Lumpectomy for IDC: Calm but as the date approaches, getting nervous

I’m similar to you, 70 yo, 2 kids, 2 grands, 1 ER/PR+ ductal carcinoma - but not invasive. I did radiation and am on tamoxifen - when you get to the decision on hormone therapy ask me about tamoxifen if you need an opinion.
One thing I wished I had done prior to surgery is pay more attention who is my assigned nurse (clinical nurse, team nurse, after surgical care nurse). She’ll probably be around Monday before surgery. The nurse is usually the first on your team to help you with after surgery issues, like questions concerning the drains, or skin/suture questions. They usually field your concerns to the doctor and can be enormously helpful - I wish I had made a face connection to who mine was. There were so many people providing care I couldn’t keep up with which one was the PA, NP, CNA, or tech. But help from the care nurse can make a difference.

I’ll keep you in my prayers on Monday!

Thank you so much for your response. I have already met the “nurse navigator” at the breast cancer center and she has been wonderful. I’m assuming she will be the one with me throughout, but I will ask on Monday to be sure.

I have been reading about anti-hormone therapy including tamoxifen, and anti-hormone therapy sounds scarier than the surgery to me. I will definitely ask you about that when I see the oncologist. I have an appointment scheduled with her on November 19.

I appreciate your prayers and will post an update after my surgery.

Good luck to you on Monday. I'm in a similar situation, but lobular. My surgery was two weeks ago. How wonderful that you met all 3 drs in one day! Could I ask, were they together with you, like in a Tumor Board? I've been going from appt to appt., and I don't think they always agree with each other! In any case, sounds as if you are in the right place. After surgery, you will probably wait for your pathology report, and then you will know the whole treatment plan. But they can tell you about your margins, etc, when you wake up. Thinking of this as a journey with lots of stops along the way is helping me.

I feel so fortunate that our hospital has a wonderful program for breast cancer patients. I had one appointment and all three doctors (radiation oncologist, medical oncologist, and surgeon) came to me separately while I stayed in the exam room. They each examined me, talked to me, and answered my questions. After I met with all 3, my husband, sister, and I went to lunch while the doctors met with the tumor board to discuss my case. After lunch we met with the surgeon again. She told me that they had staged my cancer at Stage IIa and told me their recommendation for my treatment. Before I left I had my surgery and my follow up appointment with the surgeon scheduled. They have also scheduled my first appointment with the medical oncologist.

I hope you are recovering well from your surgery. I’m sorry you are having to run around to your appointments. Thank you for taking the time to respond to me.

The hormone therapy may not be so bad, some people have trouble others don’t. Understanding your future risk will help you with a decision. The pathology report after surgery and the oncologist will give you much more info.
I’m on 5 mg tamoxifen with very little issues. In fact, I am benefiting from how it is acting as an estrogen agonist in non-breast areas. It has reversed my vaginal atrophy and improved my skin. But I did have problems with 20 mg. And, I chose to not take an AI because of the issues it can cause.

With these therapies you can try one and stop if needed. The oncologists often will suggest switching to another drug of the same type, change manufacturers, or switch to another therapy.

That system with the tumor board is ideal. I worked in healthcare marketing for many years and I remember the tumor board convening on a certain day of the month (I don't think it was weekly.) And I love the fact that your appts are made for you. I have an excellent navigator with the program I'm in and she set up many of my appts. But altho the surgeon called me about the path report, no followup appt was scheduled after surgery. I had an appt with the radiation oncologist and he checked me out. (and he called the surgeon, I think. Suddenly I had an appt with the PA.) Cancer is complicated. We have so many options to consider. Patients need to have things simplified and we need reassurance that our choices are working for us.

It’s good to know that you are not having a lot of issues being on Tamoxifen. How interesting that you are having some benefits from it, too. I am trying to have an open mind about whatever therapies they recommend. I’ll remember to ask if it’s possible to lower the dosage or change to a different med if necessary. Thank you for the tips. I will be anxiously awaiting my pathology report.

I think at our hospital they do the appointments with new patients every Thursday. I felt very lucky that I was able to get an appointment just 6 days after I got the word that the tumor was malignant. In my opinion, the nurse navigators are like angels. I’m glad you have one, too. You are right there are so many options to consider. I never knew how much was involved in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. It has definitely been a learning experience. The only one I don’t have an appointment with yet is the radiation oncologist. I will ask the nurse navigator about that if they don’t call soon.

In my case the radiation oncologist was more conservative than the surgeon, who had suggested one week of radiation. When he saw the lobular cells trailing off (or some such language) he wanted to make sure that he gets everything. Three weeks. And I'm all for that! Why go to all this trouble and than risk a recurrence because you shorted the treatment? Cancer makes us put on our big girl pants. I'm still not sure who handles questions now that I've met three docs. Maybe the navigator?

I agree that I’d want to do what I can to prevent a recurrence. Cancer really does make us put on our big girl pants! I would definitely rely on your nurse navigator for questions. If nothing else, she can at least point you in the right direction.