Who's the youngest?

The book is ten times better then the movie.  You can get it on amazon.com or on geralyn Lucas's web site.  She's an amazing women who continues to inspire me.

I had a lumpectomy first, b/c at the time when I was diagnosed, the thought of losing my breast just didn't feel like an option.  Because the tumor was very aggressive, I started chemo right away.  During chemo, I learned about all my particular risk factors, and decided I wanted my breasts off yesterday.  6 weeks after chemo I had bilateral skn sparing mastectomies with immediate muscle sparing free flap reconstruction.  Then I went on to do  a yr. of herceptin.

Taking the time during chemo, to research which reconstruction was right for me, made a huge difference in my life.  Plus, having the mastectomies, I got to skip Radiation, which in my mind was a HUGE bonus.  Lord knows I did enough damage in the tanning salon all those years...

Another great book you should get is by Beth Murphy, called, Fighting for Our future.  You don't read it cover to cover-- just the parts that pertain to you-- it's for the under 40 crowd.

 Beth-You probably hear this a lot, but you are wise beyond your years...or just you give really wise and comforting advice!!  I am so glad to read your conversation with Sandy about the journey you have made with your emotions.  I too have felt angry and selfish at being 32 at DX. I really appreciate what you said about no matter what age we will feel angry at "what might have been"  I think the most important thing I have to keep telling myself is that is "it still can be!"  I am so thankful I didn't wait to have children and that I did get to breast feed.  I THOUGHT that was my ticket to NOT getting BC, but I was wrong.  Despite my anger at my losses my heart goes out to others as well, it seems that no matter how bad your situation is there is always someone that has it worse.  Beth your posts, even when I haven''t responded, have been so helpful to me and I am glad you have turned your bad situation to a helpful and healing one.  This is my goal as well, but at this point I still feel very self-centered.

 Sandy-- I too have treated my DH so terrible at times that I am surprised he sticks around.  Thanks for being honest.  I will keep your comments in mind the next time I feel like giving him a good ribbing.

I grew up without my Mom and just 2 months after moving 20 minutes from her she was Dx with BC.  She passed 6 months later, we barely even found out what stage she was by the time she passed.  She was only 54.  Immediately after her Dx I went and had a "baseline" mammo, I never thought the lump I found only a year after her passing would be cancer.  I always knew I would get it based on our history, (ggma, gma and ma same BC in the same side, all same grade and type) but I never thought it would be when I was only 32!  I never wanted to put my little ones through this!!  They are so young (5 and 7) and it just breaks my heart to see the fear on their faces, it's all I can do to try to figure out the best way to help them through this.  I wish there was a magic formula to prevent permanent damage!!  We are BRCA neg, but they have found a genetic abnormality (polymorphism) in our family that is shared with 80 other families that is as of yet unidentified.

Jenny--I had a bi-lat mx for two reasons.  To be honest, it is hard to say which one was the most important.  1.  To KNOW that I would not get BC in the good side, (There was a mass on the gs which they assured me was NOT BC, but I felt uncomforted by their assurances). 2.  When reconstructing PS told me and I read everywhere that symmetry is easier to achieve when reconstructing both at the same time.  I wish I could say that the health risk was my #1 concern, but I am pretty vain.  I loved my big busty chest and I was really upset that I was losing my "best asset" as I always termed them...I know the brain...I know.  I was really stuck on getting a flap surgery so I could turn this bad surgery into a good PS experience.  When two PS told me I was not a candidate I was so pissed.  I felt cheated.  Now that I have had the surgery w/ immediate recon w/implants that had to be removed due to infection. I am so glad I listened to my docs, you don't want any added risks based on vanity.  I will have recon again after chemo, but I will not get my heart set on a particular procedure or even outcome.  I have learned--or am learning--to love myself despite what my body looks like.  Sometimes I feel so silly for being so caught up with body image, I mean it's not my fault I lost my breasts.  It's not like I could diet back my breasts or diet away my BC.  So this is my journey right now, hope it is helpful to you as well.

Ta 

ango another great place you may love is www,youngsurvival.org it's a sea of young women who have or have had breast cancer....

we're young and tough, and definitely not going to take cancer sitting down,

Come back and let us know what's going on when you get copies of your path report, and know your game plan for chemo...

we'll be here to help every step of the way.

