Newly diagnosed with DCIS Making decison for treatment

Teresa11

dcis diagnosis
I just had surgery on Monday for DCIS and today I got the pathology results...I'm very lucky because I have clean margins and it is not invasive. The next step is radiation and I'm not sure what to expect. I hope you are doing okay and if you want to write, would be glad to hear from you.
Teresa

dlr102369

Teresa11 said:

dcis diagnosis
I just had surgery on Monday for DCIS and today I got the pathology results...I'm very lucky because I have clean margins and it is not invasive. The next step is radiation and I'm not sure what to expect. I hope you are doing okay and if you want to write, would be glad to hear from you.
Teresa

I am going for pre op on
I am going for pre op on Wednesday. I am starting to get nervous! I have surgery on the 30th. Now that the DCIS is invasive they will biopsy the sentinel node. If this is positive then the will do a axillary node disection. If positive then chemo, I think. I just hate the unknown. Wonder how the expanders will be? How long they will be in and inflated? We shall see! How long were you all out of work during surgery? My friends at work are having a get together after work on Friday, a farewell to the ta ta's I thought that was cute!

Hope you are all doing well!

Debbie

GreeneyedGirl

dlr102369 said:

I am going for pre op on
I am going for pre op on Wednesday. I am starting to get nervous! I have surgery on the 30th. Now that the DCIS is invasive they will biopsy the sentinel node. If this is positive then the will do a axillary node disection. If positive then chemo, I think. I just hate the unknown. Wonder how the expanders will be? How long they will be in and inflated? We shall see! How long were you all out of work during surgery? My friends at work are having a get together after work on Friday, a farewell to the ta ta's I thought that was cute!

Hope you are all doing well!

Debbie

Hi Debbie
The 30th is approaching and I am thinking of you. I currently have a tissue expander in place. For reconstruction I had a latissimus flap procedure, and the expander was inflated over a 2 month period. I never felt any pain or discomfort being filled, but have vicodin just incase. It feels a little tight right after an expansion. Sometimes it is uncomfortable to find a good position to sleep at night, kinda limited to your back or opposite side. As you reach your full expander size the breast feels hard. Dressing is sometimes challenging-stuffing your bra till your size is matched. 6 months after my initial surgery is the time to put the actual implant in, giving you ample time to heal in between. I don't work at this time, but felt great by 6 weeks out. Every one heals differently so give yourself time. I asked my doctor for some ativan to help with the anxiety of awaiting surgery. It is wonderful, and very relaxing.
Best to you- keep us posted as you can in the coming weeks of healing.
Melanie

Moopy23

dlr102369 said:

I am going for pre op on
I am going for pre op on Wednesday. I am starting to get nervous! I have surgery on the 30th. Now that the DCIS is invasive they will biopsy the sentinel node. If this is positive then the will do a axillary node disection. If positive then chemo, I think. I just hate the unknown. Wonder how the expanders will be? How long they will be in and inflated? We shall see! How long were you all out of work during surgery? My friends at work are having a get together after work on Friday, a farewell to the ta ta's I thought that was cute!

Hope you are all doing well!

Debbie

Thinking of you Tomorrow
Debbie, I will be praying that your news is good tomorrow. I agree with everyone--the surgery itself was not bad. The pain meds worked, and anti-nausea meds quickly stopped the post-anesthesis nausea. I went home the next day after my mastectomy. I was not really tired, either.

All the best tomorrow, and keep us posted.

mmontero38

Debbie: You've been in my
Debbie: You've been in my prayers all day. I hope everything went well and I hope to see you post soon. Hugs, Lili

Unknown

This comment has been removed by the Moderator

lolad

unknown said:

This comment has been removed by the Moderator

Debbie
Wanted to welcome you. You have gotten alot of good advice and support on this thread. I am 36, mother of three. I was diagnosed with bc in April. I had a double mastectomy with tissue expanders placed in at same time in june. With my expanders, they fill them every two weeks with saline to allow my tissue to expand and until im comfortable with the size they are. And yes, i am taking this opportunity to go a little bigger than i was before which was hardly nothing. I am currently doing chemo and have two more to go. I am glad that i went with the double mastectomy because the diagnosis was in the left breast but the right had fibrocysic disease and the tissue had started changing and forming into cancer. I didnt know about the right before surgery, i just wanted to take them both to give me some peace. I had alot of pain after. some dont. The filling of the expanders is not painful. When that process is done, they remove the expanders and replace with implants. Im excited about that part. I dont know what it is like to have MS on top of bc. I do however have a couple of other health issues i deal with on a daily basis and i just deal with it because i know i have to and i know i will beat the bc. Oh, you will also be sent home with drains attached to you. I had a home nurse who came every day to check on me and check the site and make sure it was draining properly. It was easy taking care of the drains myself though. I hope things go well for you. Try to stay calm and know it will soon be behind you. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

laura

kathyrcady

cabbott said:

Mastectomy Experience
I just posted a second ago on my mastectomy experience. Look just under this post and I think you will find it. I had to have a mastectomy because I had two spots of invasive cancer in one small breast. I just couldn't handle getting clean margins on the two spots they originally did lumpectomies and I wasn't really keen on going through multiple operations with no idea of the outcomes either. Getting a mastectomy did mean that I skipped radiation. My friends that did have radiation said that it was no big deal but they did get tired the last week or two. I wonder if any other survivors that visit this board deal with MS too.

