Hello everyone!
While breastfeeding my 4 week old daughter I discovered a lump. I’m a hypochondriac so immediately went to my OB. He told me he wasn’t concern but I demanded a mammogram and I’m so glad I did. They found something very concerning so they went ahead and did a biopsy right in there. I was diagnosed the next day with invasive díctala carcinoma grade 3. Still pending for all the other exams to know the stage. I’m so terrified, as a new mom and such s young person you never think this can happen to you. But here I am. I would highly appreciate positive stories so I can have hope. I went down the google rabbit hole and that was not good at all. I just need to hear this can be cure and I can see my daughter grow.
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Hello Aroja! First of all welcome to the shittiest club with the best members! Secondly, I am so sorry this is happening to you but wow you’re impressive. Good for you for demanding a mammogram because you saved your own life. I was 48 when diagnosed so a good deal older than you but still rather young in breast cancer world. But I also had a grade 3 so I was pretty terrified. I want to say first and foremost that I’m a year and a half out and feel fantastic. Just got back from a pickleball match in fact so know that whatever you’re about to face is way more likely than not to be just temporary. As far as what the next step is, you’re going to have to wait until all the testing is done. Hopefully it’ll go quickly because once you have a plan it mentally gets better. But yes there is tremendous hope that this will simply be a bad experience for a while and then you move on to enjoy the raising of your precious girl. If you have any questions about any of the results of your tests feel free to post and we’ll help you anyway you can. But this is not a death sentence. It’s a health issue but breast cancer is so common with so much money behind it that the treatments are astoundingly good and get better each year. Just hang tight but you can do this and you are not alone.
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Thank you so much for your reply! Your words just felt like an embrace to me. As someone who just turned 34 and after trying so so hard to finally become a mom; full of excitement and love for this little girl, and then getting hit hard with this news… I needed to hear there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. You hear of people; young people, getting cancer and you never think it will be you! Well here I am. I should know more about my case in the upcoming days, I would love to share it with you. Again, thank you!
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Aroja086 
sorry you find yourself here do keep reaching out everyone here will 
do have a look round the bcn website too there are things for younger women with bc also there is the someone like me option too you might find helpful take everything one day at a time and keep the joy of enjoying your beautiful daughter each day step by step you will get through do keep of dr Google. If you are in the states might be worth you looking at MD Anderson in Texas 
Shi xx
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Thank you so much for all the info Shi. I will look into MD Anderson
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Oh I’m so glad you felt my hug 
But of course share it with me or us or anyone you want here. Any of us will be glad to do whatever we can. You’ve got a team behind you and utilize us however you want! May this next part go quickly though so you can hurry up and deal with this crap. Because after that it gets easier.
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Aroja086 you advise you are a grade 3 have they told you what type yet? If you know and wanted to share which type of bc you have been diagnosed with then others can reach out too your treatments will be tailored to you specifically but others can reach out to you with any tips or tricks that helped get them through. I took a notebook into all meeting and had written all questions down and wrote their answers against my questions, do keep reaching out everyone here on bcn forum will try and help and bcn is here for you so do look at website we’re here wherever you are in the world Shi xx
Thank you so much. I met with my surgeon today and she told me it was Her2 positive stage 2A. I understand this is an aggressive type but she told me we caught it very early. I’m very glad I pushed for that mammogram. I’m happy to know the stage is 2A which she told me it means it just because 2.
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My surgeon informed me today I have Her2 positive stage 2A. I understand this is an aggressive type but she told me we caught it very early. I’m very glad I pushed for that mammogram. I’m happy to know the stage is 2A which she told me it means it just because 2.
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I’m sure those who have had her2 positive diagnoses will pop on and share with you aroja086 I was tnbc so can’t shed any light on treatments for her2 the ladies who were on same chemo thread as me had herceptin I believe but I’m not sure if treatments have changed over the years in targeting her2, but do keep asking and reaching out here everyone will share Shi xx
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Do you have estrogen and progesterone receptors, also? That would make you triple positive.
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No, but what does that mean?
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Receptors are found on breast cancer cells and it tells us what fuels their growth. For example, you know you have HER2 receptors so that protein fuels your tumor. But you may also have receptors for estrogen and/or progesterone and they could fuel your tumor, also. I had receptors for estrogen and progesterone but not HER2 (or I did but it was too low for any medication targeting those receptors to be useful). So I did chemo and then was put on endocrine therapy that is designed to limit the estrogen in my body so that my receptors can’t get their fuel and grow.
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Understood. I was just reading my lab report and it said I was negative for the progesterone and estrogen receptors and positive for HER2 (score 3+). I don’t necessarily know what this means as far as treatment, I don’t know if my type is favorable for therapy?!
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Your type is very favorable for treatment! In fact you’ve got immunotherapy which is absolutely awesome for this type of cancer! People who’ve had her2+ treatment may chime in soon but in the meantime I can give you an idea of what to expect. More than likely you’ll do chemo first and then immunotherapy will probably come either right after that or right after surgery. It’ll be a tough treatment in the sense that it’ll take the better part of the year but the chances of complete success are very good. And they have great medications now to help you through the side effects of treatment. It sound like the caught your’s early which is of course always what you want. So just hold on until you meet your doctor but they won’t take long to start you which is what you want because the sooner you start the sooner you can move on from this.
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Thank you so much for the encouragement. What kind of side effects can I expect from the immunotherapy and is it worse than chemo?
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Now that you know you are her2+, I would suggest perhaps making a post and asking other people who have gone through that same treatment for suggestions on how to successfully deal with it. I do know that no one can predict exactly how you’ll respond. But people who’ve gone through exactly what you’re about to can give you more info on what you can expect. I am so sorry this is happening to you but good news is you have plenty of company. Breast cancer is depressingly common.
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I just found a comment by Dr. Heather Richardson on a reddit site for new breast cancer patients. A new her2+ patient around your age just posted it so I thought you might find the whole conversation informative. https://www.reddit.com/r/breastcancer/comments/195ep3s/just_diagnosed_today/.
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@aroja086 Hi!
I hope you are ok and have had time to get your head around the last few weeks.
I was diagnosed with a similar cancer in 2020. I was 32 at the time and mine was grade three, stage 2, triple positive.
I just wanted to come on and give you some support.
I completed my active treatment a few years ago.
This website is great for info. Are you in the UK?
Pips xx
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@aroja086 Hello
I’ve just read your post and felt I had to reply.
My daughter was diagnosed two and a half years ago with her2 positive and hormone receptors negative.She was 39 and had a nine month old son at the time.A fit and healthy young lady,like you she found her lump while breastfeeding.
After treatment and surgery and the love and support of her family and friends she was successfully treated and was able to return to work part time and move forward.
I just wanted to give you some hope and reassurance in these very early days and am here for you like the other lovely ladies on here
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