Newly diagnosed at 31
Hi all lovely ladies, i was diagnosed last with invasive ductal carcinoma triple positive. I have absolutely no family history of breast cancer. I am totally lost and do not know where to start. My...
Forum Discussion
HI @Sumi - welcome to this forum. You'll find it a great place to come to for support - there's virtually someone online day and night whether you're after advice or just want to vent or scream - there's someone here that will always lend an ear and know exactly what you're going through.
I was diagnosed with bilateral invasive lobular carcinoma and had a double mastectomy in April. I'm now going through chemo treatment and will then have radiation. I was 100% ER & PR positive so will also have years of hormone treatment.
I don't have any family history of Breast Cancer either.
It's so overwhelming at the beginning and there's so much information and different opinions out there, that knowing where to start can be absolutely daunting.
It's absolutely vital that you're comfortable, and have faith in your medical team. I went along to all my appointments armed with questions and by the time I had my surgery, I was 100% confident that what I was doing was the right thing for me. It makes a huge difference when you feel informed and ready. If you think that you'll be overwhelmed by the information that you'll get at your appointments, take someone with you who can help you go over it all and make sure you take it all in, or record the conversation on your phone and take notes so that you can go over it all later. You'll have a surgical oncologist, a plastic surgeon and a medical oncologist on your team as a minimum - spend as much time as you need to with each of them and make sure that you leave the appointments with all your questions answered.
I was unable to have an immediate reconstruction because I knew from the start that radiation was going to play a role in my treatment. Radiation is a major factor in reconstruction success. I have air expanders, and will either have an exchange to implants or a DIEP flap sometime next year - 6-12 months after radiation.
Taking one step at a time is really challenging. Waiting for a treatment plan, scan results and surgery dates is hardest part but it's really worthwhile to take as much time as possible to get all your ducks in a row! Once you have a path ahead of you, you'll feel much more in control.
Wishing you all the best with everything! xxxx
I was diagnosed with bilateral invasive lobular carcinoma and had a double mastectomy in April. I'm now going through chemo treatment and will then have radiation. I was 100% ER & PR positive so will also have years of hormone treatment.
I don't have any family history of Breast Cancer either.
It's so overwhelming at the beginning and there's so much information and different opinions out there, that knowing where to start can be absolutely daunting.
It's absolutely vital that you're comfortable, and have faith in your medical team. I went along to all my appointments armed with questions and by the time I had my surgery, I was 100% confident that what I was doing was the right thing for me. It makes a huge difference when you feel informed and ready. If you think that you'll be overwhelmed by the information that you'll get at your appointments, take someone with you who can help you go over it all and make sure you take it all in, or record the conversation on your phone and take notes so that you can go over it all later. You'll have a surgical oncologist, a plastic surgeon and a medical oncologist on your team as a minimum - spend as much time as you need to with each of them and make sure that you leave the appointments with all your questions answered.
I was unable to have an immediate reconstruction because I knew from the start that radiation was going to play a role in my treatment. Radiation is a major factor in reconstruction success. I have air expanders, and will either have an exchange to implants or a DIEP flap sometime next year - 6-12 months after radiation.
Taking one step at a time is really challenging. Waiting for a treatment plan, scan results and surgery dates is hardest part but it's really worthwhile to take as much time as possible to get all your ducks in a row! Once you have a path ahead of you, you'll feel much more in control.
Wishing you all the best with everything! xxxx