Hi Corkie.  I am sorry to hear about your diagnosis.  I noticed you haven't had any replies.  I had stage 3 , grade 2 lobular breast cancer.  Even though the tumor was 3.8cm I had a lumpectomy not a mastectomy.  You might get more support on the Macmillan forum.  There is one specifically for breast cancer and ladies on there have so much information and helpful advice.  There are lots of ladies on there who have had or having a mastectomy.  I wish you luck for your operation on 1 July.  Big hugs.

Lee x

Welcome to Cancer Chat Corkie, although I'm sorry to hear you've recently been diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma.

Just like leelaloo, I noticed no-one had got back to you just yet so I wanted to reassure you that your post has been seen and that we are wishing you all the best with your mastectomy next week.

I've had a quick look through the forum, and wanted to introduce you to the lovely Pippin24 who was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma last January. They had a mastectomy in October so will hopefully be able to answer any questions you have about this surgery and put your mind at ease about what's to come. You may be interested in this discussion about having a mastectomy as well. 

Coping with a breast cancer diagnosis can be very tough so if it would help to talk things through with one of our cancer nurses they're available on 0808 800 4040, Monday - Friday between 9a.m - 5p.m. They're very insightful and will do all they can to support you and address any other questions or concerns you may have at this time.

We're sending you all our support Corkie and will be by your side on every step of this journey.

Kind regards,

Steph, Cancer Chat Moderator

Hi Corkie, I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma 2024. I had two tumours and one affected lymph node, I was also HER2 positive. I had 7 cycles of chemo and also srarted phesgo injections, due to being HER2 positive. I had a mastectomy in October and opted for a diep flap reconstruction at the same time. I'm now waiting for a reduction and uplift of my healthy breast, so they match. Hope all goes well on the 1st July

Hi pippin

Thank you for your reply. I don't think I will have the reconstruction well I am saying this now I may change my mind later.

Wishing you all the best with your upcoming surgery's you will look amazing after it.

Hi Corkie,

A very warm welcome to our forum. 

I replied to your post not long after you wrote it, but my reply seems to have disappeared into the ether.

I hope that all went well for you yesterday and that you're not feeling too tender at present. I had a double mastectomy 15 years ago and I wasn't a suitable candidate for reconstruction, so have remained flat since then. I manage fairly well with an assortment of prostheses for different activities. some people find it more difficult to cope with a single mastectomy post-surgery than a double. This is because they often feel more uneven/unbalanced with just one breast. If you find that you feel like this, you can still have reconstruction at a later date. The main thing is that you've got rid of the cancer to start with.

Please keep in touch and let us know how you get on. We re always here for you.

Wishing you well with your recovery,

Jolamine xx