Hi hotsyta,

I understand how you feel about your kids.  My twin boys were four when I was diagnosed.  I don't have a "magic formula" to prevent permanent damage but I can share with you my experience. 

At four I didn't mention the word cancer, I was just very upfront but very simplistic and matter-of-fact.  I tried to help them understand but reassure them it was no big deal.  Mummy's boob is sick so the doctor has to cut it off.  No you won't get bits cut off when you are sick because Mummy has a  special type of sickness that we need to stop from spreading to other parts of Mummy's body.  This is unlikely to happen to you. No it won't hurt because Mummy will be asleep. However when you visit me in hospital you will need to be gentle because I will be sore.

When my hair started to fall out I let them pull it out and throw it in the bin.  I think they thought it was fun.  I was not at all perturbed about losing my hair or breast so I think that rubbed off on them.  I was not perturbed because I just wanted to survive to raise my babies and to make sure that they were ok with the whole thing.  Obviously given a choice I would like to have my breast back but such is life.

When they were six Aaron saw me getting changed.  His little bottom lip started to quiver and he asked me "Mummy can breast cancer kill you?"  I said yes it can but the doctor's don't think that is going to happen to Mummy.  Ok Mum can Jack come over to play after school?

Over the years we have had some great games of catch with my prothesis.  At eight years of age they are fine and there is no sign of permanent damage.  If it comes back we will deal with that issue then.

Even my mother's death from cancer 12 months ago hasn't seemed to make them worry more about me. Of course, they were sad to lose their Nana but they haven't made the connection and I am pleased about that.

I hope my story helps.

Take care,

Sandy

just kat welcome to the sorority-- sorry you had to join us...

things will get a little bit more manageable once you've got a treatment plan nailed into place.

Here is some great info to read up on before you see your plastis surgeon:

www.breastreconstruction.org

and when you need to find a ton of young women to scream about cancer with, check

www.youngsurvival.org

we'll be here to help you along the way.

Well I am 26 and found out on 7/1/08. i had just celebrated my 5 year anniversary with my husband and thinking about starting a family. and now its like will i ever get the chance. they all say it depends on the medication.. but i dont know. i am scheduled to have a port put in ASAP and start my chemo the next day. I am praying to God that everything goes fine and that i beat this and at the end of the day have a new life. with my testomony being that god  helped me beat this..i am very scared.. you never know what to expect... i am 26 they keep saying that you are very young and i just want people to stop saying that.. yeah i am young now lets look at the best treatment.  so its chemo first to shrink it and the a mastectomy after to remove the whole breast. If i have it my way i will have both removed. even if they say okay its gone the chemo got it. i still want the breast removed. i dont know if i am wrong for feeling this way or not.. There are no females in my area to talk to that are about my age. and yeah a woman at any other age will understand but its like at 26 you are just beginning your life.. setting your future...

just praying for the best.

Ok so this is my first time on this site and it's really a miracle that I found this webiste.  I'm 22 yrs and for about 3 months I've had a lump in my left breast and it also has been discharging. This isn't the first time I've had these. When I was 18 I had like 4 cyst removed from my right one. This time it's different, the lump is different and the discharging is unusual to me. I finally went to see my dr about this and she has referred me to a breast specialist. I'm very scared and dont know what to do. If someone could just write me and tell me if their situation is like mine. I have no one to really talk too about this. Cause everytime I try all I get is "everything is going to be ok" and I dont know that it is. I feel like I'm in the dark and dont know which way o go. Thank you all!!1 Tera

You'll know for sure once you see a breast surgeon.  You'll probably have an ultra sound and possibly a mammo.  They may recommend a biopsy.  I see in your pic you're holding a baby-- could it be a clogged duct?  Cysts are b9, and can be drained by a breast surgeon.

Fibroads are also b9, and sometimes they may need to be removed.

The odds that you have breast cancer are pretty slim.  That's not to say it can't happen-- but be proactive, see a breast surgeon, and ask for a biopsy.

I for one haven't found much information on bc being diagnosed in younger women. This is really upsetting being recently diagnosed with LCIS at 30.

