http://community.macmillan.org.uk/blogs/b/weblog - Week 1 - Diagnosis
I was diagnosed with IDC Invasive Ductal Carcinoma Type 1- Grade 2 exactly one week ago. The day of the lumpectomy has finally arrived. As I wanted the procedure carried out as soon as possible, they were not able to get all the pre-operative procedures conducted on 1 site. My first appointment was at 9.00am in one hospital to have a radioactive dye injected into my breast. At 10.00am, I was due to have a 'guide wire' inserted using ultrasound so the surgeon could easily locate the lump. I nearly fainted when he said just needed to make a small incision to put the wire in. I was worried he would pierce my heart! Around 12, we arrived at third and final hospital that day where I was to have the lumpectomy. I did not see the guide wire being inserted but my husband did say it looked pretty long. It felt very uncomfortable during the 30min journey to the hospital, almost painful.
Around 1pm, I was introduced to the anaesthetist. I told him that I don't care about the operation itself but I was petrified of needles and that I would need 'magic cream' if that was a available. The consultant/surgeon also came in and said that would be going down to theatre soon. This was the first time I saw her in her 'scrubs' and by now I was petrified. I was worried my legs were going to give. She explained that she would remove the lump plus extra tissue around it in order to gain a clear margin around the cancerous cells. She also explained that she would remove 1 lymph node under the arm, send this away for testing (while I was still under) and then remove more if results come back positive. 4 nodes were removed in the end. My husband walked down with me with the medical team to the anaesthetic room where he had to leave me I tears. I was shaking as they prepared to put the dreaded cannula into my hand and I was horrified when I found out I needed 2 put in, one further up my arm as well. I came back after 3.5 hours to a very anxious looking husband. I felt a little lightheaded but was not in too much pain at that point. I had a little to eat and drink and I sent my husband home so I could still FaceTime my girls before they went to sleep. I told him that they should sleep in our bed with him tonight since it was the first night I had ever been away from my babies. Even when I had my second child. I went into labour I the morning and was back for evening dinner the same day so yes, this was my first night away for the girls. I was always there to do their hair up for school but tomorrow morning, my 8 yr old would have do her little sister's hair. My eldest would tie her own hair in a ponytail and then I would tightly plait the ponytail for her. Then my 5 yr old would have the same or 2 plaits. It broken heart that I wasn't going there that morning and that it would be a few days before I could manage to help tie a bobble tightly round their plaits. Well my 8yr old did a better/neater job than me bless her.
Over the next few days, the focus was on recovery after the operation. The days were slow which I found painful. I was so used to rushing around each day under a very set schedule. I would wake up at 5.30am, wash and dry my hair, put on make up; my husband would wake at 6.00am and then the girls at 6.15am. Once the girls were dressed and ready, they would go downstairs and their daddy would prepare breakfast for them at 6.50 while I would get dressed. We would all leave the house by 7.10 to drive to the station where I would be dropped off first to get my 7.33 train and then my husband would take the kids to breakfast club before coming back to the station later. After a day at work, I would pick the girls up before 4.30. I would get home, cook dinner and eat between 5.00-6.00. Bathtime at 6.45-7.15 then half an hour of story time. From 8.00-10.00 would be household and catch a bit of TV if I had time left then bed around 10.30-11 for another 5.30 start. It was my schedule for the last 9 years, there was a slot for everything and now my whole world, as I know it, had suddenly stopped.
One week after surgery, I was told that the tumour was actually 16mm and not 8mm and 26mm was removed in total so a clear margin was obtained. However 4 lymph nodes were removed and micromestatasis was found in one node. The consultant referred the tumour to be sent for an Endopredict oncotype test which would look at the tumour DNA and predict the likelihood of recurrence taking into account various factors such as family history, age etc. She indicate that because of my age, the treatment plan is likely to me more aggressive i.e chemotherapy.
I spent the next couple of weeks reading about chemo, researching wigs, new hairstyles. I had to keep myself busy. I had cried much over the last couple of weeks and I needed to find my 'practical' head and switch off the emotions for a while.
The results of the endopredict test came back in week 5. By now I was referred to an oncologist at Harley street. He said that if I did not receive adjuvant therapy (chemo) then there is about 10% chance of recurrence but with chemo I could in increase this to only 3% chance of recurrence. It was a no brainer really, of course I want to take no risks with my girls being so young, I would do anything.
So that was agreed, I would start 12 weeks of chemotherapy which was to be followed by 4 weeks of radiotherapy and then 10 years of taking tablets.
Week 1 - Diagnosis http://community.macmillan.org.uk/blogs/b/weblog578
Week 6 - Portacath insertion ...
