I was diagnosed with Inductal carcinoma in one breast on the 9/11 or 11th of September, But i did not need a tests or a Dr to tell me what i already knew. 10 weeks ago i was trying on bras and as i looked in the mirror i noticed that the outer bottom of my left breast was squared off and the bottom edge was raised and as i felt under the edge the skin had been pulled in by a lump. As the days went forward my whole breast became extremely painful to the point that if someone else didn't take it off, i would be doing it myself. I have pain relief now, which helps.  

As the Dr finished the first lump biopsy, i asked if it was cancer and although she paused for a moment, she said yes. I asked if it was in my other breast or lymph nodes and she said that as far as she could see 'no'. What i wasn't expecting when i attended my next appointment was to be told that i would need a mastectomy - i was in shock, but i had been wondering how they could remove the tumour safely and leave enough breast tissue, because of where it was. I swore a lot and i don't normally swear. I sat and  talked with the nurse about reconstruction as i could not see myself without a boob, i think it would send me to the asylum. By the time i had my next appointment i had accepted the mastectomy and had decided i needed a boob and if i could then i wanted to use my own tissue to reconstruct at the same time as the mastectomy. I had also decided on no radiation therapy but other treatments such as chemotherapy and hormone therapy was acceptible to me. By the next appointment i not only saw my surgeon, i also saw a plastic surgeon, who very kindly said that my tummy was large enough to be used to reconstruct my boob. I am now having tests that will prepare me for the big surgery in about a month; mastectomy and DIEP reconstruction.

I have stayed away from these chat sites as all i read is negativity and such statements as 'i have to...' you don't have to do anything, but you must realise that to refuse all treatment will at some point take your life. Be an informed patient. Take your time to make the right decision for you. If you cannot face waking up without a boob then say so or anything else, it is the hospital policy to send patients home with drains in situ and i said no to that too, post surgery. We all react differently to such news, but doing nothing is not an option. My fears are that the longer the tumour stays inside me there is more chance of it creating more problems; waking up from surgery without a breast, making the wrong decision, but no decision i make myself with added knowledge and understanding will ever be the wrong decision. I told them to get on with it and they are doing.

A few other things, i want to add here is that your not alone; if you have found a change in your breast, no matter what it is then go get it checked asap and cancer can be painful and there is no way of knowing what it is until they do the tests. 47% of breast cancer patients still end up with a mastectomy - this one statement brought me peace that i was not alone.