Newly diagnosed IDC, 62 years old and terrified

JanPat said:

Find your own ways of coping
There is no doubt that you are facing one of the most frightening times of you life, if not the most frightening. I am not going to sugar coat it and tell you that it is no big deal because there are probably going to be some days ahead that are rough. However, you will be doing yourself a favor if you find simple little ways to help you cope. I was diagnosed with Stage IIB last December and had a lumpectomy on December 16th followed by chemo and radiation. My daughter made one of the glasses that you can place your own picture in with pictures of my grandsons and I took that glass with me to every chemo treatment. It was hard not to find a smile when I could see their beautiful little faces. I also bought a pair of fun socks for each one of my treatments. They brought a smile to the staff's face as well as mine. Most importantly, I made sure I had someone with me that loved me at every treatment. It's okay to be afraid and most definitely okay to cry but you can do this and there are a whole bunch of us that will be praying for you and cheering you on!

JanPat said:

Each day is a gift
Physically I am doing well. Still get tired easier than before but nothing that stops me from enjoying what matters to me. I also deal with residual effects of chemo with mild neuropathy of my feet but again, I do not let it keep me from enjoying life. My hair started coming back in within a month of my last chemo treatment and within three months I was able to shed my hats .... Yay!!! I am now taking Arimidex and have been fortunate not to have to deal with any of the side effects.

Emotionally, there are still times that I am overwhelmed with everything that happened especially when I meet someone that was recently diagnosed. It was also a blow when one month after my last radiation treatment my father was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. Four weeks ago today he went to meet Jesus and while I am so thankful that he no longer has to suffer, my heart is hurting especially having to face Christmas without him. I continue to hold tightly to the hand of God!

Kelly513 said:

So sorry you are going thru
So sorry you are going thru this I too have IDC had right mast on Nov 7th. I can totally relate to how you are feeling I use to be such a carefree girl without any worries in the world now my life seems consumed with fear sadness and Doctor apps. I had the blue dye for node detection was not numbed! alone for two hrs without my husband or family but I remained as brave as possible and to tell you the truth it wasn't so bad so please don't make yourself crazy scared over it. It sure does suck but it's was very quick and watching the nodes light up on the computer was very interesting. Have a tattoo and that was way more painful lol:) different for everyone I am sure! Good luck you came to the right place everyone here is wonderful and full of knowledge. I know it is scary and difficult but you have to remember to take deep breaths and try to stay calm and positive. Crying is so normal it is ok to feel your feelings I cried my eyes raw this past week!! I feel like breast cancer has consumed me and that I am not normal but believe me we are all normal my husband keeps reminding me lol:)

Venus2012 said:

Newly Diagnosed 62 years old
My heart goes out to you. It is very scary to go through and you will have many moments of emotions coming up. You are in a great facility. My girlfriend was diagnosed last December and did her treatments at MD Anderson Orlando. I was diagnosed in April this year in Texas and fortunate to have a great crew at Medical City Dallas.
Write all your questions down in a journal so when you see your doctors you can ask questions that you think of when you are home. Your husband is wonderful and supportive, but he is also having his own emotions about this and mostly his concern for you. BE STRONG. You are taking care of your body now and will get it back on the right track. You are going through this to enjoy a longer healthier life with your husband. YOU ARE STRONG.
Your SCARY LIFE is over, you are going to get healthy again.
Thinking of you my dear.

hestko76 said:

I'll try and answer your questions!
Hi Diane,
This definition tells you what HER2 is. You will see that this type of cancer IS NOT inherited, so gene testing for others in your family is not warranted.

HER2-positive breast cancer is a breast cancer that tests positive for a protein called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), which promotes the growth of cancer cells. In about 1 of every 5 breast cancers, the cancer cells make an excess of HER2 due to a gene mutation. This gene mutation and the elevated levels of HER2 that it causes can occur in many types of cancer — not only breast cancer. This is a gene mutation that occurs only in the cancer cells and is not a type of mutation that you can inherit from a parent.

My tumor was found with a mamogram. You can't feel a tumor until it is 1 cm, and you can't see it on a mamogram until it is 5 mm. Sometimes, with large breasts, it can't be felt at 1 cm, either.

Yes, I did have the dye injected. It was VERY painful... probably the most pain I had during this year of treatment. Inserting the wire through my nipple was not painful. I started walking at age 50, because of a bone density test. I did no other exercise, but teach school! I've always been a few pounds over weight. I did gain 12 pounds during chemo. But, I'm counting calories again, and I've lost 18 pounds! Yea! I am retired now, but do substitute teaching and give piano lessons.

Chemo wasn't a piece of cake, but very doable. I didn't feel too bad until days 4 and 5 after chemo. Very very tired..... There are meds to handle the other stuff: nausa, diareha, constipation. I never lost my appetite. My hair fell out between my lst and 2nd chemo. That is very typical.

My surgery was long.... 5 1/2 hours! My surgeon tested the margins while I was still "under", and decided to get clearer margins then. My recovery from the lumpectomy was fine.

I forgot to say in my earlier post.... I did get 33 radiation treatments which began 1 month after chemo. I did burn and peel, but light skinned women do burn worse than others.

I feel good now, but still need more sleep than I used to get. My hair grew in very curly.... always had straight hair.... but at least it is hair!

I hope this helps!
Helen

jnl said:

Hi DianeHelen! Hearing
Hi DianeHelen! Hearing those 3 awful words and then having to go thru everything that we have to in order to save our lives is scary and is also not fair. But, you've got so many pink sisters that have been thru it and can hopefully help to answer your questions and give you support. This site, these women are amazing!

I am sending you lots of hugs and lots of support!


Leeza

kacee999 said:

Fear of the unknown...
is what gets you. So when I was diagnosed I got on the net and started reading, reading, reading, reading, reading and I mean a LOT! I Learned the jargon of the cancer world, I read about the various types of cancer, the stages, the treatments, what to expect. I was Stage 1, IDC, DCIS (in situ), microscopic met to the sentinel node (but no others). I had a bi-lateral mastegtomy (I said TAKE IT ALL!!!!!), 6 rounds of TAC chemo - Taxotere, Adriamycin, Cytoxan, followed by 25 sessions of rads, follwed by (now) 5 years of Aromatase Inhibitor (Arimidex). I made it a point to be as versed as possible in all facets of my treatment. Being forewarned takes 90% of the fear away. And when you go to your doctor, take a cell phone and RECORD all your initial visits. You'll be getting WAY too much info to digest at once, even with a second person there to help. You'll find that you will "adjust" (if you need help and can't seem to get under control, demand some anti-anxiety meds!) to the "new normal" for the period of treatment and after. It is all doable. (By the way, I am 61)