Just Had Sonogram and Scheduled to Talk With Surgeon
Comments
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Hi PDV
I am happy you found us, but sorry for the reason. I had a needle biopsy the first time, where they put a needle into the tumor and remove some for testing. That one showed stage I carcinoma. The second time it happened, about a year later, they put me right in to the hospital to have it removed and biopsied. Thank God that one was benign. You will meet a lot of extraordinary women (and men) on this site and just know that we will all be there in the room with you in spirit when they do the biopsy. Let us know what happens!!!
Hugs - Pat0 -
Hi, pdv, and welcome to the
Hi, pdv, and welcome to the group no one wants to join. I had a needle biopsy after my diagnostic mannogram and sonogram. I was advised then by the radiologist that it looked like cancer but until the pathologist came back with the report, I wouldn't know for sure. Well, it was invasive ductal carcinoma and I then began the appointments and ultimate decisions regarding treatments. I had a lumpetomy, chemo and radiation. I just finished my treatments on Christmas Eve and have now started the 5-year pill Arimidex (my cancer was estrogen positive). It's all very overwhelming initially so I would suggest that you stop and take a breath and then take it one day at a time. We're a great group of very supportive and knowledgeable individuals and will be right there with you every step of the way. Keep posting and let us know your decisions. Take care and good luck!0 -
I Hate that I'm Not Alone but Thankful at the Same Time
I hate the fact that there has to be a forum on this subject. You're right...it's been a little overwhelming. The hardest part is not knowing yet. The second hardest part will be deciding what to do if I find it is cancer for sure. I am so sorry that you guys are even going through this but thankful that you are willing to share your experience.
Prior to your first appointment with the surgeon did you feel like not even going and just trying to forget it or were you anxious to find out? I'm not sure that I want to put my plans for this spring and summer on hold to take care of this. I worry that if I do that I will miss out on our (my husbands & mine) plans.
I am suppose to retire in March and start a new life of full time RVing.0 -
Warm Welcome, pdv
Though I regret the reason, glad you found us. We're all here to support and encourage each other.
My first "biopsy" was fine needle aspiration - fluid withdrawn from the tumor. In my OB/GYNE's office. He had originally suspected only fibroids.
Then, following diagnostic mammogram & breast ultrasound - core biopsy performed by my BC onc surgeon.
You are just beginning your journey. There will be numerous extremely difficult decisions to be made, and lots of waiting for results in between steps. And only you can make those decisions for yourself.
Certainly I don't mean to frighten you further: however, of the very few people I personally know of who refused surgery/treatment... None of them are still living, perished from the disease. Cancer doesn't "go away" by itself.
There are many of us here who are currently enduring/have endured the entire gamut: surgery, chemotherapy, radiation treatment, anti-BC oral prescription medication, etc. ... Which was - and is still (meds) - my own road. It's all doable; yet, none of it is easy. Am now a 6+ year survivor.
Please feel free to visit often, whenever you'd like or need to. We'll be here for you, all along the way.
Kind regards, Susan0 -
The hardest part of all ofpdv said:I Hate that I'm Not Alone but Thankful at the Same Time
I hate the fact that there has to be a forum on this subject. You're right...it's been a little overwhelming. The hardest part is not knowing yet. The second hardest part will be deciding what to do if I find it is cancer for sure. I am so sorry that you guys are even going through this but thankful that you are willing to share your experience.
Prior to your first appointment with the surgeon did you feel like not even going and just trying to forget it or were you anxious to find out? I'm not sure that I want to put my plans for this spring and summer on hold to take care of this. I worry that if I do that I will miss out on our (my husbands & mine) plans.
I am suppose to retire in March and start a new life of full time RVing.
