I had a feeling I did have something but today it was confirmed. I have 3 lumps that were biopsied last week and all 3 have confirmed invasive ductal carcinoma.
It doesn’t run in my family and I am only 29yrs old, so little shocked at the moment.
So now I have to make the decision whether to have just the left breast removed or have both removed and what sort of reconstruction to have. Will be having my MRI in the next few days.
What a crap day it has been today!
Just thought I would say ‘hello’ now that it has been diagnosed.
Please do not jump the gun and have both removed. Go ahead with reconstructive surgery if they offer it but please do not make any quick decisions - there is no hurry.
Reconstructive surgery can be good - get a PS and do not trust it to a breast surgeon. You deserve the best …
What an awful decision for you. It would seem to me that its too soon for you to make a decision, but maybe some advice from this site may help. Unfortunately I cannot offer you any such advice but I’m sure many others on here can.
so sorry to hear your news. It has really suprised me the amount of younger women on here that have their lumps confirmed as cancer. I was 35 when diagnosed and all the drs led me to believe it was nothing to worry about because of my age and also no family history and thought it was hormonal, so it is a huge shock to have it diagnosed as breast cancer.
I only had a lumpectomy so can’t advise you on your massive decision but i have met some fantastic people on here and i’m sure they won’t mind me pointing you in their direction. Caro111, mummytumbles and She all have different experiences. We are on a thread called friends needed Diagnosed may (be warned its a long one) or PM them - i’m quite sure they would be happy to help.
best of luck.
xx
I’m so sorry to read this, Jbug. Have they actually asked if you want both removed, or is that you considering suggesting it?
I had a reasonably large (3.7cm) tumour and a few other spots of DCIS, grade 3 (although it was only thought to be grade 2 at the time of biopsy) tumour, and it was never suggested to me to have both removed. I have asked about it today (asked oncologist) as now we know it is a fairly aggressive cancerand therefore a higher chance of recurrence, and he still says not to get the good boob removed unless I know that I have a genetic fault. He’s now referring me for genetic testing (mum & granny had it).
Don’t rush in to get it removed. I personally am coping with having lost one, because I still have the other… but feel that losing both would be so much harder, especially if you don’t have to.
just read your thread and couldn’t help but say i was one of life’s planners until my diagnosis-sounds reletavly like your own (had mastectomy in august with node clearance 3 tumours grade 3 and 8 out of 15 nodes affected) every derision you make will be huge but don’t let the isolation creep in and sound it off to others you ultimately have to be happy with your choice!!!
Dear Paula
I’m so sorry to hear about your diagnosis, you must be all at sixes and sevens tonight. As others have said, the decisions that need making don’t need to be made tonight and further tests will allow you to be more informed and better equipped to work out whats best for you. Right now, the task (and its a hard one) is to get your head around the diagnosis.
Be kind to yourself and make full use of all the support that will be heading your way. Remember you’re among friends here
love, monica xxx
Oh, Paula, I’m really sorry to hear your news - I was diagnosed with multifocal IDC and DCIS this week two years ago and remember the shock and upset as if it was yesterday.
I had to have a mastectomy (and level I & II axillary clearance) but was offered a reconstruction at the same time. I did ask the surgeon if he would also remove my right breast but he said that the mammogram/ultrasound had not shown any evidence of any malignancy, implying that it would not be advisable. To some extent I think he was right - I agree with Flora, I’m not sure how I would have coped if I’d had a double mastectomy (with or without reconstruction) but then there is always the doubt that it will recur (as a new primary or a secondary), although we have to live with this doubt irrespective of whether we have a double mastectomy, a single mastectomy or a lumpectomy.
I’m not sure how long you have to decide, i.e. when the surgery is planned (I did also ask if I could have chemotherapy first to shrink the tumours - they amounted to about 5 cm in total - so that I would not need a mastectomy - but was told that this was not an option because of both the DCIS and the resulting cosmetic effect if just the tumours were removed, instead of the whole breast and an immediate reconstruction) but I would give some real consideration to what type of reconstruction you have, if an immediate reconstruction is a possibility. You may also choose to defer the reconstruction altogether in order to give yourself more time to decide but to have the peace of mind by having the mastectomy initially. For me, I am sure that I have been able to manage better than I would perhaps have done if I’d just had the mastectomy. In retrospect, however, I think I would have preferred to have had a reconstruction using fat/muscle from my tummy rather than from my back with an implant but in order to have made that decision I would have needed more time than I had and I didn’t want to not have a reconstruction at the same time.
