Hi.  I received my diagnosis today.... invasive ductal grade 2. Her2 borderline but estrogen and prostegene positive.   Surgery 9th sept and then radiation.  Wait for results to confirm chemo or not.   All bit of a whirlwind at the moment and I know I'm in shock because I haven't cried and feel COMPLETELY numb.  The whole thing seems totally and utterly ridiculous at the moment.......and yet here I am wide awake at 1.00am in the morning creeping round the house so I don't wake hubby as I want him to try and get some rest.  Is this normal? I've spent 2 weeks waiting for initial appt at breast clinic convincing myself...."its nothing.. stop worrying" to having all the usual tests, waiting another week and convincing myself I'm worrying over nothing and then today......WHAM!   It all feels a little surreal and God knows why but I feel like a fruad?!.   Has anyone else had this sort of reaction to their diagnosis?

Veroni it looks like your a few weeks ahead of me and I'm sure once the bomb finally hits home ill feel the same.   At the moment I just feel like "can I just slow the train down a little so I can process all of this"   I don't even fully understand the bl**dy jargon at the moment x

Same diagnosis here: Invasive Ductal Carcinoma of about 1 cm in size, PR+ ER+ HER2-, with a positive lymph node biopsy. 

I had surgery yesterday, so now the 10-day wait for results starts. No idea how to get through that time, feels like eternity.

If I already knew that I need chemo I could mentally prepare, but the fact that they add on more horribleness with each result is really getting to me. I can't help hoping that I only need radiotherapy, and that I'm one one those people who get on okay with Tamoxifen. But the waiting and the bad results at each meeting after ... devastating.

I don't really have advice - other than to try to distract yourself. Go out. Do things. Step away from the computer.

PS I had a partial lymph node clearance rather than SLNB because I had a biopsy before surgery and it showed a macrometastasis in the node that was checked. 

Can I ask what your symptoms were?

i had a red area round my areola and went to gp but she wasn't concerned 

also have pins and needles right arm and leg but hurt back when bathing dog (pinged) so not sure if this has anything g to do with red area

i am such a worrier 

Hi pana29

That doesn't really sound related IMHO... But I understand your worries.

Symptoms: I noticed that my left nipple was getting pulled in ever so slightly, and I could feel a very small hard mass behind it. I went to my GP. She could not see our feel it, but agreed I should visit a breast clinic just in case. So I did that a few days later privately.

I would say that if you are concerned about a change, then do good to a breast clinic. Just in case. It's very likely nothing (I think over 80% of breast clinic visits find nothing or only benign changes?). But best to follow your instincts.

I had a mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy at the clinic as they could see a 4mm mass. They were pretty sure it was a benign growth called a papilloma. But then the biopsy came back as cancer, dammit.

Hi Ninakent 

mine is 1cm.  They said yesterday that good chance not spread to lymph nodes and biopsy is just to check?!?!?!   I'm keeping fingers crossed is the SLNB the biopsy with blue dye - I'm still getting used to the terminology.   I'm now desperately trying to understand the implications of HER2 - as I was borderline.... is positive or negative good?

i didn't get a lot of sleep last night but I am resisting the urge of dr Google!   This site has been so useful though.  It feels good to be able to acknowledge what's going on.   I don't want to tell people yet as it all feels surreal and I feel really stupid saying "I've got breast cancer" out loud - as I'm fit and healthy!!!   
I actually felt a lump at 12.00 on my right breast and went to doctors who then referred to clinic - all the usual stuff.  I'm 47 but had 2 x Fibroadenoma in my 20s which had to be removed as they were complex.   I honestly thought that this would be same diagnosis.   Went to get results yesterday on my own as I really was expecting anything more serious.   Shocked doesn't even begin to describe how I felt when they told me.

do you know when you'll hear whether chemo is necessary for you - keeping my fingers crossed for you x

Hi Diggergirl,

What a huge shock you must have had. I went to get my results on my own too, and it was pretty intense. But remember that knowing what's going on is a good thing. Now you can figure out how to get rid of it!

With regards to lymph nodes, I'm told that I'm really unlucky to have a positive node with such a small tumor. My tumor was directly underneath the nipple where all the lymph vessels go (I think that's what they said), so that made it spread faster. But my surgeon still hopes it was just the single node. Hope so! So I think your consultant is very right, it's unlikely you'll have one :)

By the way, I had a different approach to lymph node diagnostics. I had a microbubbles guided biopsy of one node before surgery so that they could decide whether they should only take the sentinel lymph nodes or more (which they did). You could ask if that's possible, as it reduces the need for more than one surgery if they find cancer in the sentinel lymph nodes. They don't do those microbubble everywhere though.

HER2... I'm not an expert at all. I hope someone smarter will be along to give a properly informed answer on what borderline means!

Honey I'm 38. I was diagnosed with the exact thing last wednesday.im petrified

I keep convincing myself its spread into my spine

Its hell on earth.

Thank you for your replies 

I am sorry for your diagnosis but you all sound positive lovely ladies 

I will monitor my red area around areola 

Hi. Thanks for the replys.  Digger girl ur op is on my birthday. I received my new appointment today  I will find out exactly what is happening what stage and grade if lymph nodes have or haven't got cancer. Its a bit daunting to be honest.  I was thinking this morning to myself  about how I had the tumour and lymph nodes done a fortnight ago foes that mean I don't have cancer now?or even though its been cut out  do they still class you as having it at this point of time???  See, weird thoughts lol.   I was on my own too when I was told there was a lump. They didn't say then it was cancer  until the biopsy came back but I knew by the way they were speaking. Mentioning  sinkers and floaters and so on.    I have no idea  what or if I will get further treatment I guess going by everyone's posts here it would seem like  maybe radiation treatment and hormonal  too. X we can all support each other during this horrible time as each one of us knows how the others are feeling too. X