Hello brave ladies, and men. I’m new here. I’m new to online stuff too; I don’t generally need support/chat/opinion from those I don’t know, but right now I REALLY REALLY do. I’m 44 and Mum of 3 aged 15,12 & 3. I had my first appt. 10 days ago and came away happy that I needed ‘further investigation’ - core biopsy. My own mother died of BC (adenocarcinoma) in 2003 aged 60. I thought that made me ‘lower risk’ as statistically the more people you know, surely the less likely it is to happen to you?? How wrong you can be. At least it didn’t make me hide from it, and I have continued with regular exams each month (ish!). I noticed a change last year, but I became pregnant again in January so put it down to that. I had a miscarriage in Feb and noticed last month that things were still not right so went to the Gp then to One Stop Clinic. I’m now awaiting my core biopsy. The thing is, that (as I have access to the path reports due to my job) I have my report and I have DCIS 4 . I have discussed this with the (lovely) Breast Care Nurse who has confirmed my understanding of the jargon. I now have TWELVE days of contemplation before I get my final results. My biopsy is on 1.4.8 (great date) and next appt 10.4.08
I have wept a lot today. What legacy am I passing to my daughters???
I will NOT die of this. I need to see my children grow up, and i need to grow old with my husband.
Hi, I’m so sorry that you are feeling this way and have to join us on here, but you will get a lot of support and a lot of shared experiences. I don’t know enough about DCIS sorry but there are many threads on here about it. I have ductal cancer and had a mastectomy in Dec, and am undergoing chemo at the mo. This site has been a lifeline for me! I’m 41 and have one son, and I do appreciate what you mean about daughters. My friend also 41 has just had her ovaries removed as she has the breast cancer gene, and is trying to prevent bc in the future, and she is very worried too about her girls. I’m adopted, but discovered 5 years ago that my maternal grandmother died of bc at 39, and it did sew a seed in my mind, and here I am. I don’t know what else to say except that your survival instincts do kick in and positivity, friends and family will get you through. You must be thinking “why me?” and things that annoyed me at the time were people whinging about simple trivial things that were wrong in their lives. I wish you strength in April. Liz x
Hi waitingangel
I am sorry to read of your recent diagnosis and I hope you are finding the forums helpful and supportive.
You may find the BCC resource pack helpful, it has been designed for those newly diagnosed. If you would like a copy of this publication just follow the link below:
breastcancercare.org.uk//content.php?page_id=7514
If you feel it might help to talk to someone in confidence about your fears and concerns, please give the helpline a call, the staff here are all either breast care nurses or people who have personal experience of breast care issues. The number is 0808 800 6000 and the lines open Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm and Saturdays 9am - 2pm.
I hope this helps.
Kind regards
Sam
BCC Facilitator
Thank you Liz. I haven’t thought ‘why me?’ . My husband said it and I said ‘why not me?’ It could be worse! Being from a background in health I think I’d rather have a disease that I can live with than something I can’t! I’m feeling a bit better today. I’ve started writing notes on events and feelings. It helps. And I know what you mean about other peoples trivialities; my colleague was upset about her car sustaining a dent. She looked at me though and said, ‘well, it’s only metal.’ I’m glad that others are counting their blessings. Big love to you and yours too Td x
Hi Waitingangel and Liz
Sorry to have to join us BC babes but you are soooooooooo not alone with all the thoughts tears anger etc that you are feeling. I am 3 months down the line but still have dark days, still days saying “why me” but thats all NORMAL. They say its like grief, going through stages of it. Sad that your body has let you down, anger that you have it etc. Have they mentioned the "rollercoaster of emotions "…just jump on board baby and hang on for the ride. We are all riding this with you.
Accept that some days are worse than others, and that you are allowed to smile still and laugh.the kidneybeans help with that. I have a 6yr old and 17mnth old so I can’t hide and hope this stuff goes away. I have to come out fighting and being mummy still. I am going to see my kids get married and be beside my hubby when we are old and grey and he will have to dye my hair for me cos I won’t be able to manage all the greys !!!
Feel the future don’t just think about it. !
Take comfort and support from people who mean it. Its so true you will find out many things along this journey about people who you think are freinds and others who step into the limelight and guide you through some dark moments.
It will get better…you will get stronger…keep looking to the light.
Good luck with appointment, keep us posted.