I am rambling now – I am sorry – but I hope you have been able to find something of help in what I have said.
Just remember that this is very early days - as everybody has already said, cliché as it is, take one day at a time. The whole experience is overwhelming and you need to make sure that you are in agreement with the treatment plan, in so far as possible, at each stage of the way.
Thanks all. From what I heard of the consultant today he pretty much said that I would definately be looking at a mastectomy on the left breast as there are 3 lumps there on different parts of the breast. He has said that a mastectomy may be needed on the right breast if they find anything on the MRI.
The first thing he also starting talking to me about was reconstructive surgery and explained the types I could have and whether I wanted it done straight away. The problem being is that if I have just the left breast taken and a recon from my stomach, then I would not then be able to have recon from the stomach if there were to be problems with the right breast at a later date. To be honest I think I would rather get the recon done straight away to get it all over and done with if you see what I mean?
I am having lymph nodes taken too, but am still unsure on that part as to how many they will have to take.
I am already resigning myself to the fact that they will find something on the right breast as the lymph nodes are quite big on that side too. Will just take every week as it comes really. xxx
So sorry to hear about your diagnosis. You sound as if you are being incredibly strong; that will help you so much on this rollercoaster ride.
I am being admitted to hospital today as I am having a right breast mastectomy with DIEP immediate reconstruction (from my tummy) and lymph node clearance tomorrow. I asked my consultants about having a double but they advised me against it; they tell me it is much harder to cope with psychologically. I hope I have made the right decision but only time will tell…
The decisions one has to make are very difficult and I think you have to go with your gut instincts and what feels right for you.
I will let you know how the Op goes if you like? It could give you a bit of a heads up on this particular type of surgery.
Hiya another thought is radiation. I will have recon later on from my tummy but my surgeon suggested better after rads. For a start it is more likley to be successful as straight onto chest wall and secondly it may change colour of your skin so less pleasing cosmetically. Have you spoken to your oncologist yet?? Take some friends . The more ears the better loads to take in . Hxx
Sorry to hear about this. I was diagnosed in feb this year aged 25 and had a mastectomy. I am waiting to have my recon but have recently found to have the brca gene so have to have a mastectomy on my other breast now too. I will be having surgery for mastectomy with immediate recon and recon on other breast in June. My surgeon says i do not have enough fat or tissue to have the tummy tuck procedure so i will be having 2 implants instead now.
Not sure if I have done this right as my head is well and truly in the shed this week. Iam new to this as of a few minutes ago.
I totally understand what youre feeling right now and yes its crap but as this week goes on I find to keeping to routine and keeping busy is an enormous help, yes there has been times on my way into work when I just scream as a kinda release…works for about 10 secs!
Basically…I am 30 years old mum of 3, found lump July 09, appointment following week told it was benign fibrodenoma advised to leave be, mum bc last year felt uneasy so 3 weeks later chose to have it removed…added to non urgent waiting list, lumpectomy Nov 09. Told at post op appointment 1cm lump removed contained DCIS and invasive grade 3 and so Mastectomy on 21st Dec, Chemo and poss radiotherapy Early Jan. Cant quite believe all this to be honest, and to think I was the one who persued it. Does anyone know how long you can have cancer before a lump appears?? I’m so worried right now my whole world has crashed down around me. I have an appointment tomorrow at 1pm to go over what they are going to do following their meeting yesterday. I also 4 years ago had breast augmentation.
Any support from anyone or advice would be greatly appreciated. Its so gard to talk to family about my worries as it either freaks them out or they start worrying about me so have to stay “hard ass strong”
Cant believe just how many young mums this horrible thing seems to be happening to, its unreal.
