Need Some Advice, Please

Laura_E

I feel like I am losing my mind. Not over any type of anxiety, or overwhelming dread, mind you. In a nutshell, this is what has happened:

DCIS in May, 2010, had lumpectomy, carried on with my life. Which meant destroying my shoulder, literally, 2 weeks later. Haha!! I've been monitored every 6 months since then. In April, 2014, a new focal asymmetric density showed up at 9 o'clock on the left breast. At that time, they told me it was a cyst. No big deal, didn't worry about it a bit! At the time, I had a feeling, and I told my mom "they are wrong". Something just felt "off".

Fast forward to Feb, 2015. Oops, it's a mass, and has grown 1mm. Not a huge amount of growth, but enough to make me uneasy. At the time, I was on a county run screening program, so they went ahead and referred me to a surgeon I do not care for. He ordered a diagnostic mammo and u/s, of the left for April. Well, during the bilateral mammo, they found a complex cyst in the right, so...the left was not ultrasounded. Wow, this sounds like a horror story!! Haha.

FNA of complex cyst came back "unsatisfactory specimen". That didn't sit right with me. In the meantime, I found out my Blue Cross had not been cancelled, so went to my PCP. She sent me to the University of Tennessee. So far, they have done 3D mammo and u/s, again focusing on the right. Sigh. I had an MRI on Monday, and the right side is fine. Fibroadenoma causing the dimpling. No big deal, I know. However, there is a mass that lit up, at 9 o'clock in the left!! Now, I am set to have an u/s of the (gasp) left on Tuesday. My former mother in law works for Texas Oncology, as a radiologist, and is very worried about the changes.

This mass, who I have named Bert, since it kept hanging around, clearly hasn't moved, doesn't hurt, although I can feel it from the inside, if that makes sense. Although I have decent ins, my co-pays are a bit much, and I am missing time from work to do all this. In your opinion, would it be asking too much for them to biopsy it next week? I am just not comfy with weird things growing in my breast!! But, I see soooo many people on these boards who do suffer "health anxiety", subjecting themselves to test after test, and who knows how much money, when it turns out to be nothing.

I'd really like some insight from someone I believe will give it to me straight. Sorry this turned into a mini-novel!! And this is the short version!!

bevin

HI Laura

I hope someone has something similar and they can share their experience. I see you asked about timing of a biopsy. I can share I had my biopsy the same day as my Mammo showed the area of concern. So , that should be protocol or at least the next day if your mammo office doesn't have a biopsy team. In either even, I don't blame you for concern and I'd insist they perform it too. Can your PCP help get them on the right track ?

Laura_E

Hi, Bevin. My PCP has been amazing, and got the ball rolling. I spoke to the nurse navigator at UT this afternoon. Figured I should tell someone about the soaking night sweats. She told me I'd been getting the run around before I was sent there. She also told me the mass has irregular borders. Ugh. I will tell them I'd rather they go ahead and do the biopsy on Tuesday.

bevin

great news Laura.  I'm so glad your PCP is on the ball. good luck with Tuesdays biopsy.

KBeee

I hope all goes well tomorrow. Keep us posted. Are they doing a core biopsy or a surgical biopsy?

Laura_E

I'm not sure yet what type of biopsy they will be doing. I have, however, decided that regardless of what "it" is, I want it out. It has caused me a great deal of frustration for over a year now.

Laura_E

ok...the radiologist who has been reading the films and mri was not there, so I had a different doctor. she could not find the mass with ultrasound. but, I read the mri report before I went in there, and the mass that was 8mm in feb is now 1.2 cm. she is going to talk to the original radiologist on Monday, and I may need an mri guided biopsy. sigh

vlnrph

What an ordeal! Now a long wait until Monday. Does work help distract/keep you from overthinking?

My lobular tumor kept "growing" with each scan due to the way those cells string themselves out without forming a palpable lump. However, I could also feel it from the inside as you describe. Hope you get some answers quickly and can form a treatment plan. Let us know how it goes...

Laura_E

Hi, vlnrph. After checking the website for the hospital, I find out the doctor I saw yesterday is not certified to read MRI's. Luckily, the one I am waiting for is. My job keeps me very, very busy!! I manage about 200 people, from home, so my hands are always full. Haha. And my husband keeps adding more to a tattoo we started when this all started. Hopefully, we will get it done before my whole body is covered!!

vlnrph

Working from home and serving as the canvas for your own personal tattoo artist? Be sure to schedule some nice relaxation activity for yourselves this weekend! Hope you get to say good bye to "Bert" very soon...