stronger27

Rebecca go with your gut feeling:)  I'm glad you have a multi-disciplinary team I did too, sounds like you are in great hands.  So I was not a candidate for tram flap implants using my tissue I think thats what they called it so I have expanders in ughhh they are not comfortable but I'm not complaining either:)  I go for my second fill at the end of the week and hopefully by March they will be long gone and my implants in.  My PS told me I could choose between saline or silicone implants and I'm pretty sure he said the silicone implant was the more real feeling of the 2 that would not ripple or pucker.  I guess the saline ones are known to do that sometimes.  I'm not 100% I felt both and I know that one was a lot smoother and had nicer fluidity to it.  I will have to confirm that this week so many decisions!  Good luck to you I will send positive thoughts and strength your way!

Melissa 

Hey there,  I'm so sorry to hear of your recent DX, I saw your post and wanted to share a little of my story because I was there posting the same thing 1 month ago.  First, you have come to the right place this board helped me cope through the days and nights when I first found out. I am hear to tell you that the waiting and the unknown is the hardest part, but it gets easier and it gets better.   I am 27 years old and I pretty much had the same DX as you and found out on 10/3.  Right away I got to work.  Luckily I work at a hospital so I was able to get information from Co-workers on the best of the best as far as surgeons, oncologists and plastic surgeons go so I made my appointment with the chief of general surgery where I work who had much experience with breast cancer.  Going into the appointment I had my mind made up 95% that I wanted a bilateral mastectomy.  I had a gut feeling and strong intuition to do this.  I was scared but not scared of loosing my breasts.  I am young and the grade was aggressive and the research I did just lead me that direction, there were so many stories out there of recurrence and I have a lot of years ahead of me to enjoy, but I hadn't seen a doctor yet and needed ones opinion.  After meeting with the surgeon and given the same options of Lumpectomy+ rads or a unilateral mastectomy I told him of my choice of a bilateral mastectomy.  He felt I was being extreme and somewhat radical.  I was annoyed that he had said this to me and that he was very brief and general in my treatment options.  Needless to say I did not go with him there was no connection there, he may have had the best hands in the county but he was too general for my liking and I needed more.  Even more Luckily my work is affiliated with a cancer institute and they were going to be my second opinion and my choice in the end.  Point being, choose a breast specialist I would never go anywhere else.  The whole team was amazing.  To make a long months story a lot shorter my surgeon agreed on the Bilat. Mastectomy with reconstrution which I had on 10/24 and I also had a sentinel node biopsy.  Things went great I'm home and doing so well.  My final path report showed no invasion and my nodes were clear.  They did find a second area of DCIS that was so small it did not show on my Mammos MRI or ultrasounds the only place it was found was in my intuition to do this surgery:) and I'm so greatful I did.  Bottom line is get second opinions, do your research, know your gut and intuition, your young take control of your life you make the decisions, be strong, stay positive and keep family and friends close.  I will be thinking of you and praying for you. If you have any questions please contact me or check out my posts there were some great things sent and shared with me from the most compassionate women ever.  Keep breathing:)

Best to you

Melissa 

I finally got great news!!!!  I had my post op appointment today and my path report showed no microinvasion and my SNB was clear!!!!!! It remained stage 0 and I couldn't be happier.  I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOO relieved.  I did have 2 places of DCIS and the mammo nor the MRI found the second area, it was very small but was starting in another duct.....so crazy but I'm so happy I went with my gut and did the bilateral mastectomy,  I know I have a long road ahead but the path looks so much smoother and brighter.  Thank you ladies for your support and the power of prayer works!!!!  I have to say my thank you prayers now best to al of you:) xoxo

Hi! I'm home, well at my parents and feeling pretty good ( I have my long moments lol). Surgery went well and I bounced back very quickly,  but the next morning was a diffrent story.  I managed to get home that affernoon and with the help of my parents(thank god my moms a nurse) husband and friends I'm on the road to recovery.  The pain is starting to subside now too.  I have this cool pump that keeps the area numb for about 4 days so I'm coming off the vicodins slowly.  Motrin and muscle relaxers seem to work better.  I guess the only pain I'm feeling now is the muscle that the expanders are behind but I should be feeling better in a couple of days.  Thank youf or all your prayers, they have helped:) I will be in touch!

