Just diagnosed 2 hours ago.........

Debbie55 said:

invasive ductal carcinoma/
I was just diagnosed Oct 10 with breast cancer.. I will be having a masectomy ( left breast ) on Dec. 16 . I'm scared as hell.. Still have questions .. I an 56 years of age.

crselby said:

Hi Anne,
I had ductal
Hi Anne,
I had ductal carcinoma in-situ. I'm confused by "invasive ductal carinoma in situ" because the "in situ" means the tumor hasn't invaded the surrounding tissue. Anyway, what I had, the DCIS, turned out to be the best possible type of breast cancer for me to have. I hope yours, like mine, is limited to one spot. If so, I hope you can have, as I did, a lumpectomy. In the reading I did before and after my surgery, I learned that a lumpectomy plus radiation has been shown to be as effective against any recurrence as a mastectomy.

For me, one breast is a little smaller than the other which is not noticeable in clothes. My life is pretty normal, now, 2 years out from the surgery and radiation, except for more frequent mammograms and ultrasounds. But there was a time when I thought life would NEVER be the same again. It consisted of doctor visit after doctor visit. I maxed out the out-of-pocket portion of my insurance that year and had no out of pocket costs after that until January of the next year!

For a lot of sisters on this board, life is radically different after a breast cancer diagnosis. For my DCIS diagnosis two years ago, I can say life IS back to normal, just slightly altered. I am 60 now (57 at diagnosis) and feel any breast cancer is behind me. I have learned MANY things about myself and about breast cancer since then. I will NEVER say that having cancer was good for me. But I am past it now. And I am writing this to you because, at the stage you're at, I desperately wanted to hear from a 'survivor' who felt good. I call myself a "veteran", not a survivor because the latter word implies to me that I was somehow a victim. But either way, a normal life is VERY possible. There is a 'future' Anne, looking back and cheering you on, telling you, "you can do this; take one step at a time and you will soon see the light at the end of the tunnel!"

My best wishes to you. I'll be looking for your posts as you progress.

~~Connie~~

trixytwo said:

so sorry
You have to go though this twice. I am newly diagnosed and the treatment plan has already changed 3times so confusing. Hugs and prayers.

Pam5 said:

Of boy - this is a lot for
Of boy - this is a lot for one person to go through so close together. I am so sorry. My second bc was a cluster of invasive cells with two other in situ sights located in other areas of the breast. I had a mastectomy/reconstruction. I too am confused why your doc called it invasive in situ. That doesn't make a lot of sense to me; however I didn't go to medical school. (sigh). I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

Take care,
Pam

Texasgirl10 said:

I'm so sorry
I'm so sorry that you are going through this but I'm glad you found this site. Ask as many questions as you need to, there is a wealth of knowledge here & someone is always online ready to listen & help.

Post often to let us know how you are doing.

Hugs & God Bless,

Dawne

beachmom said:

Ann and Debbie,
I am so sorry that you are here...but you are surrounded by a wonderful group of people with a wealth of knowledge and even more love and compassion.

Never a good thing to hear, once, much less twice. You will find many answers to your questions here when you start looking around. You'll know what to ask at appointments, etc. with a bit of surfing on these boards. I consider myself new as well, I found out in Sept. and had my surgery in Oct. I'll be heading back to work next week and looking forward to that.

Many prayers for both of you,
Keely