Finally have my consultation with a breast surgeon on Monday

Options
Anonymous
Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
edited June 2014 in High Risk for Breast Cancer

Finally the day is almost here! I was nervous yesterday but today I'm feeling more like I want this done- I want to get her opinion on whether to do exploratory surgery or just wait 3 more months for my regularly scheduled 6 month MRI and US. And maybe, possibly, get more of an answer from her regarding all my tests than 'probably benign', or 'suggestive of', or 'benign appearing', etc. I would really like an answer as to why I'm having discharge and why my nipple is inverting.

Thanks for reading. I don't want to bring this up all the time here at home so it's nice to have you ladies here to understand my feelings and what I'm going through.

Hugs, Dagny

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • SarahsMom
    SarahsMom Member Posts: 1,779
    edited September 2011

    Hi Dagny, I am still following you! So glad you are pushing for answers.  Like one of the wise ladies out here put it last week - we should keep asking "if it's not cancer, what is it?" to force them to run it ground.  It's not normal to have the kind of discharge you have and a suddenly inverted nipple. I hate our world of "probably not", "probably is", etc. Ugh. I once asked my doctor if "probably benign" meant "maybe malignant" and she said no, not really. Sigh.

    Best of luck and please let us know what they tell you, this is a good education for all of us. Hugs!! 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited September 2011

    Hi Carpe! Thanks for the response. I like the 'if it's not cancer, what is it?' question- I'm going to use it tomorrow. I would like some clear answers. I feel like I'm left in limbo (guess we are the Limbo Ladies :) ). I'm really confident in this breast surgeon- she's got a great reputation and works exclusively with breast cancer and other breast issues.

    On a side note...being the untrusting soul that I am I called the BS office on Friday to confirm that my appointment was still on and to make sure that all my info had been sent to her office. They had recieved the films but non of reports- not even the pathology. Geez, if I hadn't checked it would have been a waste of time! Goes to show- with anything medical double check!

    Maybe it's because I am exhausted but when I read that you once asked your doctor if "probably benign" meant "maybe malignant" and she said no, not really- I actually laughted out loud! Not even a concrete answer to that question either. Sigh indeed!

    Thank you for the good luck and the hugs. We'll see how tomorrow goes...

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited September 2011

    My appointment went really well. She answered all my questions and really took her time to explain everything to me. She said I am benign. There is nothing to worry about right now. Not maybe, not seems like, but just benign. Smile

    My nipple has been inverting because of some of the tissue (sclerosing adenosis, microcysts and other fibrocystic stuff) going on behind my nipple. She could pull the nipple out and it would stay out for a little bit before slowly retracting in. She said that is a good sign. If it was pulled deeply into the breast and she couldn't pull it out would be something to worry about. Or if it pulled to the side or started pointing to the ground. She also told me what to watch out for. Re: the discharge- she couldn't get any at the appointment but she said that she worries about discharge that is clear, runny, or bloodtinged, more than the thick white stuff I had. She did a very thorough exam feeling for any lumps. I haven't been that felt up since I was in high school!

    She took the time to look over my films with me and read over the pathology report to me. She was so comforting and at the same time straight with her information. She does not see the need for any kind of surgery at this time. She does want me to go ahead and have my 6 month MRI, which is actually only 3 months away now. She wants to check the stability of some random clusters that I have and also all the stuff they found around my fibroadenoma, and the fibroadenoma itself. At that point we'll meet again and talk it over. She did say that I have dense breasts and the MRI is the best diagnostic tool to use in my case (she did say that my breast center was very thorough with me since I had mammo's, US, biopsy, ductogram and then MRI). I asked if the dense breast tissue could hide things in an MRI and she said that the MRI that I had, with the injected dye, would catch everything except something really really small and very slow growing.  And with the mammo and US images along with the MRI she could get all the views of everything going on in my breast. The only other thing was she sent me to get my prolactin levels checked to see if that was what was causing the discharge. She told me she didn't think that was it but she wanted to get that test checked off the list. It is not cancer causing the discharge but it could be the stuff going on behind my nipple and my body dealing with it.

    It was a long appointment with a lot of information and I left there much more at ease. I feel more in control because she gave me so much information about me and my breast specifically.

    I'm taking some nice deep breaths...

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories