Another New Person
Comments
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Hi, and welcome. Glad youladybug22 said:just want to say welcome and
just want to say welcome and good luck hugs to you
Hi, and welcome. Glad you found this site it's the best. I really don't know what i would have done without all the help I got here. First, make a list of all your questions. Bring someone with you to your appointments if you can. Reason for this is it's hard to hear and get all that they will tell you. Just because you have no BC in your family does not mean anything. You will be doing alot of waiting for results in the next few weeks or more. This is one of the hard parts is the not knowing. We are here for you anytime you feel the need. Again welcome to the club no one wants to be a member of but so glad its here for us. Hang in there.0 -
KatKat11 said:Hi, and welcome. Glad you
Hi, and welcome. Glad you found this site it's the best. I really don't know what i would have done without all the help I got here. First, make a list of all your questions. Bring someone with you to your appointments if you can. Reason for this is it's hard to hear and get all that they will tell you. Just because you have no BC in your family does not mean anything. You will be doing alot of waiting for results in the next few weeks or more. This is one of the hard parts is the not knowing. We are here for you anytime you feel the need. Again welcome to the club no one wants to be a member of but so glad its here for us. Hang in there.
I do have a few questions written down and am sure more will come to me during or after my meting on Tuesday. My sister will be going with me for the reasons you mentioned above. Like most of us ... I hate the waiting! Thank you for your reply.0 -
Hi Gloria
I am 52 and was the first in my family to have breast cancer so it was kind of a shock to me, though I had fibrocystic breast disease so I should have known something would happen sooner or later.
I guess you will need to know if you will need a lumpectomy or a mastectomy. If they have to take the entire breast, will you do reconstruction, and will it be a tram flap using abdominal tissue or expanders. Then there is chemo vs radiation or both depending on what they find with the surgery and if lymphnodes are involved. Sigh....Its a long haul, but truly this is the most difficult part, the not knowing what to expect.
Like was posted before, take someone with you so you can write down what the surgeon says and come back and let us know. We can and will help you get thru this.
Hugs
Linda T0 -
mlmjtmlmjt1 said:Hi Gloria
I am 52 and was the first in my family to have breast cancer so it was kind of a shock to me, though I had fibrocystic breast disease so I should have known something would happen sooner or later.
I guess you will need to know if you will need a lumpectomy or a mastectomy. If they have to take the entire breast, will you do reconstruction, and will it be a tram flap using abdominal tissue or expanders. Then there is chemo vs radiation or both depending on what they find with the surgery and if lymphnodes are involved. Sigh....Its a long haul, but truly this is the most difficult part, the not knowing what to expect.
Like was posted before, take someone with you so you can write down what the surgeon says and come back and let us know. We can and will help you get thru this.
Hugs
Linda T
Thank you. I will keep you posted.0 -
Yet another newbee
Evening everyone, my name is Debra. I was DX Jul 23 Stage 3 node mets ER+ PR+ HER2 - ASND Oct 28 and right mestectomy September 9th. Chemo began November 18 with full hysterectomy to follow.
Enough about me !! Quick question as I am new. I am in much pain and wanted to figure out which one of my meds might be causing it (bones and muscles...) neuprogen maybe? Is there a thread that may help?
Thank you to you all for being here.......what a lonely road this can be0 -
Hi Gloria
I just read your post, I'm sorry to hear of your news, but you ARE on the right site for questions to be answered, words of encouragement and even some stuff we don't want to hear but it's honest and we need it.
I was just diagnosed Nov. 5th (zero family history as well...never saw it coming) so I'm just a tiny bit ahead of you on this learning curve. I'm still trying to take it all in too.
Glad to hear you are taking your sister with you when you go talk to your surgeon. I didn't remember some KEY things when I went, but my partner did...thank goodness.
Wow, I'm sitting here thinking about where my head was when I was in your shoes. All I can think of is start writing things down, it really helped me.
Some questions...
What other tests do I need? (if any)
what are ALL of my options for surgery?
Is there someone I can call back if I think of questions after I leave their office?
It's not much, but it's a start. I found that as the surgeon started to talk I had a million questions. My biggest piece of advice is ....If you don't understand, ask them to repeat it until you do.
I be sending you positive thoughts and prayers your way. It's one of the really nice things about this web site, lots of prayers and people who understand what you are thinking, feeling and going through.
Best of luck at the surgeon's.
Nancy0 -
fightin itfightin it said:Hi Gloria
I just read your post, I'm sorry to hear of your news, but you ARE on the right site for questions to be answered, words of encouragement and even some stuff we don't want to hear but it's honest and we need it.
I was just diagnosed Nov. 5th (zero family history as well...never saw it coming) so I'm just a tiny bit ahead of you on this learning curve. I'm still trying to take it all in too.
Glad to hear you are taking your sister with you when you go talk to your surgeon. I didn't remember some KEY things when I went, but my partner did...thank goodness.
Wow, I'm sitting here thinking about where my head was when I was in your shoes. All I can think of is start writing things down, it really helped me.
Some questions...
What other tests do I need? (if any)
what are ALL of my options for surgery?
Is there someone I can call back if I think of questions after I leave their office?
