diagnosed 10/7/2011

cntgobck03

Cinkal said:

Welcome to this site. I
Welcome to this site. I know everything seems overwhelming to you right now. It is a journey none of us signed up for.
I was diagnoses in January at the age of 39. I have triple negative breast cancer, stage 2 no lymph node involvement. My tumor was fairly large, 2.5 centimeters and seemed to pop up over night. I was also given the option of mastectomy or lumpectomy. I have large breast and the surgeon said if they were smaller I would not have had the lumpectomy option, because the tumor was large. My breast is not disfigured. He took a little tissue from a different part of my breast and filled in where the tumor was. The breast is a little smaller than the other, but is not noticeable with a bra on. A second opinion might be a good idea. I got one and it made me more confident about my decision.
I know chemo is a word you do not want to hear. I was also told, because of my age, I would probably need chemo. Breast cancer seems to be more aggressive in younger women. Chemo was not as bad as I anticipated.
Good Luck

I am going to get a second
I am going to get a second opinion. I felt like a number at the office to for my first visit. I have other things to be considered and the doctor didn't know my history. I have lupus and I don't know what impact that would have on the cancer, I know that chemo could impact it. I know I'll get through this. It's really good to a place like this to talk to others with experience. Thank you for your input. This does scare me but I've been scared before and I'll overcome it. Right now, I feel like I can't get enough information.

cntgobck03

csuzanne said:

diagnosed 6/9/11
i was told the next day that i had to have a mastectomy because there were two lumps, and i am a b-...so there wasn't a whole lot to work with. i'm taking tamoxifen for the next 4 years 9 months, but had no radiation. thankfully, the lymph nodes were clear. i will have reconstruction (bi-lateral with a tummy tuck for the extra skin) on 12/5. (i'm waiting due to my jobs' holiday/vacation schedule) the mastectomy was scarey, i won't lie. but it wasn't nearly as bad as i thought it would be! the drain was the worst, and my husband took care of that most days. i took percocet the first couple of days, but tylenol worked afterwards. i was out for a week and part time for a week, but i was very slow moving for awhile. i'm told this surgery will be harder - no driving for 6 weeks!
good luck to you, and know that YOU CAN DO THIS!! my motto: it is what it is, and i plan to be around to see my great-grandchildren (i have one grandson)! (you see, i lost my son almost 25 years ago...thought that would kill me, but it didn't. so, i've already been to hell and back a few times - i can do this!)
Suzanne

Hi, I had the breast MRI
Hi, I had the breast MRI yesterday with dye. I'm a b too so in the same position. They've told me I'll be taking Tamoxifen for 5 years as well. I'm so sorry about your son, I can see how this would be just another mountain to climb. I have a wayward son myself. I have a daughter, she's in college and doing well. We'll see what the results of the MRI are but I'm pretty sure I've already made a decision about what I want to do. There are so many things to consider. My daughter had her opinion, she flew home to go to the surgeon and oncologist visits with me. We seem to be thinking along the same lines.

cntgobck03

MsGebby said:

So you've had no surgery
So you've had no surgery yet? I would ask how a doctor can prescribe chemo without knowing the grade of the tumor. Unless of course the chemo is to reduce the size of the tumor. I am sorry this is happening to you. I have just been diagnosed. I am stage IIa, invasive papillary carcinoma, clear nodes, Ki-67 HIGH . The tumor was removed a month ago and I just saw my oncologist yesterday. I thought I would need radiation and hormone therapy ONLY. Boy was I wrong. I will need more surgery, chemo, radiation and hormone therapy. My world is spinning out of control but I will do what I have to do to survive.

I am writing because I don't understand why you are considering surgery options while at the same time saying you need chemo.

Good luck. I hope you are comfortable with the doctors you have. Second opinions are great. AND ... I am finding so much inspiration from the ladies and men who have been down this road.

Be well
Mary

no surgery yet, and they
no surgery yet, and they aren't prescribing, just telling me all scenario's. I won't know if I have to have chemo until after surgery. The oncologist saw me the same week I saw the surgeon. I have lupus and that may play a part. I understand about your world spinning out of control.

jnl

Heatherbelle said:

similar story and welcome
Hello and I'm so sorry you've been diagnosed with this im glad you found this website though - it holds a wealth of information and support for you, and we're a pretty phenomenal group of people!
I was 34 last year at diagnosis. My advice to you would be to discuss your options with your surgeon, consult an oncologist, and a plastic surgeon. I took 2 weeks after my diagnosis to read, research, and meet with these doctors and it really helped me to make my decision to have a bilateral mastectomy (i only had cancer in my right breast), with reconstruction. I have not had one regret with my choice.
Chemo - it plain sucks. It IS do-able though. And they have really good meds that prevent nausea and vomiting, and most side effects can be managed with meds. I was also told that I would need chemo because of my age. I wont say that one surgery is better than the other, but ill share why I chose mastectomy.
-because of being younger, my cancer was more aggressive, and my chances of it returning in the same breast, and getting it in the other breast, in the future, was very high. 60-80% chance in MY case of a recurrence per my oncologist. To me, those are high numbers. So it gave me peace of mind having them both gone. Also, I didn't want to have to go through radiation every day for 5-6 weeks. And cosmetically, I would have a better look if I had both breasts removed and replaced with silicone implants. Im extrmely happy with my breast reconstruction. I know that I could still have a recurrence along my scar or on my chest wall, but just having them both gone just eases my mind. Radical, yes. But then again so was the idea of me, a 34 year old mother of two, even getting cancer in the first place. And for me, it's all about being here for them well into their adulthood and beyond.
Best of luck to you, dear sister, and please know that you can count on us anytime to lend you our support and love and experiences.
*hugs*
Heather

I had a very small incision
I had a very small incision for my lumpectomy and you can hardly see it. It was a little half moon around my aerola and unless you know it is there, I don't think you could see it. I had a great breast surgeon and my tumor was small, so, no disfigurement.


Good luck to you,

Leeza