Waiting for Biopsy on 2nd Breast & Liver MRI

Wanderlust

I was diagnosed four weeks ago with invasive breast cancer on my left side, then three weeks ago I had a biopsy of my lymph node and it was found there as well. This diagnosis was completely unexpected but I felt like I could deal with it on this level.

But after a Breast MRI I was told something was found on the right side as well and now for the past week I've been waiting for an MRI guided biopsy to find out if its the same type of cancer. i'm finally having that done tomorrow. And now today I was told that my CT scan showed something in my liver and I'll need to have a liver MRI. The nurse on the phone told me not to worry, as a CT scan shows everything, and this could be nothing, but it's really impossible not to worry. I don't even have an appointment for this MRI yet, let alone actually having it done and waiting for results. I feel like all I've done this past month is schedule appointments, meet with dr's, have tests done, receive phone calls giving me more bad news, and wait wait WAIT. It's starting to take its toll.

I start my first chemo treatment on dec 30th regardless of this new MRI, it just seems like I've waited so long. It wil be two months since I first found the lump and saw my gyno about it to the date of my first treatment.

Any support from those that have gone through this would be greatly appreciated, especially with this liver MRI. Thanks

SweetHope

Wanderlust,

So sorry to meet you here. First... the liver...it could just be a spot of fat...nothing is done about that. My brother had one. It was checked yearly and never changed...just fat.

Second, we have very similar timetables on our cancer journey. Two months ago a chest X-ray showed spot on breast and mass in right lung. CT, biopsies, broncoscopy, two surgeries, ALND, and a lot of nerve pain brings me to now waiting for PET scan tomorrow, then lung function test, then meet a thoracic surgeon for partial or full lung removal.

You are so right, the wait, wait, waiting is the worst; well, next to the pain, pain, pain! Why doesn't the radiologist just stand right there giving us results (we can understand) as we all watch the procedure together. Great idea, right? (What couldn't be rushed were the six weeks for cultures to mature on lung biopsy.) My oncologist has put my chemo and radiation on hold until after treatment for lung. Meanwhile, I have learned all I could from Dr. Google and found this site two days ago.

So tomorrow I will send good thoughts to you having your biopsy as I have my PET scan. Please visualize me not twinkling brightly, just dull.

Wanderlust

Hi SweetHope,

I'm sorry to hear you're going through this right now as well. Thanks for the encouragement - this is one time I will be happy about the sight of fat. And I like how you worded that, I will absolutely visualize your pet scan as dull and unventful.

I can't imagine how painful the lymph node surgeries were, as the lymph node biopsy aftermath was rather painful.

It's funny how the initial news of BC seems so bad, then as you learn additional information and your head spins as you wait for more test results, you realize how manageable the original diagnosis was. Now I'm just thinking, if this MRI comes back clean, this year of chemo, surgery and radiation will feel like a breeze.

keepthefaith

wanderlust, I had a breast MRI a few yrs ago that showed something on my liver as well. My Dr was REALLY freaking me out! It ended up being a liver hemangioma, which is pretty harmless, unless it got infected or grew too large. Try not to worry; Dr's want to get all of the information they can, so they make sure you get the best treatment possible. It can be very over-whelming and we really aren't given time to process everything. Good luck with your tests.

sweethope, good luck with your pet scan and surgery as well~

SweetHope

Hi Keepthefaith. You are so right about the Dr.s not want to miss a thing. I read somewhere recently that we all have suspicious spots that usually are 90% nothing. Too bad we are in the 10%. Guess we will all freak out about our scans from now on.

Wanderlust, your "fat" comment is so true. I have been fighting to lose weight for so long. I have nervously eaten 12 more pounds since initial diagnosis. The funny thing is that one of the symptoms for lung cancer is unexplained weight loss. Geez, I can't catch a break lately!

The pain varies day to day on the nerve pain. BS said it was temporary, then refilled my Norco Rx. I hate taking it - I get melancholy. But last night's pill let me sleep through the whole nite til 6:00 this morning...yeah! So if I seem overly emotional it's because my Norco kicked in - or maybe, I need one.

By the way W, I grew up in Mt. Lebanon.