scared - 2nd mamo

bikermama069

I freak out every year when I have my mamo due to bc in my family. my cousin died when she was 37 after a 1.5 yr battle. hers was diagnosed due to back pain - never felt a lump. and I have very dense breasts ...so they recommend I do a 3d every year. actually let me guard down and felt great about this mamo I had , esp since the gyno didn't feel anything the week before when I went for my annual. got blind sided fri night when I got home from work 11pm and got the letter- need another mamo and ultrsound. tried to schedule it Saturday morning , but wouldn't let me schedule without the dr orders. called dr at 8 am this morning when they opened and finally they faxed the hospital so I could schedule my tests. I have OCD and freak out when it comes to health related issues. needless to say - waiting is the hardest part for me

LisaAlissa

Hi bikermama069!

I'm so sorry that you're having to deal with all of this. You're caught in the midst of the screening process. Which seems very "routine" for the medical personnel, and and anything-but-routine to those of us being screened! It's hard to believe (I know!), but you're still in the well-woman screening process.

At any rate, you've perhaps seen this chart around. It's from the Imaginis site, which has additional info about the screening process:

but I think it's helpful. On the above diagram, note that your goal is to fail to be advanced farther "up" the diagram. Each one is a narrower group of people. Your screening mammogram apparently had something (or didn't allow them to see something clearly so that it could be dismissed) that led them to ask for addtional views and an ultrasound. That puts you at the Diagnostic Workup stage on the chart.

But it's still screening. Of those who have a diagnostic workup, 75% will not be sent on to biopsy.

And even if you're in the 25% who are sent on for a biopsy, 80% of those will be told they do not have cancer.

There's no reason to think you will be in the 25% of the women who have a diagnostic workup who are sent on to biopsy. Or that you would be in the 20% of that 25% who are given a diagnosis of cancer. (The numbers look like this. Of 100 women who have a diagnostic workup (that's your category), only 25 will be sent on for a biopsy, but only five of those will be told they have cancer. Essentially, 95% of the women who are sent for a diagnostic workup (like you!) do not have cancer. There's no reason to think you'll me in either the 25% sent on for biopsy or the 20% who will be told that their biopsy shows cancer.

As you work your way through the screening process, a very large majority are "tossed out" at every stage--including the stage you're at. This is part of why the medical people seem so casual about the whole thing. That your ob/gyn didn't feel anything on physical exam suggests that if you end up part of the 5% that it will be very early (found only on imaging).

Since your family history concerns you, you might ask for a referral to a genetic counselor. It may or may not be covered by our insurance, depending on your personal and family history.

BTW, when reading on the BCO boards, it's easy to get a skewed version of your odds...the women who were "dropped out" of the screening process don't continue to post here. So you have the people who were unlucky enough to advance all the way through the screening process who continue to post. And there's no reason to think that you will be here for very long either.

Hope you fail to advance in the diagnostic process very, very soon!

LisaAlissa

bikermama069

its so hard to wait ...had to go to the dermatologist today and have several skin cancers dealt with , hubby goes tomorrow for the same thing ....and my apt for mamo and untrasound is 9 30am, and babysit my 18 mo old granddaughter .... tomorrow is a big day and not sure how I will get thru all of it - not even sure how I will get thru work tonight

Lucy55

Not sure of the time over there for you girls ..But I remember that Poppy's biopsy is on the 29 th ..and it's the 29th here ..So ..

Poppy ..Thinking of you , and can't wait to hear great results !!!

Molly ..Also remember that you and my hubby share the 29th as a birthday ..So Happy Birthday 🎂..Hope you enjoy your day ..

Bikeamamna ..Sorry for your anxiety ..Having tests are always scarey ..and we are here to hold your hand to get through it ..

Iris ..Ugh ..My doctors ALWAYS seem to run late !! I hate it too ..

Edited to fix l my spelling mistakes ..

Lucy55

keepthefaith

bikermama, The waiting is really the hardest. But, like Lisa said, the majority of women do NOT have a BC DX. It's good that you are getting the 3D mammo and that your medical team is doing what they need to, to get to the bottom of it. I have a family history also and that certainly doesn't help the worrying; but, worrying is not going to change the outcome one way or the other. Just show up for the appt; that's all you really need to do....and BREATHE! IOne step at a time. You can do it:).

Rntnh

I understand your fear, I went through the same thing and also needed a biopsy. I relied on the fact that 80 percent of biopsies are benign. That helped me get through the waiting period . And yes , mine turned out to be benign. Sending good wishes