Good morning,Does anyone have experience with extensive Ductal carcinoma in situ? Thank you x

Part of living is the accumulation of these experiences. Some people seem to get through most of their lives without many of these events - some just seem to get overloaded. My wonderful Dad died of a massive heart attack when I was a 13yo home alone with him - that screwed me up for a number of years (no psychological help, in those days). My big sister was diagnosed with bc when she was 32 with 2 very young children. She went into surgery for biopsy and came out with a full mastectomy. Her first words were that she wanted to live to see her boys grow up. Well, she was there when they turned 18 and 21 but not much longer. During that time she also battled bipolar and we battled with her. I lost my warrior Mum to heart disease almost a year to the day of my sister's death. My kids have lost their other grandfather since my diagnosis. And then there's all of the other "smaller" traumas that beset us - in our personal arena we've had illness, injury, bushfire, depression. I find myself thinking a lot of the past as well as the future. My kids will understand uncertainty and grief, and hopefully also find that they are resilient enough to manage life with all it can throw at you.

@RR Please don't panic yet. I also had invasive DCIS as mentioned above in my story & you know how well I got on. If caught early you could have a good outcome like me. I know my words won't help your anguish but i do remember how I coped early on & I remember my sister telling me how proud she was of me & my handling of it all & how strong I was. I told her I was only focusing on the cards that had been dealt to me & I wasn't panicking about surgery/treatments that may never happen. i do that through life as well. If you can't change it, then you have to deal with it the best you can & move on accordingly. Don't panic about things that may never happen as that worry eats you inside & for no reason sometimes. You have to be strong & you will come out the other side even stronger. You will be amazed at how you will find strength through this & we are here to help you. take care & good luck tomorrow. I know you won't sleep well tonight but may i suggest taking someone with you to the appt tomorrow or tape it as you will hear a lot of info & 2 ears are better then 1 especially when your head is already spinning. Take notes & write down questions to ask. Loads of Hugs & let us know how you go xx

Oh golly, life is a huge slog . You started on a very hard road at 13yr @Sister , how traumatic , and @"Kiwi Angel" with your mum at 25, I got to 36 virtually unscathed but it's been a bit of a bumpy road since then putting it mildly. It appears most of us on here seem to have lived through traumas and stress. And maybe appeared to deal with it all quite well at the time .... I still think this has a huge factor when it comes to getting bc. Hugs everyone

I, for one, think that diseases such as bc owe a lot to stress. Whether that's in my mind (ha!) or reality may never be proven, I guess.

I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma in January of this year, ended up having a lumpectomy (which is where I got my diagnosis), a partial mastectomy and then a full mastectomy where a large portion of DCIS was found. Apparently all mine has been removed but I am having preventative chemo now to mop up anything.

Ductal carcinoma in situ | Online Network

Finch
Member
7 years ago
Try and relax @RR , it's all scary I know, your surgeon will advise a plan. Just concentrate on tomorrow's appointment if you can. Take care x
RR
Member
7 years ago
Thank you <3
JoeyLiz
Member
7 years ago
Hi @JEC the side effects of radiation just like with chemo vary from person to person, some people fly through it without a skin reaction or fatigue while others can get quite a bad reaction needing a break from treatment, there is just no way of knowing unfortunately. The main side effects are localised to the area so a skin reaction, loss of armpit hair on that side, possibly a sore throat if your nodes are being treated and then there is the fatigue. The side effects typically begin about 2 weeks in and peak 2 wks after as it is a build up effect. There is usually 25 treatments to the whole breast and then 5 treatments to a ‘boost’ area which is where the rumour was. There is a hypofractionated regime of 16 + 4 but this is not suitable for all women. Left sided patients may be asked to hold their breathe for treatment. You will be given a few permanent tattoo dots at your planning session. Care is taken to minimise dose to heart,lungs,ribs,spinal cord etc.
I could go into lots of technical details all day haha.
Best wishes and always happy to answer any questions xx
Sister
Member
7 years ago
Good luck with your appointment today - take someone with you if you can. It's always good to have another pair of ears.
RR
Member
7 years ago
Chemo and full mastectomy for me! It wasn't what I had planned, but better than it could have been.
kmakm
Member
7 years ago
Well that's a bugger @RR. Which one first, the chemo or the surgery?
RR
Member
7 years ago
@kmakm - I haven't started yet, I only got the news yesterday. They are suggesting intensive four month regime of chemo and then surgery :(
Finch
Member
7 years ago
It's still a lot to get your head around @RR . Take it easy over the weekend and do some fun things . There'll be a lot going through your head at the moment. Xxxx
kmakm
Member
7 years ago
@RR Oh I so want to give you a big bear hug right now! We will hold your hand as you pick your way through the minefield, get your treatment underway and beyond. Hang in there. K xox
RR
Member
7 years ago
@kmakm @Finch - thank you! I know it probably is strange, but I am really only worried about the chemo - not losing my breast or surgery etc. I just don't want our girls to witness what i had to with my own mother. My husband and I are going to talk with the oncologist the pros and cons of 4 month intensive versus 6 month, as he isn't too keen on watching me be smashed with toxins to where it is tricky for me to function - I actually tend to agree!