Melissa

P.S.  Amy- my shepherds name is Heidi I have 3 german shepherds all puppies still!  Recovery is gonna be tricky since they love to jump on me when I get home every day we got a baby gate to block them when I come home lol:)

So today I spent 5 hours at the comprehensive breast center at Karmanos Cancer Institute.  I now know that my treatment will continue there and not with the chief of general surgery ( my first opinion).  I was so impressed with Karmanos.  It is kind of a scary place because there were so many people and it was very much a "cancer institute" but once I got inside the breast center I felt better.  From the moment I walked in the door they catered to my every need. They had a team of specialist all ready and waiting for me. Right a way they got to work on my slides and pathology the Doctor popped in my MRI CD and she already knew my entire case and reviewed all of my history from my first appointments with the general surgeon.  My new doctor is a professor of surgery at Wayne State University a breast surgeon specialist and oncologist and was so comforting compassionate and explained every last thing step by step.  Within 30 min of talking with me and my family she got a page, it was the pathology dept with their own findings of my slides and they were not happy with my biopsy results.  I was very nervous at this moment I was hoping the first path was all wrong and I was cancer free and it was all a bad dream:) however that was not the case.  She hung up the phone and explained to me that the sample they had to work with was minimal and that the core of calcifications they had was such a small sampling and seemed to be from the very edge of the approximate 1cm tumor and not the center. They told my doctor they were highly suspicious of microinvasion.  How could this of happened?  What does this mean exactly?  Why did my final path report say DCIS if the sample was not from the center, why did the first surgeon tell me its all contained they got a great sample? She told me not to panic and of course I did but she said that they didn't confirm this and couldn't until surgery.  I explained to her I wanted the Bilat Mast and to just skip all the lumpectomy talk and she didn't blink an eye, where the other Doc told me I was being extreme.  I feel she just understood me and where I was coming from she related to my feelings and it all just felt right.  Right away she wanted Mammos of both breasts again she didn't understand why they didn't do both after DX to begin with. They also did a lt underarm ultrasound to check for lymph node abnormalties and everything came back normal thank god.  They were so pro active and on top of things where my first opinion was not.  So now I am meeting her plastic surgeon in 17 days I wish it was sooner and surgery will be close behind that.  She reassured me nothing would change in this time because I was asking her to call if someone cancels to move my appointment up:)  I guess I'm just still confused about the micro invasion part and how much it changes things???  I'm much more confident now though than I was after my first opinion and glad I went to a breast center.  No matter how great a general surgeon may be I now know a specialist is the place to be.  Wish me luck ladies!  Best to all of you fighters out there we are going to be OK!!!

Hi Michigan ladies!  I was referred to this thread because I live in Michigan in oakland county and have been posting under the just DX with DCIS.  I'm 27 years old and just found out on 10/3 that I have stage 0 grade 3 DCIS.  I'm seeing the chief of general surgery today at HVSH through Detroit Medical Center.  (I work there)  I've been asking around the other thread about the general surgeon who comes highly recommended vs. a cancer center like Karmanos. I have an appointment there also this week for a second opinion.  I'm so lost in where to begin and would love any advise you gals may have or could share about options or great experiences in Michigan.

Thanks 

Rockwell_girl and PSK07 thank you for the positive thoughts.  I know after surgery everything will stay non invasive, I believe this I have too, not looking forward to having my teenage days period back:)  please pray for me as I do for all of you!!!  Meeting my surgeon today, yikes

I just got my actual path report today from the hospital.  It states that the nuclear grade is high a grade 3 what does this mean in relation to the non invasive DCIS?  Also I take birth control pills should I stop taking them? Does anyone know if they effect BC and if they are related in anyway, I've read many conflicting reports regarding birth control and breast cancer.

Thanks