Birad 4, nervous

soldieron

Hello, just joined today but have been following for about a month. I am young, only 34, 2 beautiful boys, soldier, and a single mom.

A little history, I was having some very random issues for awhile which led to an appt with my pa. I had nipple discharge (clear) a couple of times randomly, pain periodically either pulsing in a spot or shooting towards my nipple, redness over breast once for no apparent reason. Then I felt a lump. Pa also felt the lump, this was last Monday, almost two weeks ago. She sent me for u/s and mammo. U/s showed two areas of concern, radiologist said they weren't cysts. Then onto the mammogram. My issues are stemming from my left breast. When they took the pics in the right breast, it was uncomfortable but tolerable. When she did my left, PAIN! It brought tears to my eyes. Well the dr categorized me as 4b and it has been two weeks, still waiting on referral for biopsy. This wait should be illegal in all states, I'm just saying. Anyone else have similar symptoms or stories?

Moderators

Hi soldieron, welcome to the community. We are sorry that these recent breast changes have brought you here but we are glad that you reached out.

The waiting is horrible, we all know, so while you wait for the biopsy, it may help ease your mind to read through the article What Mammograms Show: Calcifications, Cysts, Fibroadenomas from our main site, that reinforces that there are many other benign masses, including some that are especially common among young women.

Best wishes, and please keep everyone here updated on how you're doing; we're all here to support you.

The Mods

soldieron

Thank you very much. These forums help a lot during this waiting period. I just want my mind put at ease that the areas are benign, not too much to ask for. Thank you again

soldieron

Very aggravated! I finally got my referral for biopsy for the 26th. Come to find out it's just a consultation for the biopsy. Seeing as I am military I will need to be shuttled to San Antonio. This is a 6 hour long bus ride one way, just for a ten minute consult. I'm assuming the actual biopsy will probably not be for a couple weeks after that. Then the results. This is ridiculous. I read everyones stories and it seems everything is so quick. Some even get biopsies same day as supiscious mammo/us reports. For me its nearly a two month process. Sorry for the vent but I'm going this alone and needed to vent somewhere. Oh and I'll be seeing a general surgeon, not a specialist as was requested per the radiologist. Does that make a difference?

MagicalBean

soldieron-I am frustrated just reading about your journey so far. I'm so sorry this is happening to you. Is there any type of military advocate who can intervene and speed things along?

It may seem like you're alone in this but the support you will find here is exceptional. Check in often, and study the threads. Chances are you will connect with others who are in a similar situation. Please let us know what we can do to help. Vent all you want. Everyone here understands.

My surgeon was also a general surgeon. He was fantastic.

MelissaDallas

I can sympathize. I was going through a large county hospital clinic system & it took from first of November for intial mammogram until late April to get to diagnostic mammo, stereotactic & excisional biopsies. I do know that if they had seen anything really serious or alarming they would have moved me way up the line though

Moderators

Waiting is hard enough without undue delays stretching it out. We sympathize with all those waiting for scans, biopsies and results and especially those with extended timeframes. We wish all the systems were as fast as some, B9 or not, the waiting is so horrid.

All our best thoughts

The Mods

soldieron

Thank you all for your comments. I am hoping that the prolonged wait is due to it most likely being benign. I have received my u/s and mammo report. It sounds like it really could be anything. The masses are showing both benign and malignant tendencies, if that makes sense. I've tried researching the individual terms but without medical knowledge, it is hard to get a full picture.I was hoping someone on here could help me out?

The report states a diffusely isoechoic to slightly hypoechoic mass measuring 5x8x8.5mm without identifiable traversing septations. Cant tell if that is good or not. Good news though, no calcifications or shadowing can be seen. But then there is moderate hypervascularity. And it says there is a slightly echoge ic margin which could be secondary to minimal spiculation. Second nodule is 6x10x11mm which is much less vascular in appearance. I am also wondering about thkse sizes. Are those benign sizes or taller than wide sized? Thank you for any assistance.

