Panic as 6 month Follow up approaches...

shabby6485

Hi and Happy New Year to all!

I am due for my  6 month follow up on Jan 10 (why does 6 month go so fast?!).  I had a benign biopsy for calcifications last year and have a "microfocus" of ADH.  My first follow up was in May just in the affected breast--- that was clear.  This mammo, I think, will just be in the other breast.  Does that sound right?  

I hate to be a winer but I have Health Anxiety to begin with and this really is hard for me to deal with every 6 months.  Not sure what my question is,  just looking for support I guess.

Thanks. 

badger

Edited to redact a post with personal information.

DocBabs

Since receiving my LCIS diagnosis 3 years ago, I can say that my first follow-up vist was probably the most stressful. Each one after has been less so.Even when they found something in my other breast on the second visit, I wasn't nearly as panicked as I thought I would be. I have developed the thinking that I will not panic till there is absolute reason to do so.I want to save up any energy that I might need in the future to fight a good fight, if I have to. So far it's working for me.I think as you get older you come to realise that you only really have control over a very few things in this life so I want to fully prepared to do my part when and if it becomes necessary.

I wish you a Happy New Year filled with joy , hope and peace of mind and heart.

Barbara

zogo

Fear of waiting for the other shoe to drop every 6 months is the exact reason I chose to have a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy with immediate diep flap reconstruction.  I'm only 4 weeks after my surgery, and am plagued with some skin issues, but I know in the long run, it will give me true peace of mind and I won't spend one month out of every six, worried about what they will find.  I'm fighting my good fight up front and getting on with life when I heal.

Please know this is just my humble opinion and I wish you peace in going forward.

Hugs, 

Beesie

Shabby, my guess is that this mammo will be both breasts. 

As for the anxiety that you are feeling, that's normal.  When I was diagnosed with BC, I had a single mastectomy. I'm high risk to get BC again in my remaining breast but I just couldn't contemplate the idea of removing a healthy breast.  So I have 6 month checks too.  What I've found is that as time has gone on and my results have been fine, my anxiety has lessened - a lot! For the first 1 or 1 1/2 years, I would start to get nervous 4-6 weeks in advance of the test.  Then it got down to a couple of weeks.  After about 3 years, I noticed that I didn't start to get nervous until a day or two before my test.  Now, after 5 years, I honestly don't worry at all.  So don't think that because you will be going for these checks every 6 months that you will always feel this anxiety for so many weeks before your test. That would be difficult to live with, but hopefully your results will continue to be good and hopefully over time your anxiety will ease.  

Think about it this way.  Before your biopsy last year, you were walking around with the same risk level that you have no - you just didn't know it.  Chances are that you didn't worry about breast cancer nearly so much.  So why worry now?  I know that you can't really control the thoughts that pop into your head, but once the thoughts are there, you can push them out.  And after a while, the thoughts hopefully will simply stop coming.

Good luck on the 10th.  Fingers crossed that you have a another clear test! 

mdoak

Shabby, I don't know about you, but when people tell me not to worry, it makes me feel like I'm a little crazy and a whole lot alone.

I think you have every reason in the world to be worried. When I had a suspicious area biopsied a month ago I was a total mess -- and when a couple people told me not to worry, I wanted to scream at them. Everything turned out B9 for me. But what I found really, really helpful was to spread the worry out a little. Talk to understanding friends. My friends really stepped up to the plate and spent quiet time with me, called a lot, took me to lunch, sent me for a massage. 

Try to be as kind to yourself as you can be. Buy yourself a present, take yourself for a massage! If you need to, call your primary care physician, or whoever your healthcare point person is, and get some anxiety meds to take the edge off. Make yourself tea. Take long walks.

I totally understand how you feel. And I'm crossing my fingers for you.

Melissa

Anonymous

I just wanted to drop in and let you know I am thinking of you at this stressful time - sending good thoughts and peace to you...

Beesie

Melissa, I'm not sure if you were referring to my post, but just to clarify for Shabby's sake, I was not suggesting that she not worry.  I know that worry is normal and that it's difficult - and often impossible - to control the thoughts that pop into our heads. What I was saying is that over time, the fear will lessen. This is my experience, being 5 years out from my diagnosis and having lived through years of biopsies and more call backs than I can remember, and this seems to be what Barbara said in her post too, based on her experience. I also was suggesting a way to deal with those fearful thoughts when they pop into your head. I know fear is normal but for me, life is much more enjoyable if I find a way to knock those thoughts out of my head, rather than give in to them and accept the fears.  Going for a 6 month check after a biopsy (or in my case, a diagnosis of BC) is nerve-wracking, but I find it helps to remind myself why I shouldn't be nervous (the odds are stacked highly in my favor - and in Shabby's - that everything will be fine) rather than tell myself that I have reason to worry. 

Anonymous

shabby----I have to agree with Barb and Bessie.  The worry and anxiety tend to lessen over time. I've been doing high risk surviellance and preventative meds for over 7 years now (tamox, now evista); in the beginning I was rather consumed by it all, now I don't really worry much at all. Being watched so closely gives me a lot of comfort and peace of mind. If I end up with invasive bc  at some point in my life, I will deal with it then. Praying you  find peace.

Anne

shabby6485

Just wanted to thank everyone who took time out of their holiday to respond to me.  You don't know much I appreciate it.

Happiest of New Year! 

beacon800

I relate to your concerns and worry.  I had that going on for a long time and I did not like it at all.  One thing that I found to help was exersize.  Especially outdoors in nature where I could take walks and get really distracted.  Other thing was really non stressful reading material, like Agatha Christie books.  Those were comforting.  Lastly, we watched all kinds of old fashioned shows, like Dick Van Dyke, etc on Netflix before bedtime so I would laugh and not think about upcoming procedures and tests.  Try and stay busy and thus you will not think as much about that is coming up.  Other way to look at it:  these tests keep you safe.  If there is anything lurking in there, you are going to get it before it gets you and kick it's butt!

SarahsMom

Shabby, same here - I get very nervous every 6 months. It's been 3 years since my ductal excision surgery and now I have a little issue that has popped up and awaiting MRI. I put on this last appt for a few months due to other issue (hysterectomy) - and when they found the new dense area, I started beating myself up for putting off my appt. After a few days of the self thrashing, I let myself off the hook. Sending you calming thoughts and chances are, all will be well!  I am proud of you for going for your checkups. It is important for us ladies who take care of everyone (and everything) in our lives to put ourselves at the top of the list when it comes to our health. 

I think this mammo would be both breats, but not sure?