Margins clear..nodes clear! Good day..

Congratulations Sam
So happy for you!

Noel said:

Party Sam! Congrats!
Party Sam! Congrats!

congrats
congrats!

sbmly53 said:

so happy
terri,

I just joined this site because of your first posting. I'm wondering why you are having a 2nd surgery - I must have missed something...Please let us know.
My story, quickly: Routine annual mammo 10/28/09 - oh-oh! microcalcifications, left breast. No sweat, had them twice before on the right, both benign. Well, the 3rd time was not a charm. 11/12/09 stereotactic biopsy, bad news arrived 11/16. Saw surgeon 11/24, who was spectacular. He believed it would be a lumpectomy followed by radiation. However, the sentinal node was involved. My world crashed. Chemo onc was matter of fact, office was moving, and I was hysterical. Seeing my dismay, he ordered an Onco Dx test. (I was er & pr pos, & mildly her pos.) Test came back with a low risk of reoccurance. He suggested just radiation, didn't think I would benefit from chemo.
Now, I am terrified. Should I have had chemo? I will, most likely, be on something for the next 5+ yrs. Such a roller coaster to ride.

Sue

sue...2nd surgery
Sue,
I had to have a re excision yesterday because the surgeon wanted a wider clear margin. I was dx with DCIS in the right breast in Dec 09 and I had a lumpectomy Dec 17th, 2009 and there was 2 margins that were close. One was 1mm and the other 2mm and they like to see 3mm or greater so the surgeon wanted to go back and remove about 1 cm more in those areas. My calcifications were found on my routine mammogram in Nov then I also had the sterotactic biopsy the next week and I got my bad news on Dec 11th, 2009 and the journey began. If the margins are clear on this pathology report I will be having radiation and then take Arimidex. I am praying for more clear margins.Probably will get the report back on Tues. I understand how you feel about not knowing whether you should have chemo or not. I often wonder if I am getting the right treatment because I know nothing about all the different kinds of treatments and circumstances. I am just trying to put all my faith in the drs. and hope they are doing what is best for me. I have learned a lot from the people on this site and it seems the treatment that I am getting is pretty much the standard. I told my husband the other day that I felt like a lamb being taken for slaughter. That sounds awful I know but I just felt that way like I feel helpless and at the dr mercy because this is all so unfamiliar to me. I am get going through the motions that they tell me and ask questions if I don't understand. You sometimes wonder "am I getting the best possible treatment?" How do we really know? If you are unsure about the chemo mayby you should seek second opinion so that you can feel comfortable about your treatment. Good luck and keep me posted.