Dcis

Hi Welshtotty

Great name by the way - you are feeling like most women diagnosed with breast cancer feel, “how did this happen” not why me, but just the fact that you can have something potentially fatal but you feel perfectly fine? My diagnosis, treatment, everything changed from my initial diagnosis and it seems to happen a lot. I wish the medical professionals were a bit more open about that. I likened my journey to being on a snakes and ladders board. I won’t bore you with my story (it is on my profile) but after three failed lumpectomies I had a mastectomy and implant reconstruction, replaced 2 1/2 years later with a Diep flap. After my mastectomy we were due to go away  with friends , who had paid for us to go with them, and I just didn’t want to go- I did in the end, and enjoyed it, but whilst there tried to explain how I felt, but it is really difficult for anyone else to understand. I was extremely lucky and have fantastic family and friends who were there for me all the way, but that doesn’t stop it being a lonely experience. I tried to protect my sons, in particular, from feeling that what was happening to me shouldn’t affect their lives any more than it had to, but it all comes at a cost. I had chemotherapy so in other people’s  eyes was very ill ( when I wasn’t but did lose my hair) a friend who had a  straightforward lumpectomy and radiotherapy was treated like she hadn’t really had cancer by some people, but we all know that is wrong …. I felt a bit of a fraud at first and felt like maybe , after I had told everyone, It was wrong and I didn’t have cancer… things will start to fit together a bit more once you have your surgery - what reconstruction are you having ? X

Hi Welshtotty

You’ve just described exactly how I feel, I can’t accept my diagnosis and just keep thinking that I’m dreaming and gonna wake up. What was a routine mammogram in May has turned into a nightmare and just keep thinking if I’d had the mammogram last year when it was due would they have found it sooner, I keep saying to my daughter that I don’t feel any different apart from the fact my breast is black and blue from the biopsy just over a week ago.

I was diagnosed last Wednesday with grade 1 invasive ductal carcinoma 12mm oestrogen + they scanned my lymph nodes the Wednesday before and took a biopsy, lymph nodes were healthy but they still have to remove 3 to test. I’m having a lumpectomy and 3 nodes removed in 3 weeks and then 6-8 weeks later radiotherapy and then have to take tamoxifen (because I haven’t gone through menopause completely yet) for 5-10 years, still waiting for the HER2 test as they didn’t have the results last Wednesday but the nurse in breast test wales is phoning me tomorrow so perhaps I’ll find out then.

Hope all goes well on 16th July, I’m probably gonna be in around the same time or the week after, have my pre-opp on Tuesday absolutely scared stiff.

take care

Diane x

Hi, sorry to hear about your diagnosis. This is exactly how I felt when I was diagnosed too with DCIS. I am only 32 and felt like my whole world crashed around me. I was petrified so I think what your feeling is pretty normal. You feel so alone but these forums have made me realise you’re not at all. So many women in the same boat. I was diagnosed early May and have since had a mastectomy due to the size of the DCIS. That was almost two weeks ago and I feel fine. Healing nicely and not too sore at all. Like you said listen to your body fatigue wise and keep up on the paracetamol. Also do your exercises. I thought they’d just be a fad but they’re really helping me, I can move much easier when I do them. I’m not sure if I’m allowed to say this on here but I contacted someone on the breast cancer now website through their someone like me page and it has been invaluable. I talk to a lady every week and she has helped me so much. It helps to talk but I haven’t told friends yet. It’s easier to talk to a stranger sometimes. I hope this helps. Take care and good luck for your surgery, you’ll be fine xx