Hugs to you ((((((((((((((((((((((( :)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
P x
Hi Waitingangel
As a fellow DCIS sufferer, I am a bit confused when you say you have DCIS 4? I didn’t think DCIS was staged as it is not cancer, but a precancerous condition I know the cells are graded - low, intermediate and high, but thats all? Now you have me worried!!! Remember, although DCIS left untreated may well become cancer, it isn’t yet and the chance of curing it is very high.
Cathy
x
Hi Waitingangel and Liz
Welcome to the site, which you will find an absolute lifeline. I was diagnosed nearly a year ago (4th April), had eight sessions of chemo, a mastectomy and node removal, radiotherapy and am now on herceptin and due my reconstruction at the end of next month (phew!).
Obviously the news at first is devastating and there’s so much information to take in, but at the end of the day I remember thinking “well, its sink or swim” and swim I did !! Everyone refers to this as a roller-coaster and its definitely that - you have up days and down days, but eventually you DO see the light at the end of the tunnel.
I have to say Paula’s message is one of the best I’ve read on here - how uplifting ! Thankyou Paula xx
Good luck ladies with all your treatment, I wish you all the very best
Lots of love and a huge hug
Julie xxx
Hi Waitingangel and Liz and Julie
I too have DCIS (dont know what grade - number - size) and apparantly although I have a 7mm lump that is benign, mine is due to calcium?? which is widespread at 55mm ??? Im so confused with it all!!! I have 4 daughters and 7 gradaughters and I too want to know what they are going to inherit from me?? I am the 1st person I know with this so I’ve not inherited it. I was dx on 6/3/08 and have to have mastectomy on 10/4/08. My girls have all rallied round except the youngest of 12yrs (we havent told her yet) shes keeping me the sainest as the world obviously still revolves round her lol, shes such a worrier but were telling her on wednesday evening so I guess i will hve a multitude of questions to answer.
Yes the support on here is fantastic Ive laughed and cried with a lot of ladies and gents on here.
Good luck to you all.
Jo xx
Hi Cathy Jo Liz I’m not up on the jargon! The report that I downloaded used this bizarre terminology and as you have said, it isn’t graded like that at all. So don’t worry about yours!
It has made me look at the way I give results to people, that’s for sure. When I give results (which are mainly blood results, tests like HIV, Syphilis, Hep B or interpreting scan results concerning babies with problems) I always try to be very very clear about what I’m saying, and I often have to sort out ‘the mess’ that the doctors have left behind in a woman’s mind by NOT being clear. I think that medics, esp. doctors, have so much going on in their heads that they forget that us lesser informed people may lack even the basics…
Regarding the calcium thing Liz, the doc explained to me that a normal cell metabolizes calcium and it stays as a liquid substance, but when a cell isn’t acting normally the calcium becomes a solid deposit. So it isn’t the calcium causing the DCIS, it’s the other way around. I don’t think that anyone knows what causes it, but they do tell us about risk (I notice that smoking isn’t on the list!). Sometimes it just happens I guess, and with the breast being so vulnerable to hormonal change (I think of this as my poor premenstrual breasts throb! Just to add insult to injury!!) and such a vascular organ ii is more susceptible than other bits of us? Yr surgeon will tell you if there is a gene related risk once the reports come back after the Mx - I get my results on 10th. I’ll be thinking of you.
Core biopsy day tomorrow. Decided to take the day off work and go find a nice pair of shoes…
and thanks Julie & Paula - so good to know there’s light at the end of it all!
Lots of love to you all Td x
Hello all - just found another thread which explained the 4 business. It wasn’t DCIS 4, it was C4 on the report, which means very suspicious cells ( cells being graded 1-5, 1 being not cancer, 5 being cancer, 4 being very suspicious.)
So that clears that up!!
Td xx
Hi there
Just wanted to add that if you have DCIS, you haven’t invasive cancer, just a precancerous condition. I know that seems to make light of a potentially serious problem, but DCIS is all too often classed as cancer when it isn’t. Clearly, without treatment it could well develop that way, but for the moment, hang on to the fact that you have a precancerous condition which can be cured. Still lots of crap to go through, but as Sheryl Crow said when finding out she had DCIS, what doesn’t kill you makes you stonger!!
Good luck for tommorrow
TF
Thanks for that TF - my sentiments exactly. Just been discussing the merits of having a curable disease against a debilitating degenerative condition with my mate. We both decided we’d go with the DCIS. Just as well really!!
Just off to have my husband take some photos of the (currently lovely) intact and unblemished breasts prior to tomorrows assault!
