Hi @kirstiekoala, We have the same diagnosis and story, but I am much older than you at 64 years old and have no history of breast cancer in my family. I also noticed a large fatty mass on the left side of my left breast. Since I've had a history of breast cysts in the past that were never alarming through mammograms, I thought this might be the same thing. I waited for 2 weeks to see if it would shrink before going for a mammogram. After the callback and an extensive assessment, I was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer stage 3, HR+, PR-, and HER2-. Similar to your diagnosis.
The breast surgeon told me it was urgent and immediately sent me for an MRI/CT/PET scan, which was done after one week, and thankfully, it was all clear. However, everything thereafter was slow. My lumpectomy and removal of involved lymp nodes, initially scheduled in 4 weeks, ended up taking place in 6 weeks due to the public health system. As the margins were not clear, I was scheduled for another re-excision, which I underwent yesterday. I'm still recovering from the anesthesia as it makes me quite sick.
My next appointment to find out if the margins have been cleared after the re-excision is in 2 and a half weeks due to the Christmas holidays. However, my first appointment with the oncologist since the diagnosis on September 29th is scheduled for January 17th. I'm trying to save my breast from a mastectomy, but I'm heavily informed about the possibility in the future. This website has been immensely helpful in understanding my condition and asking the right questions.
I must mention that my GP did not cry. If she did, it would upset me as I don't want anyone to cry. I need positive and brave people around me
