Topic: new to this

Kendall,  I'm glad to see you hear but all of us no one ever wants to be hear.  I pray that God will give you the peace you need for this journey.   Although I am a bit older, I was diagnosed with IDC in April.    After your biopsy, you should get a copy of that pathology report.  It shouldl give you  "preliminary" results for the type,  tumor size and grade (I, II, or III)(This is not the same as the stage).  It is only after you have surgery and that pathology is evaluated that you get a "final" report that will include the stage (0, I, IIA, IIB, IIA, IIIB, IV).  The report after surgery is considered final because the tests have been completed to determine is the dis-ease has spread and the doctor should have removed the tumor and enough surrounding tissue to get clear margins, etc.         My apology if I have given you too much information.  

Wanda  

Good Luck Kendall. It is very important to get a second opinion or even a third and then make the decision yourself. If you make the decision yourself you can live with it. If  the doctor makes the decision then you will regret it.

Kendall,

First of all so sorry to be meeting "this" way but the support on this site is wonderful. I'm also relatively new to this site. I was diagnosed on my 20th wedding anniversary on Aug. 11, 2009. Stage 2 IDC. What was thought to be a 1 cm tumor turned into two with the larger being slightly less than 5 cm. Initially a lumpectomy was planned with radiation to follow but because I wanted to preserve my breast tissue and the tumor being larger than what was shown on the first ultrasound ( I had a needle biopsy/MRI), I am currently having chemotherapy tx's. A PET scan made my decision for me, after showing a questionable invasion of a lymph node. I'm going to share a little of my journey with you.

I've had a mediport placed prior to my second round of chemo and I still have 4 more treatments to go before the "planned" lumpectomy and then radiation. I lost my hair after only 2 weeks and the neuropathy along with joint pain has been harsh, but I thank God everyday. I'm still here. The cancer could've been dismissed. It was a radiologist who suggested I get a second opinion and for that I'm truly grateful. It was last year's mammogram that was looked upon as benign. I would hate to think what could've happened if I had never relied upon the suggestion of the radiologist a few months ago. He even mentioned that he didn't feel comfortable not suggesting that I see a specialist and was surprised that his colleague didn't do so last year. His colleague was a woman. I never imagined a woman wouldn't tell another woman to get a second opinion, but I remember her reasoning was how the suspicious lesions were picked up digitally in one view and weren't in another. When she left the room, the sonographer said "You do have two small cysts but as the doc mentioned, there's nothing to worry about. She said they were benign." I blame myself for not following through but the radiologist had transcribed on my report "...benign. Suggest routine yearly mammogram."

As mentioned by a few posts ago, you are your own best advocate. My breast specialist created a notebook for me; brochures regarding my diagnosis and treatment plan, all of my previous mammograms and ultrasounds, doctor's numbers, and a list of support groups that included this one.

My prayers are with you. Stay strong and remain positive.

God bless!