Was diagnosed with microcalcifications and told that this would not be a problem for about 10 years and then told on another visit this was DCIs, halfway through consultation was faced with doctor coming in saying there was another patch of these calcifications, and instead of the local excision and radiotherapy I was told was needed am now beign told it will mean a mastectomy. I cant get my head round this I have never been sick in my life (fortunate me) and had no idea I even had a problem until routine mannogram. I cant stand the idea of losing a breast, I am totally terrified of hospitals, and have 3 horses to look after, which I would have to pay someone to care for, and cannot afford this so am in total despair at the moment. I haver no family so am coping with this alone. I feel like not having the op and just hoping it will not turn into cancer. Can anyone out there tell me how they felt after a mastectomy and how they coped with the mutiliation, which is how I see it,
Totally scared about this
Hello Horsemad,
So sorry you have had to join us, and I’m sure lots of people will be on with good advice for you.
I had a mastectomy last year for two areas of IDC and one of DCIS.
The operation itself is virtually painless, and not major surgery. Breasts are easily detachable I suppose! My recovery was quick…my stay in hospital only two days. All stitches were internal and the wound healed in a few weeks.
Emotionally it was more of a roller coaster, and it took me a while to come to terms with my new appearance. I was proud of my bosom, as I was a 32DD, and kinda known for my breasts! However, my scar is neat, I have opted not to have a reconstruction and am quite happy with my prosthesis.
I never thought I’d say that a year ago!
Good luck with your treatment, whatever you decide, we will always be here to support you any way we can.
Hi Horsemad,
I too wasdiagnosed with microcalcifications and needed a mastectomy in may of this year. I also had a reconstruction which has of course made recovery longer, but even then I was on my feet and driveing within 6 weeks.
the thing that has been most sobering for me is that my microcalcifications ( those benign little white dots on the mammo) were high grade, and after more tests tests tests I was also found to have a tumour, grade 3 but small, which has meant I’ve had to have chemo and will need radiotherapy and herceptin too.
If you are in a position to just be done with it and get rid of the risk NOW, dont be worried, don’t fret about money and your horses - something will work out and your life and health are FAR FAR more important than anything else. Your horses need you. So does my family - my youngest child is only 4 and I wish more than anything that I’d taken the ‘slight thickening’ in my breast that I found aged 44 more seriously. i’m so glad the hospital did.
We will support you what ever you decide, it’s a long trip.
Love Td x
hi,
Just wanted to say quickly i had microcalcifications and DCIS. i have the lump removed initially, then had to have another op to have the margins removed which i then only got a clear margin of 1mm! so had to have a taylor procedure done (to prepare my artery’s for my mastectomy) then had to have a mastectomy with immediate reconstruction. so in hinesite (not sure how it’s spelt!) i wish they had just said to have it taken away in the first place, not have to go through 2 op’s first!
but i know it’s easier to say that when i’ve come out the other side of it, i might not have had that opinion a fw months ago
xx
Thanks for your advce. I still cannot come to terms, it keeps hitting me like a brick,Also am now wondering what else they will find. It would be better perhaps if they ddnt tell you that it was nothing before theyd had a proper good look. At the moment I just want to go to bed and sleep and forget about it, but of course you have to wake up.SOrry to be so negative but cant see any light at the moment, I know I shopuld be grateful that it has been spotted early but from being healthy active and complete I feel I will not be able to come to terms with having one breast. I have always been a complete wuss when it comes to anything like thatm, I couldnt look at my fathers leg when he had to have it amputated, it repelled me. Not nice of me I know but Im a physical coward !
i know how you feel, the first tests on my lump came back as normal and at one stage they weren’t going to remove it, they were gonna leave it there! so i’m glad now that they changed their mind!
i went through the same thoughts when i was in hospital, i wished i hadn’t found the lump and hated being in ospital. i’m only 23 and was missing my mum, my husband and my 14 month old daughter. but now i look back it’s fine. the recovery isn’t as bad as i thought by far!!
