I’m 55 with 2 grown up children and a teen. Diagnosed with grade 1 stage 1 IDC and DCIS in January 2022. Strongly oestrogen + and HER2 negative. Lymph nodes clear. It was all found during a mammogram to check a benign cyst when indeterminate calcifications showed up that proved to be malignant. Thankfully the invasive was small at 10mm but larger than was initially thought.
I had a mastectomy in March because two areas of DCIS we’re found after I had my mammograms re-read at another hospital. Things can sometimes be missed for all sorts of reasons. I didn’t want reconstruction. Now on Tamoxifen for 2 years then will switch to Letrozole for a further 3.
I’ve had no radiotherapy or chemotherapy and my recovery was straightforward after the surgery.
It’s taken time to come to terms with what happened, but I have much to be thankful for and am now getting on with my life.
Screening is not 100% reliable but I will be forever grateful that mammograms picked my breast cancer up very early. It’s made me re-assess some lifestyle choices and I don’t drink alcohol anymore and try not to stress so much.
I’ve learned on this journey that things may never be quite the same again and it takes time to accept the new normal. There were difficult days and uncertainty but you get through it. Trust your team but ask questions (they’re not always welcome but ask them anyway)!
Be a strong advocate for your own health, follow your instincts and never be afraid to ask for a second opinion.