Seemingly long wait for appt w/surgeon...

hummingbird826

Hi there.

I was just diagnosed yesterday with high grade codemo DCIS. After speaking with the radiology doctor who did the biopsy (core needle), I was told by the scheduling person that my appt with the surgeon is on May 7. This seems like a long time to wait, and I just wanted to find out if it's just my anxiety and sense of urgency fueling this feeling. Is this a fairly normal wait time? The general surgeon that I was referred to only does breast cancer surgery, and I recognize that there are others whose need is more immediate than mine, so I just thought I'd ask.

Thanks very much.

Tia

SunnySydeUp

Hi Hummingbird, my dx is the same as yours. I had biopsy on 12/29/14, received dx on 1/5/15, met with surgeon next day and lumpectomy on 1/12/15. So 2 weeks from biopsy to surgery. I was also told that since the cancer was contained and slow growing (even at grade 3), it would have been ok to wait a bit longer.

Any amount of wait time feels like too long at this stage. You just want to get your action plan in place! Good luck to you!

inks

I had to wait 2 weeks to see the surgeon. I think what Sunny had is an exception.

hummingbird826

thanks so much for your response, Sunny. You are exactly right - anything over a few days feels like forever right now.

May I ask why you decided on lumpectomy vs. mastectomy? We're both presented to you as an option? Thanks again

hummingbird826

thanks very much for responding, Inks. It helps to know that it is not an inordinately long time to wait. I guess it just feels like everything moved so quickly at first, and now I'm in a holding pattern. Ugh.

inks

In large busy hospitals it's hard to get operating room time so don't be alarmed if you have to wait for surgery too after you meet the surgeon. I had to wait for results of genetic testing so I could decide between unilateral mastectomy or bilateral mastectomy. That took a month.

hummingbird826

yes Inks, they told me it would probably be scheduled 4-6 weeks after my appt with the surgeon. Seems like a long time but again, I realize that there are others with a more immediate need.

ballet12

Hi Mia, DCIS (even grade 3 with comedonecrosis) is not an aggressive diagnosis. I had an initial biopsy in late May (of the year I was diagnosed), it showed atypical cells (something called atypical ductal hyperplasia, which is high risk for bc).  Not being worried and having lots of summer plans, I put off the excisional (surgical) biopsy, (otherwise known as a lumpectomy) until the end of July, which showed extensive DCIS (all high grade with comedonecrosis and no clean margins).  I sought a second opinion at another facility (NCI Cancer Center).  My first re-excision surgery to get clean margins was in October, and the second was at the end of October, and the radiation did not commence until January.  I was seen at one of the most well-known hospitals in the world, and they didn't have any concerns about the waits, so I didn't either.  The only risk with DCIS is that there could be invasive cancer also, either in microscopic form (most common) or more extensive, but that is usually caught very early.  Not, to get you crazy, but the wait shouldn't be a problem.  You can always ask to be notified of a cancellation, or try to find another surgeon somewhere else.

Ddw79

I think that is kind of a long wait , at least emotionally. I got a DX of ADH on 3/4/15 and had excisional biopsy on 3/24. With in the space of three weeks this part went like a speeding train.

MelissaDallas

I go to an NCI cancer center staffed clinic. It took from first of November until mid April to get through mammo, diagnostic mammo, stereotactic & excisional biopsies. I knew if they had determined it was crucial that my testing would have been accelerated

hummingbird826

yes Dd, I think it's the emotional part that is getting the best of me.

It helps to hear that others were okay after waiting, though.

exbrnxgrl

I know the feeling of just wanting it done with. Still, it is not an emergency and the time frame seems perfectly reasonable. Yes, you will find women here who had things done more quickly, and those who had things take longer. I was diagnosed in early July and had my bmx in early September. I needed this time in order to get a second opinion, research and make decisions about reconstruction and then coordinate the schedules of the surgeon and plastic surgeon I chose. I needed to feel 100% comfortable with all of my decisions and, again, it wasn't an emergency. Best wishes

hummingbird826

thanks for your response, exbrnxgrl. As the days pass, I'm beginning to realize that I need this time to continue researching and learning, so that I will be better informed when I go for my appt.

Jeeper4

hummingbird...I had a long process. My screening and diagnostic mammos were in early Nov 2014. Had an appt. with bs within 2 weeks and stereotactic biopsy planned for early Dec. After an hour in the room, they could not do it for technical reasons so I had to do an excisional biopsy on Dec. 17. It wasn't until Feb. 3 that I had my re-excision to get clean margins and SNB. The waiting was horrible. Sometimes it takes a while to get everything scheduled with imaging (wire insertion or SNB prep) and your surgeon's availability in the OR. Then you get to wait again for path results. My thoughts are with you.

hummingbird826

Thanks for your response, Jeeper. The surgeon I was referred to does only breast surgery, and is supposed to be the best around for that, so yes, it's a waiting game. They told me that she is scheduling surgery four to six weeks out, so for the sake of sanity, I am just trying to accept that there will be a wait and go with it. :

panthrah

from biopsy to lx was 8 weeks. this time around biopsy to lx will be 4 weeks.. all strictly based on scheduling compatibility not urgency.

hummingbird826

Panthrah - would you mind sharing some ways that you dealt with the wait? Sometimes I'm alright with it and the fact that I can use this time to educate myself as thoroughly as possible, and at other times I get completely stressed out about it. Thanks much.

hummingbird826

Just got a call from the surgeon's office saying they wanted to reschedule my appointment for an earlier date, so it's next week.