I’m with you…I cant believe just how many of us young ones this happens to!!! Unreal cos all the appts I go to Ive not once seen anyone else under the age of 50, so thank god for this site cos its certainly stopped me feeling alone and isolated !!
Im 33…mum of 2…and was diagnosed in June this year. I never had a lump I just had a bit of hard tissue that would come and go. I’d had a miscarriage in Feb so I put it down to hormonal changes…wasnt worried at all cos of my age and not having it in my family. Anyway to cut a long story short, I had a lumpectomy…and have since had 6 lots of chemo which Ive just finished. Ive now got to have a masectomy, radiotherapy and recon…so still a long way to go !!
I hate not being in control of the situation Im in and hate the fact that my life has been taken over by this disease…I remember those early days very well…so so scary. Im sure many of the other girls will tell you…once you know your treatment plan and what you have to do and start getting on with it you will feel kind of better.
Also as angry as I am that this has happened to me and my two little girls (oh and hubby of course!!)…my girls are the ones that keep me going. Even on my sickest days after chemo I cud drag myself out of bed and manage a smile for them !!
Please use this forum…its true what they say nobody else can understand what your going through like the girls on here…rant away…ask any questions…and believe me you’ll find unbelievable support on here!!!
hi paula, really sorry to hear about yous diagnosis its an awful shock. I was diagnosed when i was 22 and i had a double mastectomy with expanders. I had a very early breast cancer but a lot of family history. I dont regret my decision at all now, infact i know i did the right thing as i would only be forever paranoid if i didnt. The reconstruction that i have is fantastic and the only thing that gives it away is the scars even the nipples look real! Its a big decision and a personal choice, just wanted you to know that after recon the outcome isnt bad at all. Good luck with your decision x emily x
Hi Sue!
I am 36 years old and was diagnosed with DCIS in September 09. After a right mastectomy because the DCIS was so extensive, a 2cm grade 2 lump was found so I had to have lymph node biopsy. Two out of five are diseased so on the 30th Dec I have to have the nodes removed, follwed bt chemo when I have recovered from surgery. In September the doctor could not feel any lumps. When I asked my consultant last week why I couldn’t feel a lump even though I had a 2cm one, she told me because of my age they are harder to feel because of the nature of the breast being more glandular than fatty. xxxxx
Got my results back from MRI today and no cancer in the right breast which is good, but he said I have many lesions in the left breast. When I asked “what more than the 3 I knew of” he said “yes, there is up to 8 lesions that have shown up on the MRI!” So that was a little shocking.
Anyway, I now hopefully have an appt booked to speak to the plastic surgeons about reconstruction on 4th Jan and will book my op from there. Chemo about 4 weeks after the op. Have decided to just have the bilateral mastectomy to take away that risk of going through this again as I am fairly young. Then that dreaded wait for the results of the post op.
Blimey I will be having quite a few Baileys this Christmas! =)
How many young people like us have to fight the system for GP’s and doctors to take it seriously. I was told fibroids too, as no family history and 10 months later had grade 3 cancer diagnosed back in 2000. Oh it annoys me, as they say it is so rare, but doesn’t seem to rare to us does it.
I had great reconstructive surgery at the same time - a lat dorsi type. It is all a personal decision, but take the time to make the right ones.
Paula very sorry to hear your news. I am new to this website but I am shocked by the number of young women on here. I was diagnosed on the 17th of december and am due to have the lump removed on the 13th of Jan. All the way through I was told how unlikely it was as I’m only 29 and how unusual it is at this age. It can really make you feel quite alone. I do feel like I am less informed than everyone on here but I think due to the shock I just haven’t been asking enough questions. I am getting a list together to ask my fantastic nurse. I wish everyone the very best in their fight against this. x
Sorry you had to join us but you are in the best place for those who truly understand. We are all here to help you with any issues or concerns you might have and, if nothing else, are a virtual shoulder to cry on.
Its very shocking when you are first diagnosed and there’s a lot of info to take on board. Once you know your treatment plan it does get easier.
I you have seen, we are all ages on here, I’m 42. We all have different experiences but have that sad link of breast cancer holding us together.