Hi kyerigan! I have been thinking about you the past two days. How are things going? I was overwhelmed when I was first diagnosed. Thankfully, my husband was really there for me. He did not give me advice, but just lots of hugs. If you have someone you trust that you can talk to, that would be a good first step.
Probably you have been told to see a breast surgeon. If you are part of a medical group, such as Mayo, Kaiser, etc., they may just assign you someone. Be sure to take advantage of any extra services they provide: nurse navigator, social worker or counselor, etc. If you have PPO insurance, as I do, and can choose your own surgeon, that can be an advantage, but it can also add to the stress. I was fortunate that my primary care provider recommended a good surgeon, although later I met a female surgeon I would have preferred, but the guy I went to was fine, and very nice and helpful. You want someone who will listen to you and will answer all your questions. Look at online reviews, ask friends or relatives who have had surgery, definitely ask your primary care physician for recommendations. You will have many decisions to make, the main one probably being between getting a mastectomy OR a lumpectomy plus radiation. This was one of the hardest decisions I ever made in my life, and I was angry that the doctors didn't just tell me what to do - I knew nothing about breast cancer, and they have years of education! Why should such a big decision fall on me? There is an app you might try, called Breast Advocate, which has a treatment wizard to help you decide which surgery may be best for you, but ultimately you will have to make that decision yourself. I consulted four different doctors, plus lots of friends who had had lumpectomies or mastectomies, and I read as much as I could find. Maybe this will not take you as much effort. I gave myself six weeks to make the decision, because I was so stressed about it, and the surgeon told me I did not have to act immediately. I finally decided on a lumpectomy plus radiation, but again, everyone has her own situation and has to make her own decision. The big problem is that both choices have the same outcome as far as reoccurrence is concerned, so doctors are hesitant to recommend one over the other. (Be aware - I had to have two lumpectomies, since they did not get clear margins the first time. But I had pleomorphic LCIS, which requires clear margins. I don't think regular LCIS does.) Keep us posted. I hope your journey is a bit smoother than mine.