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found a lump - crappy update on p 14


hornblower

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Benign mass, oil gland trauma, as seen with any injury to chest, surgeries, etc. Another check on it in 6 months. 

 

U/S was done on one, mammogram on both. I guess there was nothing of concern on the one which is why no U/S on it. 

 

I don't know if everyone reading this knows the routine...in a nutshell, you get a mammogram done so that there is a normal image for you on record. You go back yearly and comparison is made to previous year. I was stubborn for 20+ years and didn't go back. Kept telling myself nothing was going to be wrong with mine.

Just do it. 

Thank you for the support, everyone.

Hornblower, I hope you're having a decent day. 

 

 

 

 

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Hornblower, I hope you're having a decent day. 

 

so glad of your good news! 

 

And yes everyone, do your baseline mammos & go for repeats as recommended by the guidelines applicable to your health/age/risk status.

 

And do get used to feeling your tatas so you know when something is not right. My tumor presented at >2 cm 4 months after a normal mammo. 

 

I actually am having a decent day because....my surgery got moved up to Dec 12!  :hurray:  Yippeee, they're going to cut that thing out!

 

only thing is -  on the 13th I was supposed to be going to a super duper special to me sold out event for which I bought tickets the second they went on sale ....  I've been staring at the tickets on my wall for months & so looking forward to it! We'll see how I feel. The day after my thyroid surgery last year I was just tired but mostly ok so perhaps it will work out. 

 

 

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so glad of your good news! 

 

And yes everyone, do your baseline mammos & go for repeats as recommended by the guidelines applicable to your health/age/risk status.

 

And do get used to feeling your tatas so you know when something is not right. My tumor presented at >2 cm 4 months after a normal mammo. 

 

I actually am having a decent day because....my surgery got moved up to Dec 12!  :hurray:  Yippeee, they're going to cut that thing out!

 

only thing is -  on the 13th I was supposed to be going to a super duper special to me sold out event for which I bought tickets the second they went on sale ....  I've been staring at the tickets on my wall for months & so looking forward to it! We'll see how I feel. The day after my thyroid surgery last year I was just tired but mostly ok so perhaps it will work out. 

 

 

I'm sorry about the event, but glad they got your surgery moved up. 

I've got my consult for biopsy on the 12th.

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Benign mass, oil gland trauma, as seen with any injury to chest, surgeries, etc. Another check on it in 6 months. 

 

U/S was done on one, mammogram on both. I guess there was nothing of concern on the one which is why no U/S on it. 

 

I don't know if everyone reading this knows the routine...in a nutshell, you get a mammogram done so that there is a normal image for you on record. You go back yearly and comparison is made to previous year. I was stubborn for 20+ years and didn't go back. Kept telling myself nothing was going to be wrong with mine.

Just do it. 

Thank you for the support, everyone.

Hornblower, I hope you're having a decent day. 

:hurray: So glad for good news!

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just a quick update

 

met with my surgeon & we have a plan! 

 

scheduled for surgery on Jan 3, might go earlier if a slot is found 

(oh & for those who don't know, I'm in Canada. It's all free and every cancer patient is managed by a multidisciplinary team and there's a tumor board that meets to review every file. I'm feeling good about their protocols - all evidence based and current.) 

 

I feel pretty grounded and calm about this now that I actually have a specific plan and a list. Still many unknowns and they'll be doing OncotypeIQ testing to determine whether we should do chemo or not. Right now for sure we're doing lumpectomy + sentinel node biopsy + radiation and eventually tamoxifen.

 

Oh & as for school - my profs are figuring stuff out talking to the dean and registrar's office for me. 

I was finding all this out in the last few days of the semester, had to miss one of my last lectures for my biopsies. During every appointment everyone was (kindly, in retrospect) signalling strongly that this was not going to be a 'nothing' and at the biopsy the radiologist said "so, I'm going to flag this for the surgeon" ....  so already my school focus was affected and my studying was not going that well. I got the news that it was cancer just before my first exam.  I would have bombed it. Every question I would have written "Why are you asking me about this when OMG my breast is trying to kill me! It's uncontrolled mitosis!" decorated with giant monster cells devouring boobs, and tear splotches.  I'm feeling calmer now but even today I forgot to pay for parking and made a bunch of mistakes in emails etc. Totes not thinking straight. 

They're filling out paperwork to make my courses an "incomplete with academic concession" & we'll figure out completing them later. It's going to mess up nursing school applications too but we'll sort that out too somehow. 

 

thank you everyone. The hive is the best! We're going kick this thing to the curb. 

 

 

First, hugs, I missed the announcement of what it ended up being. I'm really sorry.  Medical stuff stinks.

 

Second, I took a retroactive medical withdrawal from last semester if that helps. They actually just sent me a form to refund my tuition too, just an FYI.  Had to have my med. team fill out paperwork, but they seemed happy to do it for me.  <3

 

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so glad of your good news! 

 

And yes everyone, do your baseline mammos & go for repeats as recommended by the guidelines applicable to your health/age/risk status.

 

And do get used to feeling your tatas so you know when something is not right. My tumor presented at >2 cm 4 months after a normal mammo. 

 

I actually am having a decent day because....my surgery got moved up to Dec 12!  :hurray:  Yippeee, they're going to cut that thing out!

 

only thing is -  on the 13th I was supposed to be going to a super duper special to me sold out event for which I bought tickets the second they went on sale ....  I've been staring at the tickets on my wall for months & so looking forward to it! We'll see how I feel. The day after my thyroid surgery last year I was just tired but mostly ok so perhaps it will work out. 

 

 

Only 4 days>less, that is better news! 

I hope you can go to your super duper special event on the 13th. I think you would try. You can rest up after that.  :coolgleamA:

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just a quick update

 

met with my surgeon & we have a plan! 

 

scheduled for surgery on Jan 3, might go earlier if a slot is found 

(oh & for those who don't know, I'm in Canada. It's all free and every cancer patient is managed by a multidisciplinary team and there's a tumor board that meets to review every file. I'm feeling good about their protocols - all evidence based and current.) 

 

I feel pretty grounded and calm about this now that I actually have a specific plan and a list. Still many unknowns and they'll be doing OncotypeIQ testing to determine whether we should do chemo or not. Right now for sure we're doing lumpectomy + sentinel node biopsy + radiation and eventually tamoxifen.

 

Oh & as for school - my profs are figuring stuff out talking to the dean and registrar's office for me. 

I was finding all this out in the last few days of the semester, had to miss one of my last lectures for my biopsies. During every appointment everyone was (kindly, in retrospect) signalling strongly that this was not going to be a 'nothing' and at the biopsy the radiologist said "so, I'm going to flag this for the surgeon" ....  so already my school focus was affected and my studying was not going that well. I got the news that it was cancer just before my first exam.  I would have bombed it. Every question I would have written "Why are you asking me about this when OMG my breast is trying to kill me! It's uncontrolled mitosis!" decorated with giant monster cells devouring boobs, and tear splotches.  I'm feeling calmer now but even today I forgot to pay for parking and made a bunch of mistakes in emails etc. Totes not thinking straight. 

They're filling out paperwork to make my courses an "incomplete with academic concession" & we'll figure out completing them later. It's going to mess up nursing school applications too but we'll sort that out too somehow. 

 

thank you everyone. The hive is the best! We're going kick this thing to the curb. 

 

 

You can do it.  One of my favorite pics of my mom and me is her wearing a head scarf  (because chemo) .  She had just finished her last treatment.  The caption says 'my mom kicks breast cancer to the curb!'  And she did.  14 years post diagnosis.  

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I am so sorry that you are going through this. I thought that I would share my sister's story, in the hope that it helps.

 

She was diagnosed last December, right before the holidays. Had a mammo at 38, which was clear. Skipped the mammo at 39 because doctors didn't think it was necessary. We have no family hx of bc, and she had no risk factors. She found a lump a few months after her mammo would have been. Stage 3 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, node positive, estrogen postive. She started 6 months of chemo in early 2017, they immediately put her into menopause, then had a double mastectomy and lymphadenectomy over the summer. She is currently cancer free, and will have 12 rounds of radiation over the holidays. She is a single mother of two young children, and managed all of this by herself. I have no idea how she did it, to be honest (I offered to fly up to be with her, but she really wanted to handle it alone). Her hair and energy are returning, and her long term prognosis is good. Cancer treatment has really come a long way, so have faith in the science and your medical team. You will beat this!! Sending much love and prayers for recovery.

Edited by SeaConquest
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so glad of your good news! 

 

And yes everyone, do your baseline mammos & go for repeats as recommended by the guidelines applicable to your health/age/risk status.

 

And do get used to feeling your tatas so you know when something is not right. My tumor presented at >2 cm 4 months after a normal mammo. 

 

I actually am having a decent day because....my surgery got moved up to Dec 12!  :hurray:  Yippeee, they're going to cut that thing out!

 

only thing is -  on the 13th I was supposed to be going to a super duper special to me sold out event for which I bought tickets the second they went on sale ....  I've been staring at the tickets on my wall for months & so looking forward to it! We'll see how I feel. The day after my thyroid surgery last year I was just tired but mostly ok so perhaps it will work out. 

 

 

 

See what kind of anesthesia they are planning. If they are planning to give you a spinal block (kinda like an epidural). you don't have the post-anesthesia fatigue and its pain-killing effects last for a while. They will give you oral pain meds, too, but there should be no real reason that you can't go out as long as you're not driving. If your special event allows you to be in a space where you are not being bumped into and squished, it should be okay.  

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