Breast lumps

Well, my biopsy was a piece of cake. Doesn't hurt with the pain shots.

Try not to worry, Bathsheba, as worry only adds stress. Put it out of your mind until the day they give you the results. If it's cancer, it's cancer, and you'll deal with that. If it's not, have it removed, but you're laughing. Either way, worrying doesn't help.

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Well, you can tell already I'm a health care bully. Or was. But I'm still working on my bully mojo. I believe it can make a great difference.

I'm getting sleepy, Bathsheba and also don't want to hog the answering space. I'll tell you more about how my situation worked out another day, but, in short, it was basically - this will sound odd - great. Not that I'd volunteer for it again, but under the circumstances, great.

Just caught that.. hugs back to RH, Bathsheba for sure, and all of us.

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ossobuco wrote:

You don't want to hear about my biopsy. I had gotten the suspicious mammogram the day before and, knowing that hospital nearby like the back of my hand, since I used to work there, bullied my way in to the Breast Cancer Center to schedule a biopsy, since I didn't know from nothin' about my new area up north, and had a glum view of its potential re med centers. It was a horrendo day - 9/11/01. My gynecologist, who told me about getting the needle biopsy, had two friends in the Towers. Well, I won't elaborate, horrible day, but I got in because of cancellations and had a lot of waiting, and trying not to shake.

I had further surgery (though not radical) which was a piece of cake compared to the situation that day. As to hurting, well, they give you a local, if you have the same kind of biopsy I did. I had trouble lying still, to be truthful, but my having to wait was exceptional due to the day and the harried m.d. on the scene.

I was staying at an old neighbor's/friend's house. I got back and told him about my situation. He told me about the possibly cancerous spot on his bald head (turned out not to be), and fixed me a Calpirinha, however you spell that, a Brazilian drink. Ptui. So I asked if he had any scotch. I poured that over ice and, avoiding the tv, went up to bed with my italian police procedural mystery. And connected with other friends through the week.

Uh, you might want a day or two off to treat yourself to some friend time, or something to take care of yourself, your sense of yourself.

Cripes! That IS a horrendous story, Ossobuco. To have a biopsy on the same day your world turns upside down is pretty unusual, but you made it through. And you did it with just a local anesthetic!

Friend time is happening mostly by phone, but I may have a massage this week - she's a friend as well and a level headed, centered person.

Thanks for telling me about your biopsy. I'm sure that wasn't easy to re-live!
B.

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Massage, great idea.

I don't remember pain - as Mame agreed, there's a local. My problem was lying still for an inordinate amount of time, which had to do with that particular day, which I probably shouldn't have mentioned as I doubt it would apply to your locale.

(To cut to the chase, my treatment was in my new area in the north, and just fine.)

So, we have a combo here - buck up! and baby yourself!!! Possibly both at the same time.

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boomerang wrote:

Thanks. You're sweet but my boots are so filthy that I've been exiled from polite society for the time being. Let's just worry about you here.

Stick your elbows out and practice saying "I'm not leaving until I get an answer." I'm typically pretty pacific but I'm learning to be a health care bully.

Frankly, finding your inner bully can feel pretty good.

Practice squinting. Don't forget staring.

I think my inner bully is working overtime......

Having worked in the healthcare field for many years, I have no awe of doctors and treat them accordingly Smile

even though many of them think they are God. When my doctor told me about the results of my ultrasound he said I'd get a call about scheduling a mammo within a few days.....not acceptable! I marched over to the hospital and in between hysterical bouts of crying and pathetic sniveling I managed to get their attention and got an appt. the next day. Whatever works, I say! I have no problem being the patient-from-hell-bully. After all, it's OUR health. Being proactive, asking questions and refusing to be shuffled off is my goal. I am only five foot three & puny but I pack a wallop!

I am reminded of when my mom was sick when she was in her 60's. I finally got her to ER. The doc said she was fine and was ready to send her home. I folded my arms and blocked the doorway and said NO, she's staying here until you find out what's wrong. (The staring and squinting part Smile

) They did. She had leukemia, which was fixed by removing her spleen. She lived until she was almost 90 and the leukemia was not what got her, but would have been had I let them send her home.

B

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OK, bullies together we go. You qualify, Bathsheba. (I got the head of the department out of her office to let me into the schedule, with much whining about living in an area with few facilities, generally true, but simply not taking no (they told me something like three weeks, but my plane was taking me north, or so I thought, that Saturday.) Who knew all the flights in the US would be cancelled? Well, that's another story. Anyway, my whiny insistent bitch on wheels thing might not have worked had it not been that exact day. But it wasn't any act.

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Bathsheba,

Here's another girlfriend available to you for support. I know I'm late in responding but it's only 10:00 here on the west coast. I have not been through a breast biopsy myself but do work in the health care field and can offer my compassion for your stressful situation and waiting.

Can you possibly ask your doctor if this will be done with only a local anesthetic? I'm pretty sure they only do them this way, and whether or not you could possibly take a valium by mouth a few hours prior? That might alleviate some of you stress while undergoing the biopsy.