Td x
Hi, I too was diagnosed with DCIS in Aug last year and the ‘is it isn’t it’ cancer I found very confusing and just as scary. I found it easier to tell myself it was contained cancer and therefore needed sorting right away!! I ended up having to have a mastectomy because the section was 9cm and in fact they did find a small invasive in the middle, but I’m not saying that to scare you just to let you know that it all wasn’t anywhere near as terrible as I had thought it would be. You couldn’t be more worried than I was and now I’m 6 months on from it and my life is almost as if it never happened! I can’t tell you I look the same because I don’t but I’m off to the hospital again on Monday for the first part of my new nipple so I’m getting there, what more can I say!!! Take care and good luck tomorrow x
Hi All
Thanks to you all for your comments
Just had a call from hospital and my operation has been postponed for the 2nd time!! because 1 of the surgeons isnt available, I know DCIS isnt invasive but that dosnt make me or my partner and daughters any the less worried and after making arrangements twice now only to re-arrange everything yet again is most upsetting.
Bloody NHS
Good Luck TD for tomorrow
Jo xxx
Hello all!
Had the core biopsy this morning. TBH I felt a bit like a pornographic performance artist with my tit sticking through a padded bed being positioned by several radiotherapists! For anyone about to undergo this procedure IT WAS ABSOLUTELY FINE - being me I did keep talking about bizarre things like one of the women’s experience at the dentist yesterday and child birth (remember - I’m a midwife!). Right now, 12 hours on, the local has worn off and for anyone who has breast fed it’s no worse than your milk coming in and if you haven’t its no worse than very tender premenstrual breasts - better in fact as it’s in only one.Although I AM premenstrual so it’s in both! Oh, fate is cruel!!!
More big s**t going on in my life today - my father in law has just had his lumpectomy results and he has neck & throat cancer for the second time, and my best best friend’s brother has been killed in an accident. I knew him too. He didn’t have time to contemplate his death and neither did his loved ones (me included) - DCIS isn’t life threatening, but I have contemplated it as I’m sure my gorgeous husband has. I’m hoping that that’s our three big things for now.
Cyber love & hugs to you all ((((((((((((())))))))))))
Td xx
oh yeah - no shoes available as I ALSO have the most painful chilblains in the world but I did get a really nice book to write all this stuff down in, and a spiffing GREEN (not generally my colour) Red Herring jumper. Hurrah for retail therapy.
Td xx
I have been checking this forum for someones advise on the core bioposy - and I am so relieved to see that IT WAS AOBSOLUTELY FINE! I am so scared, that my GP has prescribed me something to take away the edge. Everyone is so brave - I hope to be like that one day!
Hello Ruby - how are you getting on? i’m not brave - just realistic. You know, i am quite lucky to be in this postion because my mum died of BC just 3 years after being diagnosed at an advanced stage and I have got changes that can be dealt with at an early stage. Maybe. I don’t know yet - maybe it’s nothing atall, maybe it’s something more thatn DCIS…
The Core Biopsy wasn’t even uncomfortable - a little awkward I’d say and the local stings a bit. It is however more difficult waiting for the results… When’s your biopsy? Thinking of you!
Td x
HI Ruby
Just to let you know I had a core biopsy on Friday, Just had to lay on my side it was ok not too bad at all the thought of it is worse I think. I had one taken of a lymph gland as well a little more uncomfortable but really not too bad. You will be Ok will be thinking of you.
Deb
Hi Girls
I had the biopsy as planned. Relieved its over - bruised and sore, but hey, that’s ok.
Just need to wait for the results now. I know more now - there is a cluster of microcalcifications behind the nipple (+ the discharge which also decided to jump out during the procedure!) - my ‘self diagnosis’ is telling me that its DCIS - you, know having studied for several hours on the internet 
Waitingangel - your note made me laugh. I didnt have the pornographic ordeal - I was attached to a mammogram, and dangling off the trolley. I felt as though I was held in place only by my nipple in the mammogram machine!
I feel better today - Im trying to focus on other things and worry when I need to worry.
This site has certainly opened my mind… thank goodness for this site!
I have promised that if I get through this, Im going to make everyone around me more aware of this dicease that I think every girl dreads.
ALso, if by a small chance, it isnt what I think it is, Im going to come back and say so! So that anyone reading this in the same situation can see that there is hope!
(I pray that I feel stupid and all my emotions and hysteria (and I mean hysteria!) have been for nothing - I will be happy to be embarressed) - but I do need to be realistic.