The hardest part of all of this is not knowing. The waiting game is no fun but unfortunately it's part of it. I don't think I ever considered just sweeping this under the rug, so to speak. I knew the seriousness of it and I have a husband and daughter and I wanted to live. So, I came to the realization very early on that I would do whatever I needed to do. You have an advantage over me and that is that you found this site in the very early stage. I didn't find these wonderful people until August and at that point I had already decided on the surgery and was in the middle of chemo. I had a hard time making the decision on lumpectomy versus mastectomy. My point is there are women and men on this board that have experienced any type of surgery and various regimes of chemo. We'll be here to provide our experiences and help in any way we can to help you make informed decisions. I'll continue to hope that you DO NOT have cancer and therefore can continue with your new life of RVing. The worst that can happen is you have to postpone your start date for a couple of months!! Take care.0 -
Exactly how it went with me.
Exactly how it went with me. I had an abnormal mammogram last June 30th, was called on July 6th(same day I had accident with my car, a motorcycle ran into me in a parking lot, did 6,000 worth of damage) Went the following Friday for the ultrasound. Radiologist said the same, it looks like cancer. Following Friday, I had the biopsy, they numbed the area, and took snips of the tumor. I had IDC. I thought it might be, so I researched the Cancer surgeons, found the best in my area, that was July 24th for my first meeting. He scheduled my lumpectomy for the 30th. I had the sentinel node bopsy also, the node was clear, so all I had taken out was a section the size of a golf ball. I had 30 RADS.0 -
I saw my PA in the morn and
I saw my PA in the morn and was sent for a mammogram which was immediately followed by a sonogram which was immediately followed by needle biopsies and results in the morn. No more biopsies were done until the ones done during/after surgery. That was Thursday and Friday and I saw the surgeon on Monday.
I definately decided on treatment/surgery. To me, no question about it. IBC is very aggressive and had rapidly progressed in a very short time - so it was chemo (A/C), surgery, chemo (Taxol) which will be the last one of 12 weekly day after tomorrow and then on to rads. I'm not young - 63 1/2.0 -
Since my mammo showedRague said:I saw my PA in the morn and
I saw my PA in the morn and was sent for a mammogram which was immediately followed by a sonogram which was immediately followed by needle biopsies and results in the morn. No more biopsies were done until the ones done during/after surgery. That was Thursday and Friday and I saw the surgeon on Monday.
I definately decided on treatment/surgery. To me, no question about it. IBC is very aggressive and had rapidly progressed in a very short time - so it was chemo (A/C), surgery, chemo (Taxol) which will be the last one of 12 weekly day after tomorrow and then on to rads. I'm not young - 63 1/2.
Since my mammo showed something, I had a core biopsy done to see if it was bc or not. It was and then I had a lumpectomy with radiation treatments. Good luck to you!0 -
Welcome
Know that you are welcome here any time! This is such a scary time for you and we've all been there in some facet or other.
I don't personally know anyone that has completed declined any treatment...as one of the other sisters said, "bc doesn't go away by itself". There are women who opt for different types of treatment and how far they want to go.
Take your time w/big decisions and make sure you are well informed before hand. The ACS site has lots of great info.
Let us know how things are going! God Bless...
Julie0 -
Sorry you are so overwhelmed
Hi PDV,
I am glad you found this site, but sorry for the reason. As you can probably tell, these women are amazing & can hold your hand & give wonderful advice. I found it in Oct when I was diagnosed with stage 1 bc. I found the lump, had mammogram, ultra sound mammogram, & core needle biopsy. Unfortunately, it only showed precancerous cells so I had to have a surgical biopsy/lumpectomy, which revealed bc. I had a bilateral mastectomy with expanders on Nov 23. I started my 1st round of 4 rounds of chemo yesterday. When the chemo is over, the expanders will be replaced with silicone implants & I will start tamoxifin for 5 yrs.
I know first hand how overwhelming it is...from the mammogram to every single decision you will have to make afterwards. The words "you have breast cancer" changed my life forever. However, it is all doable & worth every second of my life it gives me. It has changed my life, in many ways & I'm certain it will continue to do so. Not all of the changes have been for the worse. I got married on the 14th of Oct & was diagnosed on the 26th of Oct...not exactly how I wanted to start out my marriage. However, my husband & I have decided to fight this as aggressively as possible...we refer to it as a speed bump. We chose a wonderful team of doctors: surgeon, plastic surgeon, & oncologist & we have put our faith in God & trust in them.