C. Abbott

I just wanted to say hello,
I just wanted to say hello, and I'm also an RN with a 2 week diagnosis of breast ca. And yes it is way different being on the other side of the needle. I wish you all the best,your fellow nurse friend Kathy

ally77

DCIS & MS
Hello,

I am also a nurse, 41 yoa. I have had MS for 12 years and just 2 weeks ago found out that I have DCIS. I am still wrapping my head and heart around this diagnosis.

I am curious how you did with radiation and MS?

Also..wondering how much breast apperance changed with surgery and radiation. I am having lumpectomy on 11/16 and then 6 weeks of radiation. As the days go by, I am wondering more about the cosmetic changes. Seems silly at times but I have had thoughts of bodily changes running aroung in my head.

Thanks for any comments. All the best to each of you.

EveningStar2

ally77 said:

DCIS & MS
Hello,

I am also a nurse, 41 yoa. I have had MS for 12 years and just 2 weeks ago found out that I have DCIS. I am still wrapping my head and heart around this diagnosis.

I am curious how you did with radiation and MS?

Also..wondering how much breast apperance changed with surgery and radiation. I am having lumpectomy on 11/16 and then 6 weeks of radiation. As the days go by, I am wondering more about the cosmetic changes. Seems silly at times but I have had thoughts of bodily changes running aroung in my head.

Thanks for any comments. All the best to each of you.

no MS
But I am a nurse, had DCIS, lumpectomy and 33 rad treatments. I am older, 56. I have a scar at the aureole from the surgery, and a tanned breast with some interesting skin changes from the radiation burn I had. I had a pretty good lump after the surgery but that has softened a whole lot in the last 10 months.

Maureen

Dawne.Hope

ally77 said:

DCIS & MS
Hello,

I am also a nurse, 41 yoa. I have had MS for 12 years and just 2 weeks ago found out that I have DCIS. I am still wrapping my head and heart around this diagnosis.

I am curious how you did with radiation and MS?

Also..wondering how much breast apperance changed with surgery and radiation. I am having lumpectomy on 11/16 and then 6 weeks of radiation. As the days go by, I am wondering more about the cosmetic changes. Seems silly at times but I have had thoughts of bodily changes running aroung in my head.

Thanks for any comments. All the best to each of you.

not sure they will respond
Dear ally77,

Not sure the original poster will answer you because the original post was almost a year ago. Haven't seen that name on the boards recently ... but maybe they will! Just wanted to let you know. You might want to see a private message to the original poster?

Take care!
dh

KeriLee

what does your doctor say?
Debbie,
I was diagnosed and originally scheduled for a lumpectomy, about 2 days prior to my surgery and after many tests my surgeon called me at 6:30 in the morning to tell me with the additional information the found from the testing she thought we should do a mastectomy instead, at the time a was pretty freaked out as I was diagnosed on 5-14 and scheduled for surgery on 6-4 not a lot of time to digest everything anyway. But I thank gtod and my surgeon for that decision because during my surgery they found a second tumor that was not identified with all the other tests, my surgeon told me had they done the lumpectomy they wouldn't have found the second tumor. I then went through 7 months of chemo and 36 rad treatments, followed by 5 years of tamoxifen (still on) and just past my 1 year anniversary of my diep recontruction surgery, very happy with results. Listen to your doctor and ask for their opinion. Only you and your doctor can decide whats best for you, but I hope my story will give you some food for thought. Best wishes and please keep us posted.
Hugs and prayer
Keri

Unknown

Derbygirl said:

Just finished radiation on
Just finished radiation on Christmas Eve following 4 rounds of chemo and lumpectomy. I agree with the statement about needing radiation if you have a lumpectomy. Breast cancer surgeon said the end result for me would be about the same if I had a lumpectomy and radiation or mastectomy only. I opted for the breast conserving lumpectomy. There was fatigue with radiation plus the hassle of going for treatment Mon-Fri for five weeks. After week #4 I had some burns for which I'm still treating with ointment. Lots of choices and decisions to be made. Good luck!

This comment has been removed by the Moderator

Unknown

KeriLee said:

what does your doctor say?
Debbie,
I was diagnosed and originally scheduled for a lumpectomy, about 2 days prior to my surgery and after many tests my surgeon called me at 6:30 in the morning to tell me with the additional information the found from the testing she thought we should do a mastectomy instead, at the time a was pretty freaked out as I was diagnosed on 5-14 and scheduled for surgery on 6-4 not a lot of time to digest everything anyway. But I thank gtod and my surgeon for that decision because during my surgery they found a second tumor that was not identified with all the other tests, my surgeon told me had they done the lumpectomy they wouldn't have found the second tumor. I then went through 7 months of chemo and 36 rad treatments, followed by 5 years of tamoxifen (still on) and just past my 1 year anniversary of my diep recontruction surgery, very happy with results. Listen to your doctor and ask for their opinion. Only you and your doctor can decide whats best for you, but I hope my story will give you some food for thought. Best wishes and please keep us posted.
Hugs and prayer
Keri

This comment has been removed by the Moderator