It's not much, but it's a start. I found that as the surgeon started to talk I had a million questions. My biggest piece of advice is ....If you don't understand, ask them to repeat it until you do.
I be sending you positive thoughts and prayers your way. It's one of the really nice things about this web site, lots of prayers and people who understand what you are thinking, feeling and going through.
Best of luck at the surgeon's.
Nancy
Nancy - thank you so much for your reply and for your thoughts and prayers.
My head? My head! Oh ya, my head ... it's in an overwhelming cloud right now. I would think after 4+ days of hearing the results I would be in a better place but since I still am in the "unknown" area I guess that may account for the fuzziness/numbness.
Thank you all for the support I have received already tonight from this site. I can tell I will visit this site often.
Gloria0 -
Basically, your surgeon will
Basically, your surgeon will explain the diagnosis and what they suggest for treatment. With DCIS, I would bet that they suggest surgery to remove the tumor. They may or may not do a sentinel node biopsy, since DCIS is "in-situ" which means in is contained within the tumor - it has not leaked out to the surrounding tissues. My guess is that they might recommend radiation - but I doubt chemo would be part of your treatment - unless they do an Onctotype test and you have a high recurrence score. I don't know if they would do an Oncotype test if it is DCIS. Once the tumor is removed and biopsied, they will be better able to give you treatment options. It's scary and there will be waiting and wondering until all the information is in and a treatment plan of action can be taken - but you will get there and get through all this!
Hope this helps!
Lori0 -
HiGloria09 said:fightin it
Nancy - thank you so much for your reply and for your thoughts and prayers.
My head? My head! Oh ya, my head ... it's in an overwhelming cloud right now. I would think after 4+ days of hearing the results I would be in a better place but since I still am in the "unknown" area I guess that may account for the fuzziness/numbness.
Thank you all for the support I have received already tonight from this site. I can tell I will visit this site often.
Gloria
Yep, I can relate to the fuzzyness and the numbness. Not exactly sure I've wrapped my head around it all yet.
I was on this site for two hours the first time I found it before I decided to post anything. I read a lot and "got my feet wet" a bit first. It was very comforting to me knowing that there were so many women that had gone through so much and came out standing on both feet.
Have a good night and get some sleep (easier said than done sometimes).
Nancy0 -
Welcome!
I just want to welcome all of you to the websight that no one wants to belong to. I found this group of fantastic women in August, after my chemo and radiation was behind me. I think I was having a down day, which is quite common for those of us who are through with our treatment and we wonder, "What's next?" Anyway I started looking at different websights and found this one. I knew immediately this is where I needed to be. The women in this group are the strongest and bravest that I have ever known. Each one is fighting her own battle and doing it with great courage. You will be very thankful in the months to come that you have them on your side. Welcome!! My only wish is that I had found this group when I began my journey. Connie0 -
Add more questionsfightin it said:Hi Gloria
I just read your post, I'm sorry to hear of your news, but you ARE on the right site for questions to be answered, words of encouragement and even some stuff we don't want to hear but it's honest and we need it.
I was just diagnosed Nov. 5th (zero family history as well...never saw it coming) so I'm just a tiny bit ahead of you on this learning curve. I'm still trying to take it all in too.
Glad to hear you are taking your sister with you when you go talk to your surgeon. I didn't remember some KEY things when I went, but my partner did...thank goodness.
Wow, I'm sitting here thinking about where my head was when I was in your shoes. All I can think of is start writing things down, it really helped me.
Some questions...
What other tests do I need? (if any)
what are ALL of my options for surgery?
Is there someone I can call back if I think of questions after I leave their office?
It's not much, but it's a start. I found that as the surgeon started to talk I had a million questions. My biggest piece of advice is ....If you don't understand, ask them to repeat it until you do.
I be sending you positive thoughts and prayers your way. It's one of the really nice things about this web site, lots of prayers and people who understand what you are thinking, feeling and going through.
Best of luck at the surgeon's.
Nancy
I went to the doctor with nearly 40 questions and found those questions REALLY helpful not only for deciding on my treatment but also for deciding on my doctor.
What are the risks of this surgery (mastectomy, lumpectomy, sentinel node biopsy, etc.--ask for EACH surgical recommendation)? Are there any others? (some doctors don't tell you ALL of the risks!) What are the benefits?
What treatment do you recommend after surgery? Why? What are the risks? What are the benefits?
A great recommendation I was given was to take a nonfamily member with me to take notes. You could also take an audio recorder. The doctors will let you record the conversation so you don't have to remember everything. One of my professors went with me and my husband to every doctor we interview (3) and took extensive notes, helped us remember questions, asked clarifying questions. Then she typed every thing up and sent me an electronic doc--38 pages long. It was so helpful!!
We eliminated the first doctor because she gave misleading and inaccurate information about the "differences" in recurrence rate for mastectomy vs. lumpectomy with radiation. Turned out she really likes to do mastectomies (we got "inside" info from someone else who works at the same hospital), so, whether she does it consciously or not, she tries to bias patients to choose mastectomies.
I came up with a lot of questions by reading Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book and by looking at the National Cancer Institute and other sites like this one.
Good luck! Sandy0
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