Symptoms to Diagnosis.

In January 2019 I started to experience pain in my left breast. I put it down to hormones as, due to a Merina IUD, I don’t have periods but my daughter was on hers. She finished but my pain continued. After 3 weeks I decided to see my GP and I told my husband who also urged me to go to the GP.
I got an appointment the next day and the GP said there was a ‘lump’. In fact this was a solid mass in the centre of the breast rather than a borderless misshapen lump as is typical with invasive breast cancer. She referred me to my local hospital straight away and within 10 days I was sat in the Breast clinic worrying my arse off.
In the breast clinic I was seen by a consultant who felt the breast and found some small bumps he wanted ultrasound imaging of. He was not concerned by the hard mass in the middle. Then I went for mammogram which was uncomfortable due to the fact that the breast already hurt and was swollen but it only lasted mere seconds.
After some more waiting a lovely radiographer called me in to have an ultrasound with another consultant (a professor this time!)
The consultant told me the mammogram had shown lots of micro calcifications and they needed to take a biopsy. Normally these biopsies are taken under X-ray assisted by vacuum. However they didn’t have a spare appointment for that procedure that day. The consultant was amazing and said she would try to get a sample using ultrasound.
The biopsies were pretty uncomfortable especially the final one. She took 3 in total and X-rayed the samples to look for calcium. By the 3rd sample she managed to get a suitable sample.
By this time I was stressed and tearful, I knew they wouldn’t biopsy without a reason.
I was moved from the ultrasound room and into a small room with comfortable chairs and tissues and given a drink. I knew then that it wasn’t going to be good news. My husband was amazing, he supported me through it all but the consultant came in with a nurse and they said they were working on a diagnosis of Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS). This is basically stage 0 or pre-invasive breast cancer. The cancer is contained to the milk ducts but could become invasive if left untreated.
As I processed this news I was told I could need further biopsies if they didn’t get enough of a sample that day. I was given 2 appointments for the following week, one for Vacuum Assisted Biopsy and one for results.
The week between resulted in sleepless nights and trying to stay positive but as soon as they confirmed they didn’t need more biopsies I knew the result was cancer.
On Friday 22nd March, I was told the DCIS was extensive (around 5-6 cm across) and high grade meaning it had a high risk of becoming invasive. I was told I needed a total mastectomy. I had expected this but it was still a shock to hear it out loud.

I was given a booklet about reconstruction options and a folder of information and phone numbers so that I could read it in my own time and consider the surgery options. I would return to see the plastic surgeon to discuss reconstruction following an MRI. And so my surgical journey began...