Oh and mammo didnt say much other than heterogenously dense to extremely dense and moderately nodular bilaterally. And there is a 10mm fairly circumscribed nodule.

Moderators

Beware of some of the resources you will find when consulting with Dr Google. There is a lot of old, misleading and downright wrong stuff on the internet that only scares searchers. Please try to settle and take deep breaths and limit your searching until you have biopsy results will you know and we hope it is B9.

The Mods

soldieron

Thank you mods, it is difficult though. I figure if I look it up and it all pointed to b9 then at least I could focus more on my work and kids. Doesnt help I was sent home today from work with something viral as I am sick as a dog and nothing but time and internet on my hands. I'm sure it is absolutely nothing to be concerned with and if it is, so be it. I'm a soldier, I got this. Thank you for your words of comfort.

soldieron

Hello all, question for you. When I go for my biopsy consult I was wondering if I would have a choice in the matter. Reading some people's posts on here, I think a core needle biopsy is best as opposed to a fnb. Will they let me choose at all?

MelissaDallas

They make the recommendation of what kind of biopsy is best based on the appearance and accessability of the area. I would go with what they recommend

MagicalBean

I had 2 different ones and was not offered a choice. The mammo showed calcifications and the Dr did stereotactic for that. She also did a core needle biopsy on a cyst that showed up during an ultrasound. Neither were painful

soldieron

Thanks so much. Didn't know how that worked. The only painful one I can foresee hurting is a stereotactic one. When they did my mammo on the right it didn't hurt a bit. On the right side, I swear I thought labor was less painful. No more mammos, we don't get along.

littleblueflowers

Have you got your results yet?  Jeeze I feel for you, having to shuttle around like that!  My biggest fear is that if it is breast cancer for me, how will I fit treatments into a physically demanding job?  I'm not in the military like you, but if I can't hike, carry a pack, swing a tool, and be dirty, then I can't work.  Nothing to do but try to stay sane...these forums are really helping, especially finding relatively young women in the same boat and older women who have been through the treatment process and are going on with their lives.  Still. Its crazy, but out of all my friends I've only told my guy friends...I feel like my women friends would be to scared.  The dudes are all like " you will kick its ass!" or "you will be fine, you don't have cancer".  Well, I feel like the first is more likely.  Then they send me dirty jokes.  Seriously- grade B movies are saving my life right now. I suggest "A million ways to die in the west" and "Roadhouse" to start you out, after your kids are asleep, of course. Also, "The Ladies Man".  My brother is a P.A., and he's just like "meh, this is going to be annoying, but what in life isn't" Which helps.  If it helps you, he can say it for you as well. I have to work tomorrow as well, and that's when I hopefully get my results.  Can you say terrified?  Yep...Klonopin is my best friend.  Well, that, beer, and sleeping pills. (used according to Dr.s directions, of course   I don't think that there is any rule that says we can't use every single D@^! tool at our disposal to survive waiting, and diagnosis, and life in general. 

As far as the Core Biopsy, I wasn't given a choice.  Not only that, they found another mass and an angry lymph node during the ultrasound, and so I got not 1 but 3 incisions. Get aggressive with those lumps!  I told them to just do what they had to do, even when they stabbed through the numbed portion of my breast.  Whatever.  This nasty needs to DIE!  And if this is the first step toward killing it, I'm not gonna let a little pain stand in the way of the process!  Hang in there girl!  This may feel like its gonna make us die of stress and fear, but it wont!  I'm rooting for you!  WE CAN DO THIS!  Sorry for the rant....its helping burn off some stress.....xoxoxoxoxoxox

MagicalBean

littleblueflowers-I love your attitude. I felt that way during rads. Anything that would kill the little bastards was ok by me. I hope you and soldieron get your results soon. Waiting is frustrating. We're here for you so rant all you want. We've been there and get it.....