Hi Shannon,
Wanted to check in to see how things are with you?
Mic x
Hello mic thanks for checking in , ive just finished chemotherapy on Friday 14th march so waiting on surgery now i have an appointment on the 1st april to see them its usually 4 weeks after chemotherapy you get surgery.
How are you doing x
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Well done on getting through chemo 
- thatās one big milestone. How you feeljng about surgery, did you decide on what type youre getting?
I am healing really well from my sugery and able to do more and more. Ive just undergone an egg freezing retrieval and freezing procedure today. Will start hormone therapy in the next couple of days. Itās all gone really well. Im looking forward to getting head around the hormone therapy snd slowly moving back into a new normality hopefully soon xx
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Thank you, how was surgery ? Yes i think im doing diep surgery! Waiting to see the surgeon next tuesday! So i will find out more then !
Yes a new normal will be nice 
xx
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Hi Shannon,
How did your surgery go?
Hope it all went well xx
Hello yes surgery went well was in for 12 hours, getting home today !! Looking forward to a peaceful night sleep! The wards are so nosiy was in my own room for 4 nights then last night i got moved to a ward 
it was just as noisy! But definitely looking forward to going home xxx
Wowzas! Incredible work getting through the first several days post op! The DIEP surgery is really mindblowing how they do it. It was on TV a couple of months ago. I really hope your going home is better for your healing journey 
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Thank you yes i have been sleeping so much better and i can get about the house no bother, still not able to venture out a walk yet but it will come just need to be patient and it will happen! Just so used to being able to go out and walk the dog whenever i want xx
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Hi @shesthebeat.
I was recently diagnosed 3 weeks ago for DCSI intermediate 3.5cm. Iāve been reading up alot on here and came across your message. I hope you donāt mind me asking, but what made you decide to have a mastectomy as your DCSI was 10mm?
Hiya - I dont mind at all! My DCIS was 10cm (there was a typo in my earlier message) so there was no chance of clear margins and most of my breaat tissue needed to be removed as it was quite extensive. I read on this website that anything between 2-4cm is considered for a lumpectomy anything over is considered for mastectomy.
Happy to answer any more questions you have 
x
Thank you for answering so quickly, my biopsy said it was 3.5cm of DCSI intermediate but Iām waiting to be called up for a MRI, did you have a MRI scan? Ive been waiting 19 days and they still havenāt called me, the waiting is killing me.
Sorry I have just realised that you wrote on one of your messages that you did have a MRI, full apologies for asking.
Hi I also had DCIS and they said 4cm to start with and that I was booked in for single mastectomy 21st January. If my boobs had been bigger they could have done a lumpectomy. After surgery was carried out they said it was actually 9cm+ anyway.
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I know its a stressful time not knowing and having to wait .
I had an ultrasounds and biopsy, which then confirmed DCIS, but also needed an MRI because I have dense breasts, so they needed a more detailed scan of how extensive it was. I think I waited around 3 weeks for that scan. They didnt think it had spread outside of the milk ducts thankfully, so I was offered surgery and had one lymph node removed to dounle check. Thankfully, it hadnt spread anywhere else and I didnāt need any more invasive treatment, except for hormone therapy which Iām on for the next 5 years.
DCIS is considered āstage 0ā cancer, so if it hasnt spread then can be easily treated. I gained a lot of comfort from reading the pages on the website to learn about possible treatments etc. Sometimes you can have it for up to 2 years before it becomes invasive. But i know itās stressful to be sat in the unknown xx
Wow I canāt believe there can be so much difference from one diagnosis to another, was 4cm diagnosed after a mammogram or MRI?
Hi, I am curious to know what decision you made in the end about Tamoxifen?
I decided to try it. I was really torn and worried for a while as I couldnt bare the thought of potential side effects impacting my life for the next 5 years.
As Iāve been struggling with acne alongside my cancer (acne flared up at the same time as breat cancer symptoms), I have been avoiding dairy, so I requested the lactose-free version of Tamoxifen. I started on the suspension as thags what they prescribed me at first from the hospital. I did have side effects like sweeping moments of fatigue, fogginess, hot flashes intense bloating, my period had reduced by a day but rode it out for 7 weeks until my prescription finished. I read that symptoms peak at around week 6 and ebb off, which they seem to have.
I am now on lactose free pills and also made the decision to take the dose at night before bed, as I read from other women it can minimise the side effects as youāre sleeping through it. So far the intensity of the side effects have subsided thankfully, although i think I do still have mild fogginess but not as bad. By having a lactose-free version, it gives me some control to keep to the same brand too, as I heard women get different side effects with different brands.
Iāve requested a blood test to check my thyroid because we all should be tested in the first year of taking tamoxifen, as it can impact the thryoid (makes sense with the sweeping fatigue, bloating, slight weight gain etc).
Iām hopeful that my body has balanced out now and i can ride out the next 5 years with no issues 
. Iām also taking a herbal supplement called Salvestrol which is supposed to reduce the chance of cancer too.
So much to get your head around, Iām more than happy to talk more if you have more questions x
Arghhh thank you for replying, Iām so pleased for you that the side effects have ebbed off, that must be such a relief, also that was very good advice about taking it of a night time.
Iām going to look into the herbal supplement you mentioned, as Iām all for herbal remedies, I take it your oncologist agreed with it.
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