I'm glad to have found this post thread. I was feeling kinda lonely...I'm 30 single mother of a 4 year old and have had 2 biopsies (lump is out) and have been diagnosed with LCIS, expect to at least go through a hormone treatment and have a series of appointments scheduled for MRI's, genetic counseling, 2nd opinions, etc. Although, I am glad to have found this site and others like me, I am infuriated because my doctors have been so reluctant to say I have cancer. Or do I? This diagnosis at this age seems to be so ambiguous. I say biopsy "because we only call it lumpectomy if its cancer". I feel I learned more on the internet and specifically on this site in the past 4 hours than from my doctors. At the very least I know I've just begun a long journey.

There was a 14 year old who died of breast cancer (IBS) in my area. Every year at the RFTC they have a poster about her with information on IBS.

HI. My name is Lashon.. I was dx with bc july 1 2008.. at 26.. dont have any children. was just told in sept that i wouldnt be able to have none due to my cancer being er+. my her2 and pr was neg. the only thing is that i have metastic breast cancer. i have been reading that you dont live very long when you have that type of cancer. which right now i am so afraid.. dosent give you much hope.

LASHON2008, please don't believe everything that you read.  No one knows how long you will live.  Every case is different.  Some people with stage 1, progress and some stage IVs may not.  You are ER positive and have endless hormonal therapies they can try.  Since I have been diagnosed many more drugs have gone into the pipeline after FDA approval.  It is not a given that your cancer will progress.  Please keep us informed as to how you are doing.  There are so many knowledgeable women on this site and they can and will help you.  THinking of you tonight when I say my prayers, Maryiz

I was 24. It actually happend the same week that I looked at my life and felt that I was the luckiest person and I had everything I ever wanted. Well things changed pretty fast. I was a mother of two a 3 year old boy and a 15 month old daughter. I was an LPN with one semester left for my RN. My husband and I got along so well, we really loved each other. I worked two days a week and spent all the rest with my kids and husband. We had just bought a huge house that we could hardly afford untill I was done with school. One night I felt a small lump, my husband felt it and told me to call my Gyn doc. I did and the nurse said I couldn't be seen till next week, but there was a "NILL" chance of it being cancer. I researched it on the internet and everything pointed to not cancer. It was perfectly round and movable. I saw my doc and he said it was proably nothing, just watch it. I demanded a test so he ordered a ultrasound. The ultrasound came back as fibroadnomas and should recheck in 6 months. I told my doctor I felt it was cancer. I did from the time I first felt the lump. Something inside me was telling me it was. SO he refered me to a breast surgon. I met with him after much discussion he reluctently agreed to remove the lump. He did so two weeks after my appointment. Two days after surger on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 3 pm I work up to a phone call from his nurse telling I have cancer, the lump was a lymph node and that it is grade three of three and he would like to see me tomarrow. I said ok in shock and hung up. Sat there for a second and couldn't remember what she said. I called back in a panic and pleaded with her to let me see the doctor. Two hours later He did come in on his day off to talk to me. I choose to have a bilateral mastectomy right side with lymph node disection, bilateral tissue expanders place. The pain was only the start. Good news tho. the cancer did not spread past the one lymp node taken out. I started chemo, had an anaphalactic reaction to taxol and about coded in the treatment room. I was sick sick sick sick sick for 6 months. after that my tissue expander ruptured just before radiation. so I had another surgury and had 500 cc saline implants placed so radiation could start three days later. That was not the worst . The radiation burned my skin so badly that I was bleeding. After that I started to recover. I had a pet scan and it showed no cancer, 6 months later still no cancer. I t has been two years since diagnoses just had a scan last week..still no cancer. now do I resue my life? I want to, but i always wonder what if. I did finish my degree and am getting ready to start nurse pract school this spring. I also want to have antoher baby, but my husband is scard about the possiblilies of reocureenc eand raising 3 kids. He was pretty supportive though it all. He stayed with me, thats one hell of a person in my books. so i had stage IIB with one lymph node positive her 2 neg, estrogen and progestron neg.2 year out living well with a better look on life.

HI ladis.. sorry for not being on.. after my stay in the hospital earlier this month then the start of my chemo.. i have been kind of out of it.. my bones hurt.. not to mention that it is cold here.. feeling kind of down today..the only thing i got to look forward to is that my last session is the week of thanksgiving.. so i will have a lot to be thankful for..stay blessed ladies