possible, didn't want to go through radiation and didn't want to be on hormone therapy.

    I was a candidate for immediate reconstruction but was told that it's always a game time decision depending on the condition of the skin at the time of surgery. Worse case scenario I knew I could wake up with expanders. Thankfully I was able to go the immediate reconstruction route, had a fairly easy recovery and no complications since. Everyone is different but for me It was definitely motivating to wake up with similar breasts to what I had.

    Will be thinking of you and if I can answer any other questions let me know!

    Michelle

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • kandrews70
    kandrews70 Member Posts: 6
    edited October 2019

    MBPooch,

    Have you had any trouble with the implants? Did you ever consider using your own tissue? Why? Or why not?

    Thank you

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited October 2019

    I felt tremendous relief after my 2 tumors were removed. I had left side mastectomy. I had DIEP 4 months later. I wish I could have had immediate reconstruction. My DIEP and my real side lift was 10 hours. Luckily, I didn't have any complications and healed very well. Good luck to you.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • kandrews70
    kandrews70 Member Posts: 6
    edited October 2019

    Meow13, I’m glad to hear you’re doing well. I’m sure it will be a long journey that is ahead of me. The main thing is to get this cancer out of me soon.

    It helps to read everyone’s posts. It makes me feel like I am not alone in this.


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • froggie
    froggie Member Posts: 92
    edited October 2019

    Hi! So sorry you are joining the club. I was diagnoses with bilateral breast cancer in 2015. The right side on 12/8 and the left side on 12/23. Thank god the surgeon asked for a MRI because the left side did not show up on a mammogram.

    My first reaction when I got the news was 'get them both the hell off of my chest'. After visiting the 'Lumpectomy Lounge ' and talking to ladies there, my thinking changed. Once you cut them off, you can't glue them back on. I read a lot, talked to my surgeon, had a consult with a plastic surgeon and also had a consult with the radiation oncologist before making a final decision.

    Everyone is different and there is no right or wrong decision. You have to do what is right for you. The cancer did not grown over night and your breast isn't going to shrivel up and fall off if you take a few weeks to talk to other professionals so you can make an informed decision.


    You can visit the surgery section - https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/91 & the reconstruction section - https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/44

    The ladies there may be able to better answer your questions.


    As an aside, ladies that started out with lumpectomies went on to get mastectomies & reconstruction. They are a friendly bunch.

    People here are friendly and helpful.



    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • MBPooch
    MBPooch Member Posts: 229
    edited October 2019

    kandrews70 -

    I've had zero issues with the implants. I did have implants before and these have been no different. I'm very thin so didn't have any other option. Even though I knew I was going the BMX route it was the recommendation of everyone on my team to have a BMX with immediate reconstruction. Because I had no breast tissue to begin with I wouldn't have been able to achieve symmetry any other way. I feel fortunate that for me there was never a decision to be made. I do believe that after surgery, doing all the exercises religiously and starting up slowly with yoga really helped in my recovery.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited October 2019

    I just had enough "material" for one breast, got a super flat stomach afterwards.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Dalyce61
    Dalyce61 Member Posts: 2
    edited October 2019

    So what happens with the other breast

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited October 2019

    The other is real I had a lift on the right side. Match is great. I was worried about what if I have cancer on the other side but I decided I would cross that bridge when and if that happens.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • GinnyO2
    GinnyO2 Member Posts: 125
    edited October 2019

    Kandrews, I can’t help with the mastectomy side as I was in my early 30’s when I had had the same diagnosis. I can tell you that I opted to have a partial mastectomy with radiation and that may have been a mistake as it became quite deformed oner the years. BUT here is that great news ....I have been cancer free for nearly 35 yrs!!

