Barmyfarmers
11 years agoMember
Early days
Hello world,
I am writing my first post here in a wave of emotions including confusion, despair, anger and frustration.
This whole journey began quite unexpectedly. Back in March this year I had a haemorrhagic stroke. Following this, in spite of an unexpected bleed in my brain, they discovered I also have a tendency to form random blood clots and I developed a DVT down my right leg which then broke off and formed a pulmonary embolism and nearly killed me.
All of this sparked a hunt for causes. One of the tests done in the hunt was a mammogram which revealed what I was told was 99% definitely just calcification, but they wanted a biopsy anyway.
The biopsy revealed DCIS and I went in for a lumpectomy to get rid of it. The lumpectomy found a little more than only the DCIS. There was a small tumour of invasive cells and the area taken still had DCIS on the margins.
The recommendation was then to do a sentinel node biopsy and either mastectomy or taking a little more tissue from the previous sites. I went for the lumpectomy as the doctor was quite sure that the scans were not showing anything far beyond these areas.
I now have the results from the second surgery. Fortunately the sentinel node biopsy gave the all clear but the extra tissue taken is still showing signs of DCIS at the margins in spite of looking like completely normal tissue to the surgeon. They now say that I should have the mastectomy as they believe that the DCIS could be quite extensive.
To be honest this whole concept is terrifying me. I am 45 years old and have three amazing kids and a very supportive husband, but something deep within me is just screaming NO!
From my understanding of what they have said, there is no more invasive cancer and yet they want to take my whole healthy breast away. I feel rather pressured into this.
I have to see the surgeon again next week and am expected to give my decision by then.