Yuyu's Cancer Diary
August 18, 2008
| I am a cancer patient now. | Views: 528 |
I was diagnosed with breast cancer (invasive Ductal Carcinoma) last week, August 12, 2008.
I am 34 years old with no family history of breast cancer. I have no kids. I am divorced.
About two months ago, I’ve noticed a large mass/lump on my right breast. I thought I bumped into a wall and bruised it. I went to a doctor to be looked at. I was put on antibiotics since the lump was thought to be infection. They ordered a mammogram to make sure it was nothing serious.
The first mammogram came out inconclusive. They said it did not show my lump. So, they ordered another mammo and an ultrasound. They both came up suspicious. The doctor said small calcifications were found in second mammo, but still the lump was not showing up in these imaging. So, the doctor sent me to do Stereotactic biopsy.
Meanwhile, my right breast has gotten bigger from swelling. The lump has become harder and bigger. It has became painful, and my nipples were itchy. I was also tired all the time and sweating a lot. Antibiotics were not doing anything.
The biopsy was done on Thursday 08/07/08. They told me it should not hurt at all. But, for some reasons, it hurt like He**. The novacane did not numb my breast at all, but they went ahead and did it and took sample tissue out of my breast. I cried and screamed from the pain. This was definitely the most painful experience I ever had in my life.
So, that’s how I found out I have breast cancer. On Tuesday 08/12/08, my doctor called me and said “you have breast cancer”. I still remember exactly how he said. I think I will remember the moment forever.
I thought I was going to faint from the shock and panic. I am only 34, I don’t have any family hx, it must be a dream… Me? Breast Cancer? Ican’t die now, I want to live and someday start my own family, have kids, travel, I don’t want to die yet!
At this point, I have just started new job one week prior. I was very excited about the new job. I worked for county for three months after leaving a non-profit organization where I worked as a clinician for almost two years in May. Working for county just did not work for me and I missed doing clinical work with kids. So, I was so excited to have the opportunity to work as a clinician again.
I was in a panic since I don’t have any sick time or vacation at this new job. How am I suppose to do if I can;t work? If I won’t be able to keep the job, then how am I supposed to keep it going financially? How about health insurance? Am I going to be homeless and dead? I don’t have any family here in this country, so I am basically alone if I can’t support myself. So many things went through my mind.
I met with a doctor in person on Thursday 08/14/08. He explained my pathology report, and recommended that I have double masectomy and chemo therapy. I was devastated. The diagnosis of cancer was shocking enough, then the possibility of losing both of my boobs and going bold with chemo just scared the heck out of me.
My pathology report did not tell me too much about my cancer. The tumor size is unknown. All I know is it is Grade 2, ER+, PR+, and Her2+. Stage is unknown. It sure doesn’t tell me if I am going to die or live…
My doctor wants to take an aggressive approach, I guess, and strongly recommends me to take both of my boobs out and go throgh Chemo. He said that’s most of surgeons will do with as case like mine, someone young and with rather aggressive cancer cells.
Stacey 
Thanks for your support -
Hiya,
I was just diagnosed with the same exact Cancer. My Dr. wants to do Chemo first to shrink the tumor. They tell me because it’s so big it’s better to shrink it then remove it. They say this way I don’t have to wait for my surgery to heal and the Chemo can start to reduce the change of any other DNA reproducing in my body. They want to kill anything that might be out there first before they operate. Once they complete Chemo then they want to remove my breast. I had two opinions, both with the same conclusion and both devastating.
Does your Dr. want to remove your breasts first?
I know how you are feeling. I just found out the first week of August 2008 and I am overwhelmed with anxiety and fear.
Sonia
Dear YuYu;
I sometimes go to the general posts in case I want to read other stories of people who have just found out about their cancer. Well here I am trying to soak up your bio and find the words to comfort you. First I have become a supporter so I shall always find your posts in my email box, willing to respond to your letters. Secondly, I see you have a response already from an equal which is helpful to you. Thirdly, SHOUT IT OUT CANCER SUCKS! You have sooooo much to think about and not a lot of time to figure the best possible choice. You will find a lot of breast cancer patients on this site if you have any spare time to go through it. Lots of ideas spring up from there. However, your Surgeon seems to have a program laid out. I too wonder why chemo would not be the first action? You must still be in complete and utter shock and amazement. Blinded by the news. I hope you have family that can support you in some way. I just can’t imagine being on my own. YOu will need all the support you can find, from here, from local cancer groups and hopefully an understanding surgeon. I would want to know from the Oncologist what he thinks first. Is there a way to get referred quickly to one and have his/her opinion before surgery? I pray that you find the answers. There are so many questions at the beginning, and the mind just swirls with too much information. Take someone with you at all times to Dr.’s visits. It’s the one thing I rely on, someone else to get the details of the conversation that I just missed.
Prayers to you my dear and keep us in your journals on Blog For A Cure – CANCER SUCKS. Weezie
Welcome to the group. I was 35 when diagnosed. It was so strange not to have any of my friends be able to relate to me. I would get comments like, my mom had that or my aunt had that. But I didn’t know anyone my age that had cancer. That is one reason why I created this site. There are so many wonderful people here who can help and understand what you are going through. You will have so many questions in the next months. Be sure to post them here or start a list for your doctors.
Welcome to the family. We are all here to help you get this through this time in your life.
Love Sherri
Dear, Yuyu, I am sorry to hear about your condition. Have you heard of Dr. Evangelos Michelakis of the University of Alberta. In 2007 he was in the papers because he couldn’t get funding for a study of a public domain drug, DCA (dichloro acetate), a drug widely studied in the treatment of children , but , because of the public domain there was no profit in funding the study. Dr. M found it could shrink tumours and the pills cost about two dollars each.The drug may work on breast cancer. You could ask your doctors if they could check how his study is going , or if he published conclusions and could you benefit? Some people on this blog have reported bad docotrs who don’t help , so maybe you should check this out yourself too. I am in the middle of my own scientific battle so haven’t kept up on this study. If Dr. M has succeed or is near success , it would be a shame to pass up on this possibility. I hope there is good news, but you don’t know if you don’t check. All the best . Ed Greenhalgh (eagblog)