    Obviously it’s back now, which is rare after being free for so long but hey, I’m not complaining! I thank God for what He has done and pray the same for you !!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Amanda710
    Amanda710 Member Posts: 2
    edited October 2019

    Hi! I was diagnosed with invasive Ductal carcinoma in June 24, 2019 and it was also only in my right breast but I did have a double mastectomy and plastic reconstruction surgery at the same time and implants put in on July 10, 2019. I would recommend it and the healing was not too rough

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • kandrews70
    kandrews70 Member Posts: 6
    edited October 2019

    GinnyO2, I'm sorry to hear that your cancer has returned. Did you continue to have mammograms and checkups? I'm just wondering why it was advanced so far by the time it was found. The doctors have told me that a lumpectomy and radiation would be best because the chances of it coming back would be very small. Another concern I brought up to them is that I was afraid that if I kept the breast it would come back in a stage that was much harder to treat. They didn't agree. It sounds like that is what happened to you.

    Am I right? or did I read something wrong?

    Thank you!

    Kathy

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Askmissa
    Askmissa Member Posts: 76
    edited October 2019

    Hi Kathy!

    I was diagnosed with IDC in June. I am very happy with my nipple sparing double mastectomy with Prepectoral implants (no expanders needed). I highly recommend going to a medical school hospital as they have the last Ext and greatest -things that an average hospital or doctor will be doing in five years. They are ahead of the curve. Here is a link to my YouTube videos on my journey - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0i-WxYB_8kNACLA52_p4SFdwEy_WA411&feature=share


    Hop they’re helpful!!

    Andrea

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • kandrews70
    kandrews70 Member Posts: 6
    edited October 2019

    Andrea, thank for getting back to me. I actually watched your videos before I joined this discussion. They are very helpful.

    I have seen a couple mentions of chat rooms. Where are they? I'm trying to find the easiest way to access everything and so far, my computer hasn't been the handiest. : )

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Cynd724
    Cynd724 Member Posts: 23
    edited October 2019

    I was diagnosed with IDC in late August. It was so scary at the time. The worst thoughts went through my head. Mine was in the left breast and was 1.3 cm. Grade 3 on the biopsy results. I spoke to my surgeon and we agreed that a lumpectomy with radiation would be best. She said the recurrence risk was only slightly less with a mastectomy and since I didn't know yet if I carried the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene, that I can decide at a later time to have more surgery when I can think more clearly. I proceeded with the lumpectomy and the cancer was all removed. My surgeon did the "blue dye" injection to test the sentinel lymph nodes. Because of the blue dye, she was able to find another small area of cancer cells which she removed successfully. One out of 6 sentinel lymph nodes tested had a very microscopic amount of cancer cells. All the surrounding tissue was clear. Anyway, after the surgery I received my genetic results and I do not carry the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Because the cancer spread to one lymph node, my doctor ordered the Oncotype DX test. The results show whether chemo will be beneficial or not. My score was a 26 so I am now starting chemo treatments unfortunately. This is only to prevent recurrence at this point. I am confident all the cancer cells were removed and my PET scan was clear, so I think in my case, the lumpectomy was enough. Just do all your research and ask a lot of questions.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • 999gloria999
    999gloria999 Member Posts: 11
    edited October 2019

    I am sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I wish you all the best We are similar. I was diagnosed with IDC In February 2017. My tumour was 9 mm in the right breast. My recommendation from oncosurgeon was lumpectomy with radiation followed by five

    Years of AI and that is what I went with. No evidence of disease for 2.5 years. Has your oncosurgeon recommended double mastectomy?

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • kandrews70
    kandrews70 Member Posts: 6
    edited October 2019

    Hi, thank you for telling me about your diagnosis and treatment. My surgeon and oncologist recommended the same treatment as you had. Today I had my genetics results explained to me, and luckily both BRCA1 and BRCA2 were negative. I was very relieved at that because what I chose for treatment depended heavily on those results. I will see the oncologist tomorrow and discuss my surgical plan and then set up with my surgeon for ASAP surgery. I just want this out of me! Every time I have a pain in either breast, I think it's spreading. I am so glad to hear that you are doing well! How did the radiation affect your breast? Did the surgery and radiation cause it to have damage and lose it's shape like the pictures I see online. The most important thing is getting the cancer out, but I just wonder if everyone has the same end result with our treatment choice. Are you taking anti-hormone drugs or any other meds now?

    Thanks so much!

    Kathy

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories