With so many newly diagnosed perhaps we should all share our stories. I can't remember when we did this last so sorry if we are repeating ourselves. We really are all types, and at all stages.
I was diagnosed 12 years ago when I was 43, with a grade 3 tumour, it was ductal, 1.7cms, very strongly Estrogen positive, her2neu negative (for those new to the terminology they test whether the tumour still have receptors for Estrogen and Progesterone, the receptor that healthy cells use to receive hormone signals but tumours can retain because they are using the hormones to grow, or a protein called Her2neu, in both cases they have treatment options that will work for that tumour, if you are negative for all 3 it is known as triple negative). one lymph node involved.
I had a lumpectomy but unfortunately they could not get clear margins, and a mastectomy three days later, which found widespread DCIS (Ductal Cancer I Situ) I have not had reconstruction because I couldn't face it at the time and have never been bothered enough to do it since. I am a wimp but 99 % of the time I am happy with my body and my prosthesis, I wear bikinis on holiday etc and I never had a cleavage to miss ;-) .
I had chemo, six rounds of FAC and lots of problems with low white blood counts, and delays to cycles and reductions in dose, and which bought on menopause around cycle 2or 3, followed by 5 years of Tamoxifen. I would then have gone on to one of the aromatise inhibitors but I have Osteopenia, early stage Osteoporosis , possibly the result of chemo or early menopause (except tamoxifen protects the bones and I took Calcium throughout)
When I was diagnosed I was given only 60 % chance of living five years (they put it that way because after living five years your odds of dying of breast cancer actually become lower than the average woman and so you will probably die of something else, I don't know if your Consultant told you that statistic grey lady but it is a good 'un
) but now they recognise that the menopause for women with tumours like mine improves their odds far more than they realised. It sounds scary when you are facing it as a young woman but I am absolutely sure it saved my life.
I hope that helps those new on here. The first days and weeks really are the worst, once you know what you face you can get on and cope. Between us we can usually answer most questions and are only too glad to help people with the benefit
of our experience.
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