My wife has breast cancer

Benevolent One

Benevolent One

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We found out today that my wife has breast cancer. We have feared this news since they found a mass and some lumps almost 2 months ago. It took a long time to go through all of the tests they needed. She finally had a biopsy Wednesday and we just got the results earlier this (Friday) evening. We haven't spoken to her doctor about the severity, prognosis or treatment plan as of yet.
 
Oh, damn, BenOne. Tell the docs to get after that chit with everything they've got.

I'll keep you and your wife in my prayers. I have faith that she will be a survivor, and kick that chit.
 
Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear this. I'll be keeping her, you and all of your loved ones in my thoughts and prayers.
 
Your wife, you, and family are in my prayers.
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Lots of new medications out.
 
There are alot of very good treatments available these days. THINK POSITIVE!
 
My thoughts and prayers for you both. With all of the new treatments available, I hope there will be something that works well for your wife. We're all here for you if you need some folks to lean on.
 
i have several people in my family that have survived breast cancer.stay positive.they've come a long way w/treatments.i have faith that she'll beat this.y'll be in my thoughts and prayers.
 
I appreciate all of the support from all of you.

We are trying to remain as optimistic as possible. The ER doc who gave us the results seemed pretty sure it was small and very treatable. They had taken my wife to the ER via ambulance early friday afternoon. She was having a mild Porphyria attack. That is a very rare blood disorder that she has. While we were there being treated I hounded enough people to get pathology to fax the results over to the doc that was treating her in the ER. Our doctor's office said they would not have the results until next week sometime when I called friday afternoon to get them. The stress of not knowing the results of the biopsy contributed to her Porphyria attack, so I nagged until I got an answer.

I have very little doubt that she can beat the cancer. The thought of losing her scares me tremendously though.
 
Hang in there, BenOne. I know that this can be a scary time. If you need to talk, we all have great ears and strong shoulders to lean on. Don't underestimate the power of prayer. We are all praying for you and your wife.
 
We saw the surgeon yesterday (Tuesday) morning. He seemed pretty confident that it hadn't spread too much either. We scheduled a lumpectomy/biopsy for Monday the 22nd. He plans to take out the lump and biopsy everywhere he thinks cancer could be hiding. If everything but the lump test negative she may not even have to go through radiation therapy. If it has spread they will just take the whole breast. Living with one or two less breasts is much more attractive than dying with one or both intact. The great thing so far is how quickly the doctors are moving on this. Being scheduled for surgery in less than two weeks seems pretty quick to me. It might have even been quicker, but she has a serious lump and some bruising from the biopsy. They need it to heal before they go in.

Again, thanks for the support guys and girls.
 
Sorry hear of this Ben 1

Prayers and thoughts sending your way ~
 
Keep the positive attitude we will all be pulling for her. hope everything works out for the best.
 
I just want to remind anyone who is interested that my wife is having surgery tomorrow (Monday, Sept 22nd) at 10:30am ET.
 
Thanks for the support all. The surgery went remarkably well. They are fairly certain they got it all. She is doing really well pain-wise. We won't know what is next, if anything, until next Tuesday morning when we see the surgeon again and get the results of the biopsy. It is hard waiting that long to find out something that important, but we can handle it. We've handled every other setback over the past 3-4 years, so another week or so doesn't seem so bad.
 
Benevolent One said:
Thanks for the support all. The surgery went remarkably well. They are fairly certain they got it all. She is doing really well pain-wise. We won't know what is next, if anything, until next Tuesday morning when we see the surgeon again and get the results of the biopsy. It is hard waiting that long to find out something that important, but we can handle it. We've handled every other setback over the past 3-4 years, so another week or so doesn't seem so bad.
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Well, I'm really happy to hear the surgery went and really glad to hear they think they got it all. I'll be praying for very good results next week. I know the waiting is hard, but I'll be praying for strength for both of you. Try to think positive!
 
Glad to hear the good results. Your wife, you, and your family has our continued prayers and thoughts. God Bless
I agree with WNY24Fan, the waiting is hard.
 
Glad to hear things went well and your wife is feeling better. I'll keep praying for great news from the surgeon.
 
The surgeon said the results of the biopsy were as good as could be expected, with one very large exception. They said they got all of the cancer, so she is technically "cancer-free". They did however find that she has "Atypical Hyperplasia". Basically it means that while she does not have cancer any more, she has an extremely large chance of it recurring and being full-blown when it does. The surgeon seems to be leaning toward a complete double mastectomy. This may be due to the fact that the surgeon lost his wife to breast cancer when they tried treating her conservatively. He recommended we see an oncologist, or even two of them if we prefer before we decide what to do next. Neither of us is really opposed to losing both of them if it means her living longer. It would also be much easier on her physically to have such radical surgery now than it would be at a later age and when she does have cancer. There is a lot to think about. If any of you have any experience with this situation, please PM me. I appreciate it.

According to Webmd.com "A previous breast biopsy result of atypical hyperplasia (lobular or ductal) increases a woman's breast cancer risk by 4 to 5 times."
 
This is from the mayo clinic site

Atypical hyperplasia - Definition

Sometimes, when doctors perform a biopsy to check for breast cancer, they don't find it. But they may find a condition that may be a sign that you're at increased risk of developing breast cancer in the future. One such breast finding is a condition called atypical hyperplasia, in which too many cells line the wall of a milk duct or lobule and no longer look like normal cells.

Atypical hyperplasia is generally regarded as a precancerous condition. It isn't cancer, but it can be a forerunner to the development of cancer. Over the course of your lifetime, if the cells keep dividing and become more abnormal, the condition is reclassified as carcinoma in situ or noninvasive cancer.

If you have atypical hyperplasia, your risk of eventually developing breast cancer is about four to six times greater than is the risk for a woman who doesn't have the condition.
 
I'm sorry it wasn't an all clear report because of the risk it can return. I don't have personal experience, but I do have a friend who didn't want to take any chances and went and had the double. I think it's a personal decision for everyone. Perhaps others with experience can provide more insight. I'll be keeping both of you in my thoughts and prayers.
 
My wife is really happy with the "cancer-free" report. She is choosing not to focus on the other part of it, which seems like a good idea to me.
 
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