I wish you luck in making any decisions you have to make. However, under no circumstances would I consider no surgery or treatment. I also wouldn't cut corners on your health to go RV'ing. Your RV will be there when this is behind you...make sure you have a life to enjoy RV'ing. If you tackle cancer it can be beat, but if you ignore it will beat you.
Hugs,
Tina0 -
hiTinabug said:Sorry you are so overwhelmed
Hi PDV,
I am glad you found this site, but sorry for the reason. As you can probably tell, these women are amazing & can hold your hand & give wonderful advice. I found it in Oct when I was diagnosed with stage 1 bc. I found the lump, had mammogram, ultra sound mammogram, & core needle biopsy. Unfortunately, it only showed precancerous cells so I had to have a surgical biopsy/lumpectomy, which revealed bc. I had a bilateral mastectomy with expanders on Nov 23. I started my 1st round of 4 rounds of chemo yesterday. When the chemo is over, the expanders will be replaced with silicone implants & I will start tamoxifin for 5 yrs.
I know first hand how overwhelming it is...from the mammogram to every single decision you will have to make afterwards. The words "you have breast cancer" changed my life forever. However, it is all doable & worth every second of my life it gives me. It has changed my life, in many ways & I'm certain it will continue to do so. Not all of the changes have been for the worse. I got married on the 14th of Oct & was diagnosed on the 26th of Oct...not exactly how I wanted to start out my marriage. However, my husband & I have decided to fight this as aggressively as possible...we refer to it as a speed bump. We chose a wonderful team of doctors: surgeon, plastic surgeon, & oncologist & we have put our faith in God & trust in them.
I wish you luck in making any decisions you have to make. However, under no circumstances would I consider no surgery or treatment. I also wouldn't cut corners on your health to go RV'ing. Your RV will be there when this is behind you...make sure you have a life to enjoy RV'ing. If you tackle cancer it can be beat, but if you ignore it will beat you.
Hugs,
Tina
i had a open surgery biopsy came back stage 2 idc. i had chemo and radiation, i never once considered no surgery or treatment i want to live! best of luck to you.
teresa0 -
stereotactic core needle biopsy
Hi PDV, I am so sorry you have gotten this bad news. This could be the beginning of big changes in your life. The destination you thought you were headed to may have just gotten changed. But it will be OK. Many of us before you have had the same surprise, and we have weathered it. We are here to give you support and advice. You may not think so now, but you'll be OK.
Here's my experience. In April 2009 my annual screening mammogram showed something suspicious. So I had a diagnostic mammogram done a few weeks later. Looked even more suspicious, as they showed me the 'micro-calcifications'. I researched it a lot and found that if they were indications of cancer, it was most likely Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS). To add to the confusion, some researchers say DCIS is not cancer, because it's not invasive. So I put off having the micro calcs biopsied for over a month, thinking perhaps they did NOT indicate cancer, or they may indicate DCIS, which some people take a wait-and-see attitude with.
But something bugged me and I had the stereotactic core needle biopsy (SCNB) the radiologist was recommending. Not a fun experience. It absolutely was DCIS, high grade, meaning aggressively growing. Glad I didn't wait. Consulted with a close friend who was going through early stage breast cancer treatment two months ahead of me. Used her surgeon and radiologist. I was caught off guard that the surgeon wanted sonograms and MRIs of both breasts before surgery. This was to rule out any further involvement of either breast with any kind (same or different) of cancer. If the MRIs found more, the treatment would have been different. That led to two more biopsies (MRI guided) in that same breast. That was even less fun than the SCNB. But it showed all else was clear! Yay!
I had a lumpectomy and brachytherapy (5 day radiation). I am almost 5 months post radiation. I am taking Tamoxifen but will revisit that decision in March when I see my docs again.
