Hi all
New diagnosis and of grade 2 ductal breast cancer , er positive 8/8 , saw consultant - wide excision removing melon slice of nipple and middle of breast and sentinel node biopsy. Leterozole to take . Waiting for her2 results, no reconstruction as was smoker now stopped . Really struggling with it all and surgery feels so disfiguring , has anyone had this and what was it like and also the tablets ? Not feeling brave at all xx
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Hello @onzog , welcome to the forum.No-one feels brave in the beginning most of us are anxiety ridden weeping messes !!! It does get better though , you will feel calmer once you have a plan in place to get rid of the bugger and please come and chat to us here it really does help talking to people who are going through the same or are out the other side .
I was diagnosed 9 years ago now with the same type of cancer and grade as you - still here as are the vast majority of people diagnosed with breast cancer . Re the impact of the operation , I was surprised how good the results were , it depends on the size and position of your tumour but they can do further minor surgery to improve the look of your breast if you are not comfortable with how you look when things settle down .Lots of support and advice here . Best wishes Jill
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Hi @onzog I too had an IDC Er+ 8/8 although grade 1. It all sounds horrendous now but breast conserving surgery is pretty sophisticated these days. Get the surgeon to explain precisely what it is likely to look like, as my surgeon was very particular about considering my preferences (my preference was to get the bloody thing out and not fanny around with invisible scars but that was just me). With regard to Letrozole, which I’ve been on for 20 months (with a couple of little breaks), as you are Er+ 8/8 the drug will be very effective in keeping any recurrence from stray cells at bay. If you dig into the forum you might get the impression that everyone is riddled with side effects from it. Some are but many are not. The logical thing is to give them a try. The vast majority of women go on to have breast cancer free lives, it just takes a bit of effort to get there. Wishing you well.
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Hi @onzog,
I’m so sorry to hear of your diagnosis - and of course it’s normal that you would be feeling anxious.
As you will have seen already, the forum is a really helpful and supportive place and we will always do our best to answer any questions or concerns you may have. You can also use the search function to find previous discussions on specific topics.
If your worries ever feel too much, please do phone our helpline where you can speak to our specialist breast cancer nurses on 0808 800 600 - they’re there for any questions or even just a chat if you need it.
You have the whole BCN team and forum behind you and we’re wishing you all the very best,
Alice 
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Hi @onzog - sorry you’ve found yourself here but it’s a great source of help and reassurance. I was also diagnosed with er+ invasive ductal breast cancer. So far have had two ops - first was the breast conserving surgery to remove tumour. I can honestly say this was nothing to worry about - I lost nipple but I actually prefer the look of that breast now! Scar has already faded loads (op was 12 weeks ago).
I needed a second op as lymph nodes were affected but really everyone has a different story…
They are very good these days at considering the aesthetics and how you feel about it so please don’t worry (difficult I know!)
Sending good wishes 
Hi @onzog - I had exactly the same diagnosis as @Tigress , had surgery end of January, then five sessions of radiotherapy and now on Letrozole for five years. I can honestly say none of it has been awful, in fact it’s all been straightforward apart from side effects of the Letrozole but my oncologist told me to try a new brand until I find one that suits me and thankfully the brand I’m on now seems much better. The only reminder I have is that the blue dye they inject you with has never faded and apparently is unlikely to now but that is only because I am so fair skinned.
Remember we are all here for you, sending big hug x