Stereotactic biopsy & confused...

KrystalMarie315

After exclusively breastfeeding my son for 14 months, (2014) I noticed a fingertip size indent on my right breast... Immediately I brought it to my Primary docs attention, she said it was a disintegrated mammary gland and not to worry. I had another baby boy and nursed him for 5 months (emergency removal of 10cm ovarian cyst caused me to stop or id probably still be nursing ) ending in October of 2016... In August of 2017 I was in the bathtub and something just told me to do a breast exam... I did and surprise! The indentation was back only this time a large hard mass was directly above it... A week later I was convinced it was gone and it must have been something to do with my crazy hormones. On thanksgiving after preparing dinner and while getting ready for shopping festivities I got out of the shower and glanced in the mirror while toweling off... The one fingertip indent I felt I could now put 4 fingertips into, there was a large hardened mass directly above it that I could see, I didn't have to feel... And there was a small (pencil eraser size) bruise looking thing directly above the lower part of this indent. I called Dr on Monday and 12/12/2017 while sitting braless in front of her, she got an awful look on her face, did my breast exam and said you need a mammo and ultrasound. 12/28/17 I had my mammo and ultrasound.. The radiologist came in and asked to see my breast in question, he took a 4 second look at it and said you need a biopsy... We will send your results to your doctor and they will call you.. He told me that the ultrasound showed a few small masses in my breast but "we can't worry about the small things because theres obviously a bigger picture." The mass and indent as well as the bruise is still there, and my nipple discharge just won't go away... Today, I had my stereotactic vacuum biopsy done and the titanium markers placed. I've been "clipped" So now the wait begins... I guess I am wondering does the color of the tissue for biopsy mean anything? I asked to see it; it was blood streaked and yellowish. How about the fact that it sank to the bottom of the little bottle? Does any of this mean anything? Or am I just freaking myself out? I know the majority of biopsies come back benign but the look on the doctor, radiologist and nurses faces tell me otherwise. They said ill know for sure by Wednesday at 1pm. If it is malignant are they going to tell me over the phone? I hope not I'd prefer something as serious as that was given to me in person. Am I worrying for no reason? My gut just tells me something is wrong... Regardless of benign or malignant findings doc still wants to know what is causing my breast tissue to look like something is eating away at it from the inside out.

I am 30 and am a single mom of 5... So this is a very stressful time for me.. I am so sorry this is so long I just don't really have anyone to ask all these questions to. Any feedback, good or bad, would be much appreciated.

Xo

Georgia1

So sorry, this must be terribly stressful. No, the color and weight of the sample won't indicate anything. So I'm afraid you'll have to wait until the biopsy results are back and yep, you may get the results over the phone. I did. If that happens be sure to ask them to email you the results since there will be good information in the report you can use to plan next steps. Fingers crossed that results are benign and everything is ok for you.

KrystalMarie315

I just have this feeling... I was a wreck for 3 days after the appointment on December 12th.. But on the 3rd day I decided that I am one stubborn biotch & a little bit of cancer doesn't scare me, I can overcome anything... However, after today I just can't stop thinking about that damn sample... I shouldn't have told her I wanted to see it 😵 I can't believe that the doctors would tell you over the phone a mass is malignant.. That just baffles me. Thank you so much for your response. I'm so sorry I am just rambling; so much is running through my head... The "distortion" of my breast and "obvious palpable mass" as the nurse put it about 6 times today. Ugh.

Oh and I am 10 hours post biopsy and so sore... I can't get comfortable at all! Its gonna be a long night.

Georgia1

We've all been there. Take some Tylenol, maybe use some ice, and also do try to be optimistic. That "stubborn biotch" side of you is going to get you through this.

KrystalMarie315

Thank you. I just did take some Tylenol. I didn't sleep well last night so as soon as I'm a little more relaxed I'm sure ill sleep like a rock. Thank you for listening to me. It means a lot. Its sad when strangers online are more compassionate and seem to care more than your own mother.

Thank you again.

mustlovepoodles

Krystal, I wouldn't put any stock in what your samples looked like. From your description it sounds like every biopsy sample I've ever seen in my 40 years of nursing. 

My doctor did tell me over the phone that it was cancer. I was not upset about this; I already had seen the ultrasound report, BIRADs 5, and I knew in my gut that it was cancer. The only thing that surprised me was that I didn't cry or scream or thrash about. I just thanked her for calling and hung up.  I suppose I was in shock, but it wasn't the unpleasant experience I had prepared myself for. 

Best of luck to you.

KrystalMarie315

Was it your doctor or the nurse? If my doctor called personally, I think I'd be okay... But not just anyone from office. Will my primary tell me how bad it is? Or just automatically refer me out? I'm just so lost and of course all these questions come to me after the doc is gone on the weekend...

Also, my right arm through my shoulder has these horrid twinges of pain running through it.. Would the biopsy cause that?