I'm sorry we have never met before but I'll be checking on you to see how you're doing.

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Aha, I was hoping you'd show up, Marty.

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gustavratzenhofer wrote:

Maybe you're onto something there.

Or maybe the women are just slower readers than the men.

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Hi Osso,

Don't you think it was sweet for some of the guys to check in?

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Yes, I do.

So, after snorting about your fine bovine photo, MartyB, I'll check out for now.

Will check in, B.

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I have had some lumps but they were ultrasounded and found to be cysts. And that's what the doc and nurse told me -- fibrocystic breast disease is another way of saying "your breasts are normal".

Sounds like your cyst is larger but it may very well still be within the realm of tolerance of normal. A biopsy is, of course, the best diagnostic tool going. Doesn't mean it's not worrisome.

'Sgonna be okay. Now let's go kick the men's buns.

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bathsheba -- I've been precisely where you are. Fibrocystic breast disease with changes that resulted in a biopsy (negative) and follow up diagnostic mammograms for 18 months. In fact, I just had my last follow up a couple weeks ago and have been removed from the diagnostic mammogram category and placed back in the routine realm. I understand your anxiety. In fact, I had a very similar discussion here when I first got the recommendation for a biopsy.

There's no way we can tell you what the outcome will be but I can attest to the warmth and caring on the folks on this forum. Keep talking. We're here to hold your hand and give a supporting shoulder as needed.

edit -- I found the thread where I was posting the saga of my waiting and worrying.

http://www.able2know.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2041064#2041064

Hopefully your story will end on a positive note as well.

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@JPB,

Wow, I'm awed by all the responses! Thank you, ladies. It's good to have girlfriends at a time like this. Marty, JPB, Osso, and I hope I didn't leave out any other ladies....I can't see the previous posts like the old forum so have to rely on memory. I appreciate the guys input too, that's sweet of them.

My mammo report which I demanded to have, says something about 'acoustic shadowing' and calcifications, which can either be cancerous, or not. It's the not knowing that is making me crazy. Had another meltdown today and expect there will be a few more.

The surgeon wants to give me a 'light anesthetic' that will be like a sleeping pill. I want only a local, but he doesn't want me to be uncomfortable since he might be digging around a bit.....yuck. Then have to wait several days for the results. Geez. Why can't they get results immediately?

If anyone believes in the power of prayer, now's the time. I've just been through the mill too many times in the last several years healthwise. It turned out ok in the end, but I absolutely HATE hospitals and was hoping to see the last of them for awhile with the last surgery this Feb. Maybe I should just have a body zipper installed?

B.

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@bathsheba,

Just checkin' in on ya B...

Glad to see the wimmens found ya,

Rock

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@jespah,

Hi Jespah,
I knew I probably forgot someone's name! Not sure I like the new A2K yet, seems not as user friendly!

Fibrocystic breast disease makes it harder to see changes. I had to have both mammo and ultrasound and they still don't know if its cancer or not, just 'suspicious mass'. I don't think it's a cyst this time, as it appears to be solid. That is what is worrisome. Yup, a biopsy is the only thing that will tell for sure.

Thanks for words of optimism. Beats being in the belly of the beast eh?

B

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@Rockhead,

Hi Rock, and thank you for rounding some of them up! You're a gem.

Now I have to figure out how to post replies. When I hit 'reply' it goes to a page where I have to sign in my email and password yet again. Doesn't seem to be a 'post reply' button anywhere......

B

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@bathsheba,

No expert, but I was having similar probs this morning, and reluctantly hit "keep me signed in"

Ain't had trouble since, but wiping away at work was tougher...

Keep on keepin' on...

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@bathsheba,

Hey, bathsheba. Usually don't wander off the trivia & word games threads much, but I'm glad I found yours. You're in between the found mass and the biopsy if I understand rightly, right? Been there. Last year, in fact. My girls are of the lovely fibro-cystic variety as well. Mine turned out to be nothing, but the waiting is a b***h. We're here for you. Let us know how you're doing. It's going to be ok. No matter what. Just breathe. If it's too much to think about, just take it one minute, one second at a time and you WILL get through. Don't anticipate anything. (Easier said than done, I know.) Keep posting and letting us know how you're doing, okay?

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@bathsheba,

Hi Bath, my girlfriend had a similar experience with one of her mammograms. She spent a week being scared out of her mind before the followup test. But it turned out to be just scar tissue left over from an accident she was in when she was a teenager. All signs of the accident were long gone, but the scar tissue was still there.

Surprisingly, she and I figured out what it was before the final test came back, simply by talking about what it "might" be and knowing about her history, something the Dr failed to even ask about.

I blame the Dr for her week of fear due to his callous way of assessing the first mammogram. He could have said, "80% of unknown shadows on mammograms are nothing to worry about, and oh by the way, tiny bits of scar tissue from years ago would look pretty much like this, but let's double check." Instead he simply said, "shadows like this are abnormal, we need you back for more tests immediately."

We did enough google research in a week to fill a library, and we quickly realized it was way too early to get scared, but it was a tough week anyway, even knowing that probability was on her side.

Anyway, good luck.

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