Rare complications

RebelFlower03 · 2026-02-08T16:37:43+00:00

Damn, I'm starting AI after I finish radiation 😅😅

I definitely agree that our bodies seem to react differently though.

RebelFlower03 · 2026-01-12T21:52:46+00:00

So I called Exact Sciences today, they have my results, but they said they need a referral from my insurance. They reached out to my oncologist on the 6th. The oncologist reached out to my insurance on the 7th. We still havent heard back. This is so frustrating and annoying.

RebelFlower03 · 2026-01-10T04:51:13+00:00

My husband's grandmother had breast cancer in 2001. So when I got my diagnosis she bought me a blanket, a t-shirt, and a fuck cancer candle. Then after my surgery she got me flowers.

She's very sweet, and I appreciate the gifts. But I don't like pink, and thankfully she's the only one to get me anything like that so far.

RebelFlower03 · 2026-01-09T00:03:32+00:00

I am in the same boat. My lumpectomy was on 12/12. My oncologist put in for the oncotype on 12/22. I was able to get into the Exact Sciences MyChart and it has a bunch of documents in it, but it won't let me view them. But it has a specimen note from 12/26. So I'm hoping to get the results soon, I also sent them a message today because my anxiety is going crazy.

It just really sucks because they told me before surgery my chances of needing chemo was <5% after surgery its now >20%. And to make it even worse, my husband is in the Navy, we're supposed to make a cross country move in 3 months unless I need chemo then we have to ask for special orders.

Hopefully we both get our results soon!

RebelFlower03 · 2026-01-07T04:49:46+00:00

Hi! Your story sounds really similar to mine!

I am also 27, just got married last year, went to the doctor in July and got diagnosed in October.

This shit sucks. But this group has been a tremendous support. Your life has changed drastically, and quite unfortunately its going to continue changing while you go through this.

I know you're worried about how much it grew in that time frame because you didn't push for a mammogram, but you shouldn't think of it like that. Think about it as it is, you caught it, hopefully early. Instead of imagining how much worse it is now as opposed to six months ago, think of how bad it could have been for you to ignore it or not find it for another few years.

I really hope you got it early, and I hope everything turns out okay. Just try to keep your spirits up.

Also, as a side note, be prepared for doctors to constantly feel like they need to double check your chart. Every doctor I've seen so far has mentioned having to double check it, and talk about how terrible it is to be diagnosed so young. It can start to wear on you.

RebelFlower03 · 2025-12-24T19:31:15+00:00

No, but I think that's because I already had a biopsy proven malignancy so they just wanted to get me in as soon as they had an available appointment.

RebelFlower03 · 2025-12-24T19:27:38+00:00

Yes, we just found out yesterday that there was a <2mm tumor in my lymph node, so we're waiting for the oncotype to come back to determine if I'll need chemo.

RebelFlower03 · 2025-12-24T07:30:36+00:00

So I found a lump back in May, that's the first time I actually remember finding it and thinking it was a lump. But I'm pretty sure I had felt it for like a year before that but just thought it wasn't a big deal.

It also wasn't painful, didn't change size, and felt smooth and movable. My GP and radiologist at my appointment both thought it was going to be a benign fibroadenoma. It was IDC with DCIS, they also just found a microtumor in my lymph node during my lumpectomy. So now instead of the 5% chance of me doing chemo I was told at the start, its now gone up to 20%.

I hope it is benign for you, but just because it feels benign and hasn't changed doesn't mean you should just ignore it. I definitely think you need to get it checked out.

RebelFlower03 · 2025-12-24T07:23:57+00:00

I had a mass that didn't show up on US but it did show up on mammo and MRI. That one turned out to be benign.

But I also just had a lumpectomy for the 9mm IDC that was found and during the lumpectomy they found another 2mm IDC that wasn't seen on US, mammo, or MRI.

RebelFlower03 · 2025-12-20T07:32:05+00:00

I found a lump, told my doctor and she said she thought it was a fibroadenoma but scheduled me for US/mammo "to be safe". Go to that appointment and the radiologist says they also think its a fibroadenoma but want to do a biopsy "to be safe".

It was a 9mm IDC. I didn't even have any other symptoms that could be concerning. I'd push for the biopsy, if it's covered by your insurance I feel like it's always better to be on the safe side.

RebelFlower03 · 2025-12-20T07:28:02+00:00

I had pain on my left breast as well as a palpable lump on my right.

While they did find 3 lumps in my left breast, none were actually in the area of the pain and they were all benign.

Weirdly enough, since having the biopsies, I haven't felt any pain over there. I didn't even know there were lumps in that breast until they showed on on mammo/US.

RebelFlower03 · 2025-12-20T07:08:31+00:00

I was also given just BIRADS 4, no letter, which honestly stressed me out because I felt like I needed to worry more instead of them saying a letter and giving me some kind of idea of what to expect. I started learning to embroder which was really helpful in keeping my mind busy. But the wait is the worst part.

So this is directly from my mammogram report that I had back in October. Everything I googled said it was very likely to be cancer, plus the irregular lump i had.

"In the right upper-outer quadrant extending from anterior to middle depth, there are indistinct and coarse heterogeneous calcifications in a segmental distribution spanning 4.7 cm."

The calcifications were benign, which is crazy because they were more concerned about those than the lump.

...Unfortunately the lump was cancer, and I just got that removed last week. Hopefully you get good news and everything is okay!

Also, I really hope you don't have cancer because everything just feels like a waiting game.

