Just Diagnosed - IDC
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hello sweetie we are here for you know the feeling if being diagnosed. But knowing your not alone is comforting. I was diagnosed while making wedding plans for our 2nd marriages. Fiance now husband along with family friends and faith got me thru. Didn't know of site like this at the time. Hope after my cry was so helpful to me. Hold on. msphil IDC stage2 0/3 nodes 3mo chemo before and after Lmast got married then rads for 7 wks. Praise God 27yrs Survivor I believe still here to Inspired others. ❤
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Texasmamabear, amybirnbaum1, mimidee
Sending all 3 of you good wishes and prayers. Lots of decisions around the corner. I am awaiting biopsy report. I share your fears and apprehension. Thank heavens for this site. Lots of good support and information available.
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I had a biopsy done on Thursday, June 24, and it wasn't until today (Friday, July 2) that I was told that I had breast cancer. I don't know the reason for the delay. I kept calling, and finally the doctor called me back. She told me that I had ductal breast cancer, and my Estrogen, Progesterone, and HER2 were positive. I did not know to ask about percentages. I guess I'll get them another time. Her office is supposed to set me up with an oncologist next week. She said that if I don't hear anything by 2:00 PM on Tuesday, I should call her office. They are also going to try to get transportation for me, as I am a senior citizen who doesn't drive. I usually use a car service, but I understand that I will have a lot of appointments, and the cost of transportation will add up. My senior center does medical transports, but I was told (when I asked about getting a ride for my June 24 appointment) that they are fully booked through mid-July.
I told that doctor that I intend to fly across the country in August and September (to go to family weddings), and she said that was fine. I've been told that my health comes first, but I disagree. I believe the qualify of life is more important that quantity of life. My cousin said that I will need to get a PET Scan. I asked her if I would be able to get it at the oncologist's office, and she didn't think so. I was disappointed, because that's another appointment that I will have to make. I was thrilled when I saw the doctor on June 24 because (1) she was able to give me a biopsy then and there, and (2) I didn't have to get knocked out for the biopsy. I really don't know anything about cancer and its treatment.
There's nothing I can do until Tuesday (when I'm going to the dentist) except wait for the phone call, and if I don't get it, I will call the doctor and hope for a prompt call back.
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SeniorCitizen,
We're so sorry that you've joined us, but we'e glad you've come here and hope this community can be a place of support and encouragement when you need it most! The waiting can be so hard, particularly when you know the outcome and are just waiting for details/confirmation. We're all here for you.
The Mods
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Hi all - I was diagnosed about a month ago and handling things pretty well I must say. It put me into a "I'm going to do more than just survive" mode. Made a few changes to my lifestyle, although I was already exercising regularly. I'm now very consistent to do it every day (most days at least). Eating healthier than I did b/f diagnosis. And keeping a positive attitude (most days!) I'm concerned about hair loss. I had surgery already and it went smoothly. Did have a mastcetomy on left side. Nipple sparing surgery. Currently have expanders and believe i'll start chemo at end of month. Next appt. with oncologist will determine everything the week of July 12th.
Curious to know if any of you colored you hair prior to chemo and if you continued to color it right up until you either started chemo or started to loose your hair. I made an appointment for this week for 1/2 a highlight (that I usually get every 6=8 weeks). Is it ok to color it? Do you know if experts recommenda "yey" or "ney" opinion. Or good places to research this info. would also be appreciated.
Thanks so much!!
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Moderators, thank you so much for your good wishes.
SWLovesHerDog, I wish I could help you, but I'm sorry that I can't. I have two hair appointments scheduled for later in July. One for a perm, and one for dye and a full head of highlights. It never occurred to me to wonder if it was a good idea, but then, I made the appointments before I went to the ER on June 22 and was referred to a breast surgeon, who saw me two days later on June 24 and gave me a biopsy. I haven't been to a hairdresser since May of 2019 (more than two years ago), and I really need the appointments.
Right now, I'm saying that I don't want chemo. And I don't want expanders. I don't know if I'll wind up getting a mastectomy or a lumpectomy (the doctor told me that before surgery, they will try to shrink the tumor), but even if I wind up losing the entire breast, I don't care. I don't want a replacement. But that's just me. I'm old. I could say that I have nothing to live for, but that sounds suicidal, and I am definitely not suicidal. I just don't know how to put it another way. I never had a husband, and I don't have any children or grandchildren, so it's not as if I want to live long enough to see my grandchildren graduate from high school. I have friends, but all of them have children and grandchildren (and some of them still have their husbands). Yes, they would miss me if I died, but they have their families, so they wouldn't miss me too much. It would be like missing a celebrity that they liked, or how they would feel if a TV show that they liked got canceled. Sure, they would feel bad for a little while, but life would go on for them. I don't have any pets or plants. I spent too many years taking care of my mother and father so that after both of them died, I didn't want any pets or plants. I didn't want anything that I had to take care of. I was burned out.
As I have absolutely no idea when my surgery will be scheduled, I'm wondering if anyone has any idea how much recuperation time should be expected after a lumpectomy or a mastectomy. Because I really want to go to the weddings in August and September. I'm willing to wait for surgery to take place after I get back from the September wedding if that's the only way I can count on being able to go to both weddings.
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I am sorry to hear of your diagnosis too. I was diagnosed last Friday with IDC in my left breast.
I wrote a bunch of questions, pulled some off of this site, and typed everything up. I have a notebook to write in as well. I rec'd my diagnosis on Friday and see an oncologist tomorrow. It seems like they are dragging their feet, but after reading posts on this site; it could take time.
This is the BEST site for breast cancer information that I have found.
I appreciate all of you folks out there. Let's Beat Cancer!
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Hi Mimidee,
I chose not to take off of work until surgery & recovery to stay busy. Staying busy at work helps me to get through the wait times between procedures and results. I chose to use my private plastic surgeon and his breast surgeon for the surgery. This put me a couple of days behind the schedule I could have gone with at the cancer center. I felt it was most important to work with someone I was familiar with on the reconstruction who has twenty plus years of experience providing reconstruction to women. Choosing my doctors gave me a comfort level of care which is one part of the dx I could control. Cancer does not offer you control for the wait times. Wait times is something that has challenged me, but I have managed to accept what I cannot control about the dx in a few short weeks. If you feel you need to take time off of work to find yourself early in your diagnosis you should do that for yourself. We all find different ways to cope with the cancer dx. Reading the boards here has helped me to understand my feelings and fears are shared by so many women. We are not alone.
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