Diagnosed yesterday - Intermediate Ductal Carcinoma
Hi everyone, I'm Jayne. I would like to say it's so nice to meet you all, but this is a forum I never expected to find myself.
I'm 52, relatively healthy with an absolutely amazing husband and was loving life, running our own business, kids left home, travelling, living the dream to be honest.
Seven weeks ago I had my first mammogram and to my horror a mass was found right at the edge of the scanned image. I was recalled and went to Swansea to the breast unit for further investigations and was assigned a breast care nurse. I could not feel this lump, I went to the centre expecting it to be nothing, I was told I may only need another mammogram and would go home, this wasn't the case. I had a mammogram, an examination (they couldn't feel it either) and an ultrasound where they found it and then a tissue biopsy. I asked questions 'is it a cyst'; no.... is it cancer ' it could be' was the reply, then I was silent. Everything goes through your mind at 1000mph, I was dying, my husband was going to lose me, what about my 80y old dad, my 30 y old disabled daughter.
We were going to France in our moho the following week, the BCN told me to go, we did and it was lovely, I forgot about everything! Arriving back into the UK on Tuesday my phone pinged, it was my BCN asking me to go to Singleton Hospital on the 11th (yesterday) Heart sanki, forgot all about my lovely holiday and bawled all the way home!!!
I arrived home to a letter asking me to go to Singleton to see a Miss M Dillon - I of course then googled her and she is a Breast Cancer surgeon so I then knew my worst fears had come to fruition, I had BC. Told the family who all said it'll be nothing, a fatty lump, benign, nothing, but I knew.
Went yesterday to Singleton and in comes the BCN carrying some paperwork, it was only me and my husband in the waiting room, my leg was shaking that bad he had to hold it down, we were taken to a lovely pink room with soft seating with 'Counselling suite' on the door, I bloody knew then. I asked the BCN is it cancer, it's cancer isn't it?? She said 'wait for Miss Dillon' I said I know it's BC now I'm in a bloody counselling suite, I completely fell apart. My BCN spoke to me about the holiday, asked about theb kids etc, all I was thinking was I'm going to die, it was my last ever holiday.
The BDCN was right, once I had met Miss Dillon it was like the hugest weight had been lifted off my shoulders, yes I do have caner, but it's EARLY, stage 1. She said it's basically the best it could be, plan is magnaseed in within 10 days or so, a wide local incision and removal of 'Norman the squatter' and some surrounding breast tissue the second week of June, 5 consecutive days of radiotherapy once healed (about 4 weeks after) then tamoxifen for ten years. And I gues that's it, we soldier on, thank god for it being so early and wait to get it done.
Biopsy results : Grade 1 Intermediate Ductal Carcinoma, oestrogen and progesterone positive.
Sentinel lymph node biopsy (they look and feel clear she said)
Radiotherapy and endocrine (tamoxifen I presume) therapy.
HER2 negative (which is aparently a good thing!!!)
We soldier on
Jayne
Comments
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Hi @rainstarr and welcome to Breastcancer.org. We're so very sorry for the reasons that bring you here, but we're really glad you've found us. You're sure to find our amazing community a wonderful source of advice, information, encouragement and support — we're all here for you!
We know that the early days of a diagnosis can be super overwhelming. Just try to remember you're in good hands with your medical team and that the more you learn about the diagnosis and the treatment plan, the better you'll feel. We've all got your back!
You might want to read up on what each piece of your pathology report means here:
We know others will be by soon to weigh in with their thoughts and experiences. We look forward to helping support you through this. Let us know if you have any questions or need anything at all!
—The Mods
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rainstarr, I'm sorry you have to join us here with IDC. It's such a shock to get the news when you're feeling well and have reached the stage in your life where you have more freedom to enjoy yourself. It sounds like your medical team has a treatment plan in place. After your surgery they will do pathology on the actual tumor and tweak your plan if necessary.
My treatment was similar to yours: lumpectomy with sentinel node biopsy, radiotherapy and recommended endocrine therapy (tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitor.) It's not as much fun as a trip to France but it is doable. It looks like it was caught early so that helps you have a better outcome. Once things are underway you will probably feel a bit better since you are taking positive action. Come back and ask any questions you have as you go through treatment . I hope it goes well!
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Hi rainstarr,
So sorry you have to be here but it's very nice to meet you. It's such a shock to be pulled out from your normal (and it sounds like quite a lovely) life to deal with this nasty little beast called cancer.
I was about to embark on the trip of a lifetime, once way ticket to travel until exhaustion, when I got the diagnosis, so can relate a bit to what you're going through. I'm glad you managed to get that trip to France in!
It does sound like so far your diagnoses is very treatable and won't have you off the road for too long! My treatment sounds similar to yours. Lumpectomy, rads, probably AI/Hormone therapy. (I'm on the fence)
The worst part was honestly waiting on the diagnosis, the rest hasn't been bad at all, and you'll have spaces in between treatments to get some smaller trips in or enjoy the warmer days.
My diagnosis was late March and I plan on hitting the road mid-July after radiation.
My very best to you!
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Hello rainstarr,
Like you I'm in my 50's and relatively healthy. No family history of this either. I've had a spot that has been monitored for a few years but didn't seem to be anything. Then in April I had my mammogram and like usual they wanted to do an ultrasound afterwards so I wasn't concerned. They they found lumps in both breasts and wanted to do biopsies. I wasn't terrible concerned about the left but the right breast really hurt when they were doing the ultrasound. Turned out that the left was a cyst that they drained but the right was cancer. I was supposed to have my mammogram in January, but my mother had Alzheimer's which was progressing quickly so I was hyper focused on her. She did pass in March, so after dealing with her passing I did finally schedule my mammogram.
I had a lumpectomy at the end of May and will start radiation in July, then on to what I'm calling "Phase 3" on hormone therapy. Not sure what drugs those will be but hopefully something that will be tolerable.
Adding to the stress now is my husband also has cancer. Bladder cancer. He had his first surgery last August. It came back so a second surgery in March. He just had a recheck and yes it's back again so his next surgery is in August. This time they are doing a weekly chemo treatment for six weeks.
A positive attitude is everything. We joke a lot. Once I'm done with radiation then "Tag" it's my turn to take care of him after his surgery. I keeping the attitude that the universe is throwing all this at us to prepare us for something really great! Keep drawing in the good karma and keep a positive attitude.
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