Breast cancer!

blueeyes28 · 11-06-2008, 01:26 PM

My MIL just found out she has it and my husband and I are on the verge of a breakdown,so far all that we know is that the tumor is the size of the head of a pencil and she is scheduled for a lumpectomy early next month which will be followed with some radiation but no chemo.Why can't I keep it together I keep telling myself it is too soon panic like this but it is all I think about.HELP! I could really use some guidance here from anyone who has been in this situation.Thanks

HollyP · 11-06-2008, 06:36 PM

I am so sorry! It sounds like they caught it early. It is amazing what they can do to treat cancer now. I'll keep your MIL and your family in my prayers. Hang in there!

Tropicflower24 · 11-06-2008, 06:40 PM

2 of my grandma's had breast cancer. It's gonna be ok. Just wait, and see what happens, and know I will be keeping you all in prayers.

vaknitter · 11-06-2008, 06:59 PM

I'm sorry to hear about your MIL, don't breakdown just yet. If the tumor is that small it has most likely been caught early enough. I just went through this very same thing with my mother. She has had her surgery and sees the oncologist today to talk about radiation/chemo. I am more than happy to PM you with all the details you would like.

Luvmyrottnboy · 11-06-2008, 07:04 PM

It's OK. The word "cancer" does have a way of scaring the socks off us.

My best friend had breast cancer twice. The first time was a very non-aggressive type. She had a mastectomy and reconstruction but no radiation or chem.

The second time was totally unrelated to the first, a completely different type of cancer. Highly aggressive, she found a lemon size lump only 2 months after a clean mammogram.

She had chemo and a lumpectomy and she has been fine for years.

My cousin had breast cancer in her 30's that spread. She had her adrenal glands removed and she has been fine for 30 years!

She will be fine. Just be positive and upbeat for her. I had a breast cancer scare myself years ago (it was benign) and my friend who had had breast cancer was just awful to be around...so negative I had to distance myself for a while because she was scaring me to death.

I strongly recomend Susan Love's books on breast cancer as they helped me a lot.

blueeyes28 · 11-06-2008, 07:17 PM

Thanks very much for your support everyone

I needed that.

stitchwitch · 11-06-2008, 07:29 PM

My mom went through the same thing ten years ago at the age of 66. Small tumor, 1.00cm, no lymph node involvement, lumpectomy and radiation for six weeks. She's been fine so far.
The tumor is small, if she has no lymph node involvement (they'll check when the do the lumpectomy either with sentinal node biopsy or just taking a few nodes) she is pretty sure to be ok. If they can get a clean margin around the tumor when they do the lumpectomy and no node involvement she'll be even better off.
The radiation treatment is not that bad, it's more of a pain because you go everyday. It's quick though, like 10 minutes. It does wipe you out in the later weeks and you feel tired and does some funky stuff to your skin but it's doable.
It's scary, I've been through it for myself and for my mom. The initial weeks are the worst, once the lumpectomy happens and the radiation starts the stress seems to lessen. Ask questions, lots of them and go hit your library or book store for books. There are alot of good books out there and they seemed to help me when I couldn't remember what the doctor just told me because I was so stressed out. I'd hear what they were saying but didn't absorb it, reading it later helped alot. Susan Love's books are the best!!

scout52 · 11-06-2008, 07:33 PM

Lucy78green · 11-06-2008, 07:44 PM

My aunt went though it a couple of years ago. She found a lump and the hospital kept telling her it was a cyst/benign lump. It wasn't until 6 months later after she insisted they examine it again did they do a biopsy and found out it was cancer, by which stage it had grown bigger. She had to have the whole breast and the lymph nodes removed, and she was allergic to the chemo drugs and went into anaphylactic (sp?) shock a few times, but she has pulled though and so far so good. If they caught it early enough they should be able to treat it more successfully!

blueeyes28 · 11-06-2008, 07:50 PM

Apparently the oncologist looked at her last mamogram to compare with this one and he said that the tumor was there last year and they did not pick up on it but it only grew a small amount over the year I can't help but be just a little annoyed though that maybe this would have already been over had they noticed last year.