My diagnosis: Diagnosed on 8/24/07 at 36 years of age. 

My history: Lost my mother to metastatic breast cancer on 11/29/01 (after two bouts of treatment and being declared cancer-free less than a year prior), so my diagnosis was especially frightening in the days/weeks before I had much information.

My cancer:  Infiltrating ductal carcinoma in left breast, just over a centimeter in size, Nottingham grade 3.  Hormone receptor positive and HER2-neu negative.

My surgical/treatment decision: Have decided to go with lumpectomy & radiation.  Surgery scheduled for 9/13/07.  Surgeon suggested that chemo will probably come before radiation, but won't meet with an oncologist or radiation therapist until after surgery, so this could change.  Will probably be a candidate for hormonal therapy, as well.

My attempt to lead a normal life: My husband and I are planning to take a trip to the East Coast for 10 days shortly after surgery (early October), which had been planned prior to my diagnosis.  Adjuvant treatment will start upon our return.

Treatment updates: Oncologist suggested the Oncotype DX test.  I agreed-result was a score of 11, well within the low-risk group.  Chemo is not recommended for this group, so I opted not to do it.  Started on tamoxifen on 11/16/07 and had a radiology consult on 11/26/07 to get recommendations for radiation treatment.  Radiation began on 12/4/07 and concluded on 1/24/08.  Tolerated it well.