Diagnosis

Yesterday was the hardest day so far for me. My stomach always gets upset when I am worried or stressed and by late yesterday afternoon it was really showing the strain.
This morning I went to work because I didn't think that I could handle being at home working alone. My appointment was at one so I left work at 11: 45 and went to pick my husband up at his automotive repair shop. We got to the Breast Health Clinic by 12:30, then sat in the car while he ate his lunch, prayed together and then went in to see what we were facing.
There was a brief wait in the waiting room, then we were paged to the back and the same nurse, Linda, took us into a room. She looked pretty solemn, so that was my first clue that my suspicions were right. She talked briefly, then a few minutes later the surgeon walked in, sat down in front of me on a little stool used to help patients up onto the exam table and started reviewing the results, starting with the mammogram and ending with the biopsy results. One area biopsied showed invasive ductal carcinoma, the other showed ductal carcinoma in situ and the fluid taken from the lymph gland was positive for metastatic adenocarcinoma.
I asked him what was next and he said surgery. He said his secretary already had a spot booked for me, she was just waiting to contact me until he had talked to me first. I would also need bloodwork, a bone scan, a CT scan and a pre-op assessment appointment. Even with all that he said I would probably be having surgery by the end of the month. Seeing as how this is June 20th, I guess that means next week?
I'm booked for a total right mastectomy with lymph node dissection. He said that chemo usually followed surgery about 6 weeks later, but that they would have a better idea of treatment once pathology from the surgery was complete. There may also be radiation.
Once all of that is complete, I can look at reconstruction.
Wow! Waiting for so long and then everything is happening so fast. The nurse navigator came in to meet me and speak to me, then I filled out a preop anaesthetic form and consent; went through some pamphlets and information from the nurse, found out my bone scan is booked for June 22nd and the CT scan will be in a nearby town early next week in order to be able to be accommodated quicker. I was told of different education sessions the clinic offered and also of a psychologist affiliated with the clinic that I could contact. Information overload!
Now to start telling my family members and friends, everything seems very surreal right now, like it's not really happening to me.