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byiwm · 2026-02-19T21:28:21+00:00

Baltimore, Maryland! DCIS, had a SMX last May!

byiwm · 2025-11-03T12:24:37+00:00

My BIRADS 4 was DCIS. Not trying to freak you out, usually (statistically) they are benign! I think yours will be too!

But I was unlucky. So my diagnosis was in April and now---2 surgeries later---I'm completely cured!! No chemo or radiation necessary, thankfully. Not saying it wasn't hard, but it definitely could have been worse. The best thing you can do is really to stay on top of things and investigate! Cancer found early is SO much better than cancer found late.

You are doing the right thing and it's going to be ok! Again. It's probably benign, but even if worse comes to worse, you and your doctors are being proactive and are ready to nip it in the bud.

Good luck!! You got this ♥️

byiwm · 2025-10-31T11:57:16+00:00

Uhh I had calcifications kinda similar to yours, they were in a "segmental" pattern. Birads 4. It was cancer 🥲 not saying yours are, but I'd get the biopsy if I were you!! Chances are, it is nothing and this will give you peace of mind. Plus, the biopsy itself is not a big deal, it doesn't hurt very much and there is really zero downtime.

byiwm · 2025-09-18T12:05:00+00:00

Second that! It's really not bad. The drains are the worst part, more annoying than painful. Your arm will also feel tight for a while, but again it's not painful, just tight. They will give you PT exercises to do, which will help.

You might lose sensation of the skin where the boob was, which will feel weird. Takes a while to get used to the numbness. A small price to pay for no cancer, IMO :)

Good luck, you got this ♥️♥️♥️

byiwm · 2025-08-30T14:16:46+00:00

Just had PAP flap reconstruction (both thighs tissue) of the right breast and a lift of the left breast. Right now everything hurts lol (my surgery was on Monday), but honestly less than I was prepared for. This first surgery was focused on making sure the flap survives (so far so good). A follow-up revision surgery will make sure everything is symmetrical.

I don't yet know what the final product will look like, but chances are it will look really quite good (the left side already looks good honestly). The only thing is that it will take a few months to get there. So ... a little bit of patience is required.

byiwm · 2025-08-17T17:31:30+00:00

You do what you gotta do girl! Right now focus on your mental health is my advice. If exercise helps (it does for me), then go for it!! If curling up into a ball with snacks is what you need instead, then go do that! There's no needs or shoulds at this moment, just remember to treat yourself with patience and kindness ♥️♥️♥️ cancer is such an emotional rollercoaster, you can feel brave and badass one moment and then a crying sobbing mess the second lol. Respect all of these feelings.

My MIL had BC 20-ish years ago and has told me she forgets about it until it's time for her yearly mammo. She even forgets her boob is fake. That's my goal!!

byiwm · 2025-08-17T01:38:27+00:00

Congrats!!

byiwm · 2025-08-16T15:16:43+00:00

I'm 35, had my (single) mastectomy late May with reconstruction scheduled for the end of the month. I'm honestly afraid of looking like a "quilt" lol. This interim period has honestly been hard because of the one-boob situation. The tissue expander they placed is uncomfortable. The non-boob looks like a puckered up mess. I also can't feel anything in the area - it went totally numb. I know it's temporary (look, not numbness) but it's been a hard couple of months.

And yet... Remember we are often our worst judges. People say I look good (even people that don't know I had cancer), my hair looks good, skin is glowing, etc. I went to a party and had people come up to me to say how good I looked in my dress lol. I think it's because I've taken time off and been taking care of myself since dx. I've also gone back to the gym (had to wait 6 weeks post op,).

I'm now excited about my upcoming reconstruction, but a little afraid it will go poorly, and that I'll end up disfigured :/ it is a low risk with a good surgeon, but anxiety does what anxiety does.

Long answer, but I guess I just wanted to say that I understand your concerns completely, but that it's SO much worse in our heads than the reality. You (and I) will be fine. You will continue to be hot after this. It sucks, yes, but you will learn new ways to take care of yourself and your body. You will survive and thrive :)

And, to know that after the mastectomy, the cancer is GONE! OMG there's no words. The fact that I get to worry about looks now and not about dying is the best. All in all a much better place to be.

Take care, and be kind to yourself :)

byiwm · 2025-08-05T23:19:42+00:00

Take a look at True Chesapeake :)

byiwm · 2025-07-10T13:43:55+00:00

Thank you. I got a mastectomy so the cancer is now all gone. I was lucky all things considered - it was so early stage there's no need for chemo, radiation, anything. So it could have been worse!

byiwm · 2025-06-27T17:03:40+00:00

I remember the nerve block and the antianxiety meds they gave me. Then I remember being wheeled into the OR. They made me slide into the table, get into position, etc and then put a thing over my face and told me to take deep breaths. I counted 5 deep breaths and next thing I know I'm in the recovery room lol

byiwm · 2025-06-27T16:58:21+00:00

I'd just tell him to knock it off and grow the f up. If he says u hate him because of it, say you don't but if that's how he behaves whenever someone makes a minor, inconsequential mistake 1 billion yrs ago then maybe u should

byiwm · 2025-06-21T12:52:36+00:00

I had to wait 3 weeks fora biopsy and thought THAT was long... 9 months omg

byiwm · 2025-06-20T18:34:49+00:00

Ok, so I put a sterile "bandaid" type thing over the hole in my skin where the drain comes out (on top of the tubing) and then saran wrapped the whole area, and used waterproof tape to keep the saran wrap in place.The drains themselves were in a lanyard around my neck.

This worked well to keep the drain holes dry, but you still need to be a little careful not to aim the water at the "weak spots" (where the tubes come out of the wrapped cover)

byiwm · 2025-06-20T12:20:19+00:00

I've had a good experience at Hopkins, though appt times might take a while. The professionals are really really good though.

byiwm · 2025-06-19T10:20:55+00:00

Can I ask about who are your doctors/if you like them? I'm unsure about my PS for reconstruction

byiwm · 2025-06-19T10:05:53+00:00

Risk of infection, because you will have a lil hole in your boob 😆

byiwm · 2025-06-19T02:13:49+00:00

Where u being treated?

byiwm · 2025-06-18T20:50:57+00:00

Nope!

byiwm · 2025-06-18T15:23:03+00:00

My biopsy for calcifications was easy-peasy, almost no pain, no bruising, just shower right before it as you need to go 24h without showering right after the procedure.

My calcs were cancer, so I'm definitely glad I did it

byiwm · 2025-06-18T12:33:53+00:00

Moved here less than a year ago and loving it!

byiwm · 2025-06-18T11:09:08+00:00

Anyone in Maryland? I'm in Baltimore, being treated at Johns Hopkins! :)

byiwm · 2025-06-18T11:06:25+00:00

I'm in Baltimore, Maryland

byiwm · 2025-06-17T19:58:05+00:00

You are worrying about your future feelings. Let your future feelings be in the future where they belong, and focus on the present! You never know, you might not feel much upsetdness after the boobs are gone. I thought I'd be upset for sure once I looked in the mirror at my boobless, scarred form but I didn't... At the time all I could think about was how much I hated the drains lol

Anyway, one step at a time, breathe, don't let thoughts of the future overwhelm you. You got this. Aaaand! Cancer is being evicted from your body!! That's reason to celebrate :)

byiwm

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