Not many of us have had to go through the trauma of a relative having a leg amputated and I would think your pending surgery has re-awakened memories of how you felt about his situation.
I agree with you, I thought mastectomy was mutilating and I still do. However, often you don’t feel you have a choice and this may be one of them. you could ask for a second opinion. What grade is your DCIS? If it is low grade it is likely to develop more slowly. I considered not having the DCIS removed as it was low grade but the hospital I was at had a blanket policy of removing it.
You have to consent to whatever procedure they are going to do so you could wait until you can make an informed choice. You could also see if you could have reconstructive surgery if you’d prefer this.
As for the horses, do you have friends who you could call upon for a short time? Something will come up.
Mole
Mole, Itis high grade and in at least two places so unless I decide to forget the whole thing and take my chances the opinion seems to be mastectomy. How have you come to terms with it, I dont think I could go through reconstruction at it is more complicated and takes longer to get over. Ironic really, all my life Ive had small breasts and didnt get anything decnetn until I went thorough the menoopause and put on weight,
Hi,
I had an area of DCIS that showed as microcalcifications on my mammogram and I had a mastectomy in Feb 06. Then it was discovered that I had multiple small grade 3 tumours in the area so I actually had multi-focal breast cancer…3/12 nodes were involved. I have not had reconstruction…there is more to me than the outside shell…it’s what is inside that is the true you.
I’m afraid that I’m of the opinion that it’s a small price to pay for being alive and well…what’s the point of having 2 boobs but not being around.
Good luck and be strong,
Sheana x
I didn’t have a mastectomy as I had focal DCIS around a tumour of invasive cancer and I had a quarter removed. I also have small breasts so as far as I’m concerned it’s noticeable, although I’ve discovered that for years I thought I was a 36A when I was a 34 B
I still preferred having two nipples to one so I am with you i think any kind of breast surgery stinks, I’m vain enough to want my breasts as they were even though the tumour could have killed me. I’ve been grieving since - shame I think this way but I do. I had low grade cancer though,
Mole
Seems as if a lot of people have been given one diagnosis and then found its worse. I begin to wonder if its a psychological ploy by the doctors to ease you in gently.
Hi,
The trouble is that until the operation is done and the path lab have a look at your breast tissue, they don’t know exactly what has gone on. You see the doctors two weeks after your operation…well, in my hospital…and they give you the results of what they have found. They are then able to prescribe the next treatment for you.
Sheana x
Hi Horsemad -
How are you this week? What are the plans, when are your appointments? Are there any more tests to do? Are you managing any better? I saw that your OH has been off down the pub; that must also be difficult even when it’s a behaviour you expect of him…
i don’t think that there’s any plotting by the doctors with diagnosis - some people are given ‘bad news’ diagnosis at thatt first appointment and for the most of us, yes, it gets worse with the more tests they do. I just feel lucky that everyone seems to be very thorough and therefore your treatment can be planned effectively. But I have to say - yes, it does ‘ease you in’ as you put it so well!
I pondered the mastectomy v recon thing for a long time. I knew that despite my love of my breasts (they aren’t big, but are attractive!) I could live with one breast esp as there is always the opportunity to have them reconstructed at a later date. i was put under quite a lot of pressure to have the recon at the same time a the Mx, whcih I did, and I’m still debating as to wether that was the right decision. It has certainly made the chemotherapy harder, and it remains a work in progress as I can’t have an implant until after my rads have finished. having said that, I do have two breasts and haven’t had to cope with the flatness of mastectomy.
the one thing that has been marked for me is that I am not as vain a girl as I thought, and that I really do appreciate my whole body and brain and I’m just so glad that I’m doing everything I can to live. As I don’t know the future I’m forced to accept that I will probably have a foreshortened life due to BC, and right now I’m putting my head down and getting on with things as best I can. i enjoy my life anyway and that hasn’t stopped. I make an effort to be in contact with people and still bake on my good days! I dress to make the most of my 1.5 breasts and really don’t think much about it when I’m not naked.
These things will come to pass
I wish you strength
big love, Td x