6 mo. follow up after ALH...so afraid to go...

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shabby6485
shabby6485 Member Posts: 679
edited June 2014 in High Risk for Breast Cancer

Hi everyone,

I have my first 6 mo. follow mammo after two lumpectomies.  They found a spot of ALH.  

I am scared of what they may find.  What are they looking for exactly?  Are calcs know to come back quickly?  

I really am obsessing right now. Having some bad anxiety.  I would appreciate any feedback from anyone whose been through this.

Also, my app't is the day before a big event so I went to reschedule and they couldn't see me until mid dec which would make it 7.5 months.  Is that too long to wait?? 

Thank you. 

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited October 2008

    Shabby--After a diagnosis of ALH your risk of invasive bc is increased, so that is why they like to keep a close eye on you.  But a difference of 6 weeks shouldn't make any significant difference as ALH is not a bc; it is a benign condition, that just happens to increase your overall risk.  I would go to the "big event" and have a great time! (knowing that even having your next mammo at 7.5 months  is still considered "close monitoring").

     I have LCIS  (a non-invasive bc which is a step further along the bc spectrum with double the risk of ALH)   AND  family history and even with that combination, one radiologist felt I could go back to 12 month monitoring. But my oncologist overruled and I"m continuing with my 6 month schedule .

    Anne

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  • shabby6485
    shabby6485 Member Posts: 679
    edited October 2008

    thanks, anne

    I am just so nervous to go through this again. it took  2 months to get through the biopsies and finally the two lumpectomies.  I am so scared they are going to call me back and have to start that horrific process again.  I know if i have that mammo before the party, it is going to really distract me. I HATE waiting for those results. Thank you for your reassurance. 

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  • leaf
    leaf Member Posts: 8,188
    edited October 2008

    I have LCIS and ALH, and they have me on biannual clinical exams and annual mammograms and that's it.

    At my place they do a mammo/ultrasound 6 mo after biopsy for everyone, including those who had benign biopsy findings.

    Hang in there.  We all want to be ready for what is ahead of us, no matter what it is.

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  • Ked1019
    Ked1019 Member Posts: 122
    edited October 2008

    Shabby, I feel for you. I have my follow up MRI on 10/14 and then my mam/us on 10/22. I am really nervous about this too. I don't like having ALH diagnosis and being told it was in the margins but they don't re-excise for it. I feel like this whole year has been wait and see. It took four months from initial mam showing calcifications to surgical excision giving me diag of ALH. I also had other biopsy prior showing FEA and other atypical stuff. I can't remember what they called it. So here we go again. Hang in there and enjoy your "big event" and then go in for your testing. Smiles...

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