I was diagnosed with Stage 2 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma on November 1, 2016.
On December 27, 2016 my cancer was upgraded to Stage 3b due to the size of the tumor that was removed was 8.5 cm and one lymph node was malignant. One in 8 women will find out they have Breast Cancer each year. More than 80% of Breast Cancer diagnoses are Invasive Ductal Carcinoma.
According to breastcancer.org : “Invasive means that the cancer has “invaded” or spread to the surrounding breast tissues. Ductal means that the cancer began in the milk ducts, which are the “pipes” that carry milk from the milk-producing lobules to the nipple. Carcinoma refers to any cancer that begins in the skin or other tissues that cover internal organs — such as breast tissue. All together, “Invasive Ductal Carcinoma” refers to cancer that has broken through the wall of the milk duct and begun to invade the tissues of the breast. Over time, Invasive Ductal Carcinoma can spread to the lymph nodes and possibly to other areas of the body.”
This is my story….
As I shared in this post HERE, me and my family were travelling across country to move my Mom from Indiana to California.
We had decided to treat this trip as a sort of “vacation” and make stops to visit places we would normally not see. One of our stops was in Fort Worth, Texas to visit my stepsister and spend a couple of days sightseeing and eating barbecue!
Finding a lump
It was after I got out of the shower on the last day of our visit that I noticed a raised area on the top of my breast. There was a small dimpled area, but nothing too unusual otherwise. My breast didn’t hurt so I thought maybe I had just strained myself while packing the moving van. I decided to wait to tell my family until we got to California so they would not worry. I was so sure it was a fluke thing and my doctor would check it out and my breast wold return to normal in time. I had no family history of breast cancer. In fact, I had been checked for cancer in August when I had my hysterectomy and my tumor on my uterus was benign. I also had a mammogram at the insistence of my primary physician in April 2016 and all was fine with no abnormalities. I was sure all would be fine.
Sharing the news
When we left Texas and drove to Albuquerque, New Mexico I decided to share my concern with my husband because it was weighing heavily on my mind. I wanted his reassurance that I was just imagining the lump. As soon as he felt the lump he was very concerned and we decided to get checked as soon as we arrived home.
We arrived home on October 15, 2016 and I was able to get an appointment with my doctor for October 19, 2016. As soon as I told the scheduler I found a lump in my breast, I got an appointment right away.
This is where the painful year long journey begins.
Stay close by as I share my experience with Breast Cancer diagnosis and treatment. I hope by sharing my story I can help other women with early detection and treatment.
Love,
2 Comments