Newly diagnosed invasive carcinoma stage 2

Hi beccabecca, 
sorry to hear . Sounds like a difficult journey for you . Hope things improve for you . 
Will pop the question tomorrow . 
Wishing you all the best , thanks again for responding x

Hi Nicksta, I had my expanders changed for implants 3 weeks ago, after 18 months of non stop treatments & operations, may have another operation to go - 4 so far!
My surgeon wanted an MRI to get a better idea of tumor size. I think it cost me close to $500, but then again so did the useless mammograms 

Hi beccabeca, 
thanks for your reply . Wow i can’t believe what I read in your post .
I am not sure how long ago this was for you but I wish you the best for your  treatment .
See mine didn’t show up either on mammogramme .... something did on the ultra sound . I don’t understand why MRI isn’t a  given ( if patient is willing to pay ) as I understand it’s not  covered my Medicare and it’s expensive. As my cancer is breast cancer and no nodes involved and hormone positive the prognosis seems good so far but I want to make the best decision now to minimize the chance of any cancer coming back . 
Did they make it hard for you to get the MRI ir did they agree it was a good idea I wonder .

Hi Nicksta, so sorry to hear that you are going to go through cancer treatment. 
I agree with what eastmum has said, be confident in your team, ask lots of questions, take notes & someone for support.
I would be after an MRI, in my case it was the only thing that showed by tumor which was over 140mm! Not picked up on mammograms or ultrasounds. But MRI showed it's shocking size. I had no choice but to have a mastectomy on one side, but in the few minutes I had to decide I chose a double, didn't want to risk getting it in the other breast, but that was just me, esp as other tests showed nothing, I didn't want to waste my time & money on regular mammograms that were useless & expensive 

Hi @Eastmum . Thanks for taking the time to reply to me . Sorry to hear about your journey so far . I wish you strength and a positive outlook for each new turn on your journey . I hope the chemo is not causing you too many side affects that are uncomfortable . 
When I asked about MRI my surgeon said after core biopsy x3 , a lumpectomy and the  wide incision surgery in my right breast all within 3 weeks , would show up lots of lumps that may not mean anything . So it could cause more stress . I am just paranoid there might be more if something there .....I guess I have to wait to see what tomorrow brings . I will talk with my breast  care nurse after tomorrow . Thanks again for answering me . Wishing you all the best xx

Hi @Nicksta - welcome! Sorry to hear that you're going down this road - you've come to the right place for a supportive community with a ton of us who know exactly how you feel. 

The waiting is absolutely the hardest part and hopefully tomorrow, when you get some results, things will be a lot clearer for you and you will have a plan ahead of you. 

I didn't have the option of lumpectomy as by the time my invasive lobular carcinoma was diagnosed, it was too extensive so I've had a double mastectomy, which removed all the cancer, and I'm now going through chemo then radiation - for insurance and 'mopping up' purposes.

Being confident in your medical team is really important. There are plenty of women and men on here who have had a lumpectomy and no recurrence, and many others who have had a recurrence - even after mastectomy. There is no permanent guarantee either way. Definitely 'making the best decision now' is great advice.

Take your time, do all your research and make sure you feel 100% informed and confident about what you're going to do. You should absolutely request an MRI if that will give you piece of mind. I was very insistent about getting as much information as possible, and really went into my surgery and treatment plan feeling that it was the best way forward for me. 

Take someone with you - do you have a breast care nurse yet? - or record your appointments on a phone so you can listen back and feel that you've had all your questions answered - sometimes the info you get is so overwhelming. 

All the best for tomorrow! xxx