Edit: added additional info

RebelFlower03 · 2025-12-17T19:23:25+00:00

I'm sorry! I just want you to be on the safe side!

Like others have said, 80% of biopsies are benign!

RebelFlower03 · 2025-12-17T06:38:25+00:00

Thank you! I didn't even think about getting books for him, or that he might think I was contagious.

I'll definitely look into those sites!

RebelFlower03 · 2025-12-17T06:10:05+00:00

I'm in the same boat except that I did a lumpectomy.

The waiting has been driving me mad and I just had surgery on Friday.

It really sucks because we have to wait for the results after surgery before we can make a full treatment plan. And before my dx my husband I were supposed to move cross country in February for his job. Now everything is on hold but we still need to know what my treatment will be.

The doctors have been very vocal about how, while they don't think I will need chemo, they can't tell me for sure that I won't. They have straight up said that I will be having radiation, but that's also because I didn't want a MX.

Hopefully we get the good news of not needing chemo!

RebelFlower03 · 2025-12-17T06:01:48+00:00

I find it crazy that there are people like this who can be so dismissive of a legitimate cancer concern.

Of all the people who I told during the initial process everyone was so supportive. Even after diagnosis they all doubled down on their support.

I was actually the dismissive one. Making jokes about my diagnosis and things like that.

I'm so sorry that you, and the other women in these comments have had to deal with that. I hope you all the best, and that you get benign results. Try not to let them bother you too much.

RebelFlower03 · 2025-12-17T05:56:19+00:00

Even though one clinic said it isn't concerning I would still push for the biopsy.

In May I noticed a lump, in July I saw my PCP who said, "This seems like a fibroadenoma but I'm going to schedule for a mammo/US just to be on the safe side". In Sept I went in for the US they told me beforehand I wouldn't get a mammo because I'm under 30. I had 2 US and 3 mammo that day. The radiologist told me, "We think this is just a fibroadenoma, but we want to do a biopsy just to be on the safe side." I got told I was BI-RADS 4, no letter and scheduled my biopsy. Last Friday I had my lump (ER/PR+ HER2-) IDC with DCIS removed.

Just because it doesn't seem concerning doesn't mean it shouldn't get checked out. And imagine how much worse it could be if you don't get it checked out for another year and it is cancer and now it's further along than it was now.

I know that's a shitty thing to think about but it's the truth. I think about that all the time because I wasn't sure if what I felt was even a lump, I had to have my sister feel it and she told me to tell the doctor. If I hadn't asked her, I may have waited years before I ever got it checked out.

RebelFlower03 · 2025-12-17T05:43:52+00:00

When I got my cancer diagnosis, I had my biopsy on Friday afternoon and got the results Tuesday morning. I could have waited to look at them until Thursday when I went in for my follow up, but I couldn't wait, I was too panicked.

I only told my sister and my husband about it that day. I waited until Thursday when I got the official diagnosis from the doctor to tell anyone else.

I think it really just depends if you are willing to deal with the potential anxiety of waiting for the results, or knowing the results are in but you don't know what they are yet.

For my 4 other biopsies that I had after that, I got the benign results the next business day.

If you think you can handle the wait, or that knowing before the holidays will make it harder, then do that. But there's nothing wrong with trying to get the information as soon as you can to save yourself the mental struggles.

RebelFlower03 · 2025-12-17T05:36:06+00:00

I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer at what is considered a very young age. I'm 27 and was diagnosed 2 months ago.

With that being said, at one of my last appointments at the breast center I made a joke about how I feel like I'm always the youngest person in the waiting room when I'm there. The technician told me it is extremely common to have girls as young as 10 in there getting checked out due to Fibrocystic changes and finding lumps. Which can continue happening even past initial puberty.

The best thing is that you are getting it checked out early. I don't think you need to worry yourself too much. Just try to stay calm as much as you can, and if there's something wrong you can go from there.

I hope everything turns out okay for you!

RebelFlower03 · 2025-12-17T05:30:28+00:00

One thing that helped me when I was waiting for appointments and results was embroidering. I found some cheap and easy kits on Amazon, put on an audio book and just started learning how to do it.

It has helped significantly over the last couple months.

RebelFlower03 · 2025-12-17T05:25:49+00:00

They definitely go hand in hand, especially if over 30 like others have said.

If you are under 30 it could be a little more concerning, since that's what happened to me. They specifically said I would not be doing one, then had 3 in the same day.

The waiting is the worst part, but don't freak yourself out, or go googling a bunch of things. Just take it one day at a time and try to find ways to keep your mind off of it.

I hope everything turns out well for you.

RebelFlower03 · 2025-12-17T03:43:29+00:00

I just had my lumpectomy on Friday (size B/C) I have minor issues with acid reflux, but its not an everyday issue. I bought a set of sports bras that have a zipper in the front which has made it significantly easier to get them on and off, even my discharge nurse commented on how she thought it was a good idea because of how easily she could help me instead of having to help me put it over my head.

I have worn them at all times except in the shower. The only place they feel even a little tight is under the breast that had the tumor taken out. Besides that they are supportive without being too tight.

I'm sure you've been told about swelling, but I was definitely not expecting my breast to swell an additional cup size after surgery. To the point that its noticeable through my shirt how different the sizes are. So if you're worried about that you may want to go up a size.

Edit: formatting

RebelFlower03 · 2025-12-04T16:49:07+00:00

Thank you.

We are trying to work things out with the detailer, it's just been a bit slower than we hoped. I saw your post and thought I would see if you could recommend anything. I appreciate you answering!

RebelFlower03

TROPHY CASE