My husband and I listened carefully as the doctors explained the implications to us.  And then we spent hours and hours every night accessing journal articles and deciding what was best for us.

But you're right, there is a sense of urgency, which makes it very scary.

We found it important to seek second (and in one case, third) opinions before making final decisions. It is nerve-wracking taking the extra time, but you want the best possible long-term outcome.

A good starting point for sound information is the website for the National Cancer Institute, cancer.gov.  I also found helpful information about reconstructions on breastreconstruction.org.  For young women facing breast cancer: pinkribbongirls.org.

[Comment From Jen] 

When thinking about breast cancer, I wouldn't know how to begin to tell my children without scaring them too much. How did you do this?

We told them the truth, which at the early stage meant that there was a lot we just did not know.  SO, we said that we wouldn't know some things until after the surgery.  We tried to stay as positive as possible, while also being emotionally honest.

As time went on, we told them more details about treatment and prognosis. We stayed calm and they then stayed calm. We let them know that this wasn't a secret--they could talk about this with others--they have needed their own support system too. We also notified their teachers, guidance counselors and coaches--even for our college-age son.

We also limited our time talking on the phone to people outside of the family so that we could communicate with our kids, and they were hearing a unified message from us. This also protected our time as a family and allowed for much needed down-time.

The following is the link to the archived Live Chat!

Navigating Survival: Breast Cancer from Diagnosis to Recovery