My advice is to bite the bullet and have the biopsy. Don't play ostrich. Pull up your big girl panties and do what must be done to keep yourself healthy. Knowledge is power.
~~Connie~~0 -
Just a couple of steps ahead of you
Dear PDV,
First of all, I still hope that it is not cancer!
It was just a month ago that I was where you are. After the biopsy, I called the nurse from the diagnostic center to find out the results. At the time I was at work, and was expecting to hear that it was cancer. Even being "ready", it took my breath away to hear the words. The wise nurse told me one thing first -- BREATHE. Even when it is scary, you still remember to find the time to take full, healthy, cleansing breaths.
Since then I had a partial mastectomy and a port. I begin my first chemo on Friday. One thing that doctors will go over with you is a computer generated ”statistics” of people with your specific tumor. The statistics are shown with and without adding chemo. We had friends who advised us to think carefully about chemo, but when I saw the numbers, all I could think of was having a greater chance to see my sons wed and playing with grandchildren. Just think carefully about your choices and what you ultimately want from your life. You will make the best choice for yourself.
My first chemo is Friday. I am nervous but strong. You can do this also
My best to you,
Lisa0 -
PDV,
My bc was found during
PDV,
My bc was found during annual exam, and I had the stereotactic needle biopsy. While the results took several days, I knew it was going to be bc. Before I knew what my course would be, I knew, absolutely, that I would do anything to save my life.
So listen to these wise and wonderful women. Take a deep breath and take your stand against the beast.
Sue0 -
My mammo showedsbmly53 said:PDV,
My bc was found during
PDV,
My bc was found during annual exam, and I had the stereotactic needle biopsy. While the results took several days, I knew it was going to be bc. Before I knew what my course would be, I knew, absolutely, that I would do anything to save my life.
So listen to these wise and wonderful women. Take a deep breath and take your stand against the beast.
Sue
My mammo showed microcalcifications. So, I then was sent for an ultrasound and had a needle core biopsy. The biopsy didn't hurt. They numbed me first and I felt nothing. I then had a lumpectomy and rads. Just take it one day at a time.
Sue
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You've been such an inspiration!
I can't thank you enough for your posts. They have been so inspirational. My faith in God will sustain me through it all and I have great faith that something good will come from this adversity. One good has already come from this is seeing the overwhelming kindness and support from people I don't even know.
Maybe someone out there can give me some insight also on how best to tell your loved ones that this has happened. I've told my husband basically because I couldn't hide all my appts anymore. But how do you tell your children (who are grown) or your mom?0 -
Tell the kidspdv said:You've been such an inspiration!
I can't thank you enough for your posts. They have been so inspirational. My faith in God will sustain me through it all and I have great faith that something good will come from this adversity. One good has already come from this is seeing the overwhelming kindness and support from people I don't even know.
Maybe someone out there can give me some insight also on how best to tell your loved ones that this has happened. I've told my husband basically because I couldn't hide all my appts anymore. But how do you tell your children (who are grown) or your mom?
Unfortunately, I got my diagnosis the day before my birthday and when my daughter called to wish me a Happy Birthday, I had to tell her then. I told my son the same day too. There is no easy way to tell them. You just have to have a positive outlook and reassure them that you have good doctors and you are going to beat this. However, I did not tell other members of my family until after my first chemotherapy treatment. I had chemo first, then lumpectomy and radiation will start next week. Its very hard to admit you have bc.....
I too had filled out my retirement papers and was going for some annual check ups when they discovered my breast cancer. So needless to say, retirement was postponed. You must go ahead with treatment. Its not easy, but you will make it through as all of us have. And yes, you will have to delay some things, but just tell yourself its only for awhile. My "angel" that helped me through all of this was my surgeon's nurse. I am sure you will find that "angel" to get you through your treatment. I always think of Barry Manilow's song....I Made It Through The Rain....with the others who got rained on too"
Judy0
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