Georgia1

Good morning KrystalMarie. Sometimes it's the radiologist who calls and sometimes your primary care physician. If it's the PCP, he/she may not have much expertise so may not be able to tell you much. In either case, insist they email the full biopsy report to you and we can help you interpret it if you need that. And for sure, the biopsy can cause twinges of pain since it may have caused minor nerve damage; that is normal and temporary. After a couple of days, once you feel up for it, try gentle stretching exercises. For now probably just continue with the Tylenol and do something to take your mind off of it if you can.

KrystalMarie315

Thank you Georgia1... As odd as it may sound I have been looking forward to your responses because you are giving me so much reassurance right now even if I am sounding crazy; so thank you... Do I have to sign a release form for my results to be emailed to me? Or will they just do it? Ive never asked before and didn't realize it was common practice for docs to email results. I will have them also send me my u/s and mammo reports too. The nurse during stereotactic biopsy said that she was impressed by my PCPs write up so maybe I can get that too and have you guys interpret it? The only thing ive got so far is the letter in the mail from the radiologist that said my mammo showed an abnormality and I needed a biopsy. But I already knew that.. My PCP is amazing and I love her so much. Its going to be so tough for me to start over, if you will, with a new doctor/doctors.

Georgia1

Good morning to you! Every facility seems to do it differently, but I didn't need to sign a release to get my reports. And if you like your PCP, your insurance should cover visits with her throughout any treatment, and any of your specialists should share reports with her. You just need to tell them to do that on your first visit.

Hope you have a normal, pain-free day.

KrystalMarie315

She has been my PCP for almost 12 years now, and delivered 4 of my babychildren; well except for my Owen, I decided to go to my normal 9 am appointment with her the day he decided to come and she told me I was 7cm dilated & would meet me asap at hospital... 11 minutes later he was delivered by myself and a nurse in my jeans at the hospital in the hallway on the way to L&D... lol. The damn receptionist should have listened when I told them he was coming and coming now... Haha. Anyway its like starting over with a new best friend, ya know? I do hope they share everything with her and that she will see me still..

I am attempting to organize today... This resting business is for the birds. Ibuprofen and Tylenol are doing their job, so I might as well get something productive done. I hope you have a stress free Sunday! Thank you again, so very much.

KrystalMarie315

I still have yet to hear anything... The doctors told me I'd hear something by today... Hospital told me When I went in Friday that I would know by Wednesday at 1... Should I just take this as no news is good news? I've called but haven't received a call back yet either way. If this mass was malignant wouldnt it take priority?

marie5890

Hi Krystal,

The waiting is brutal we know. More than likely, the labs are just playing catch up from the holidays. It's hard to be patient.

Luckynumber47

Hi Krystal, from what you have described I would suspect the dr's will want to remove the lump, even if it is benign so you might start thinking about a surgeon. The recommendations here seem to be a breast surgeon and if possible at a NCI designated center. Find a specialist you feel comfortable with and go for second opinions if you think it would be helpful.

If your lump is benign come back here, we'll all cheer and you can go back to your pre-scare life. If it's malignant then there are some specific details you should write down when the dr calls: do they have an estimate of the size, what is the grade, is it ER/PR positive or negative? Do they think lymph nodes are involved? What is the specific type of cancer? For example I had IDC (invasive ductal carcinoma) and DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ). All of that information is available from the ultrasound and biospy. Be sure to write down all your questions now because when you talk to the dr it will be so overwhelming it will be hard to focus.

We've all got our fingers crossed for benign results for you.
Lucky

KrystalMarie315

Okay, ill write all those questions down. I bought a folder because I want to keep all my test results (good or bad) in a safe place. The nurse told me last week that she was going to set up a consult with a doctor here in town... I looked it up and he is a surgeon. So I think youre probably right.. I'm not comfortable with male doctors though so that makes me a little uneasy... I have reconnected with my childhood best friend who's a RN now... I sent her a photo of my breast to ask about the swelling and her exact words were "I can't believe you waited so long that looks so bad I would smack you if I wasn't so sad about all this." My concern is more about this huge indent than the mass... But thats just me. Ugh. You ladies are great. Xo

marie5890

Krystal, when it comes to breasts, it's always wise to seek a breast surgeon/specialist, and not just a general surgeon. At least that is many of we ladies opinions here on BCO.

KrystalMarie315

Ok. I am in Upstate NY. I will look it up, (for just in case purposes) breast surgeons in this area. Thank you so so very much!

KrystalMarie315

I talked to the nurse at 5. She said that the pathology reports are back, but radiology has not faxed them over to my doctor yet. She said that she can't return any phone calls until she is done seeing patients at the end of the day. But since the results are back, if it was anything serious the radiology department would have called to give them the heads up as soon as they came in and they have not done that.. So she said she can't make any promises but probably the results just say its something we have to watch and ill have repeat testing in 3 months and 6 months... && she will call me tomorrow when she gets the fax...Anyway, I know nothing more now than I have at all besides the test results are back.. They still have testing to do to figure out what is eating away at my breast tissue. And ill still have to meet with the surgeon... && apparently thats that.

Georgia1

wow. Fingers crossed you get some good news and some answers tomorrow.