Please keep good thoughts and prayers for a friend at church.  Carla is 40 and has 4 young children under the age of 12.  She had her first mammogram last month and got called back for a diagnostic mammogram last week.  She had a biopsy last Thursday and results today - 3 lumps that are cancerous.
 
She is absolutely terrified.  I talked to her at church Sunday and do know that her surgeon is the same one that I have.  If she has to have a mastectomy then my surgeon will recommend my plastic surgeon as they work closely together.  40 years old, you get your first mammogram and told you have breast cancer.  It just sucks............
 
I do not know what stage she is or if she even knows.  Our pastors wife sent me a message giving me the news and asking if I would call her.  I did, but got her voice mail.  I hope that I can help get her through some of this.  Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

Joyce, South Jordan, UT 
DCIS grade 1;lumpectomy 1/24/08
biopsy 7/3/08;DCIS grade 3 multi-focal
rb mastectomy/reconstruct TRAM 8/26/08
LAT Flap-2/3/09, TRAM breast reconstruct failed
RB exchange; LB lift & implant surgery 3/24/09
New nip! -5/12/09
Stereotactic L breast 10/26/11;DCIS grade 3, BRCA2+ 
LB mastectomy/LAT flap/sentinel node biopsy 12/8/11 
Final surgery 5/8/12!!!

I'll be praying.

Jeni Samples,45
Diagnosis: IDC, Stage 2, Grade 2, Triple Negative 7/15/11
Bilateral Mastectomy
Extensive family history, BRAC1+
4 A/C,4 Taxol done 12/7/11 
Hysterectomy 12/30/11, radiation finished 2/12

Will pray for your friend..and continue praying for all of us...I for one HATE this HORRID Beast.....known as Cancer. It more than sucks...!!! I am 53, wondering when did it henge that people got first mammogram at 40, I was getting them much younger...and cannot recall when things changed.... My Cancer never showed on Mammogram anyway I found it, so just curiosity... Hugs and prayers!

50 yrs, Rt breast lump found 4/12/09 during shower. 5/7/09 Organs, bones & head clean. 5/8/09Bilateral Mastectomy/ skin sparing surgery, implantation of skin expanders, removal 3 lymph nodes,one pos., tumors 1.5 cms x 0.8 cms & 0.8 cms x 1 cm, one tumor surprise, hidden. DX:Mixed Lobular and ductal adenoca. rt breast with badly defined borders.
Est. Pos. nuc. ( +/+++) Prog pos. nuc. intense ( +++/+++) Her2- non-amplified, KI-67 pos. less than 30%

Arggghhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hug
Elaine

 A person's greatness is the power to stand alone;to be able to make her own choice; in action,to write anew her own law; to choose her own sacrifices; run her own dangers; win her own freedom; venture her own destruction; to choose her own happiness 
 

Wish her well Joyce!!

Jean S

Hope is that thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without words and never stops...at all.
Emily Dickinson

IDC Stage IIB Grade 3 BC DX on 2-10-09
HER2+++
ER/PR+ 90% 
2 of 6 Node Positive
Double Mastectomy 2-23-09
Completed Chemo TC 7-10
Herceptin until 3-20-10
Arimidex for 5 years Started 8-09 

Oh, Joyce, I will be praying for her as well as for a friend of a friend in he same boat.  Each time we hear this, it's as if we are going through it all over again, at least for me.  I get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, and what lies ahead for these women is all too clear in my mind. 

DX 5/13/08 Clearwater, FL HER2 +
IDC Stage IIIA changed 12/2/08 to IIB Grade 3
Taxotere, Carbo & Herceptin  6/11/08
Part Mas 11/5/08 SNB neg & addl node neg - CLEAN MARGINS!
Arimidex 11/25/08  35 Rads 12/15/08

It is always bad - at 40, with young children, or older, with adults children who love you and (still) need you. Damn I hate this beast, too. Sending prayers your way.

Farla
dx 8/09, R double lumpectomy, invasive mixed DCIS/LCIS
ER + PR + Her -
1/3 Sentinel pos. 1/15 nodes pos
 Stage 2A  Grade 2, Nottingham 6
chemo A/C x4, Taxol x 4 started 9/21/09 DONE!!!
femara  started 2/5/10
rads  2/8/10 DONE!!!
Now - osteoporosis?  Vit D, calcium, and a baby aspirin to boot!

as Elaine said...Arrrrggggg !.... It is a beast but please let your friend know we are sending prayers and good vipes... vipes?? VIBES !!!
Cancer is not selective and attacks no matter the age.
 
Farla, you are so right on... my children were grown when I was dx. Ryan was in Iraq at the time and Michael was about to deploy to Afghanistan. We told Michael and had decided to not say anything to Ryan. Then I worried that someone would send him an email or put something on FB so a couple of days before surgery we were messaging each other online and I asked him.. If something was wrong or someone was sick would you want to know while you are deployed. He said.. absolutly and that is when I told him. He took it so well and while we do want to shield our children, I feel that it is best to be open and honest as much as we can. Esp with adult children. I am so blessed to have had thier support while they were so far away. After I came out of surgery Ryan called Jack to see how I was. One of his Captains mom had been through this and knew how important it was for Ryan to know how I was doing so he let him use the Gov't phone.
Anyway..I get carried away here.... Tell your friend to join us if she would like, and that we are all here for her.
 
Grace

Grace 

Lumpectomy June 18,2009
4 rounds T/C DONE !
33 rounds of rads DONE !!
1 yr of Herceptin - DONE  !!!
2 yrs Tamoxafen/ taken off due to elevated liver enzymes.
oophorectomy 05/2012
Started Femera 05/12

52 years young  :)
Mother of 2 sons in US Army
Wife of wonderful husband
and of course I am now.
KOMAN STRONG  :)