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Trichick1964
Trichick1964 Member Posts: 43
edited August 2015 in Waiting for Test Results

I'm not even sure what forum to post to, so I'll start here because I'm before surgery, assuming a wire guided biopsy counts ;). If I belong somewhere else, someone please tell me the best forum to go to.

I've had a sterotactic biopsy with ADH diagnosis and met with surgeon today. I walked away feeling really uneasy and can't explain why. I'm pretty easy going when it comes to doctors and being comfortable around people, so I don't know if it's just me and being stressed all week and sleep deprived or if my gut is telling me something. I have an email into my Gyn to ask if this is one of her recommendations or not. She said she had a few surgeons she really likes, a few she doesn't, and then she left town and wasn't the one who made the referral. Both my doctors are out of town right now (of course).

I feel comfortable knowing in my head that whatever they find will be early stage, but clearly I'm not fooling myself because I've been walking around like I'm amped up on caffeine all week and then crash in the late afternoon with panic attacks. I was hoping my appointment today would help solidify things, or reassure me or something. But it didn't. I walked in with more information than what he even gave me. It felt like he was brushing this off (because he sees it every day and I don't, obviously) but then would also express concern and then brush it off again. It was so weird.

I have multiple clusters of microcalcifications, one in particular they are looking at. I also found out during my stereotactic biopsy that there were actually 2 clusters right next to each other, which became apparent when the lab tech enlarged the film but was not noted in the report. The lab tech had to bring in the radiologist to tell her which one to biopsy which is how I know this info. I wanted to know if those 2, being so close together, had any significance (i.e.: possibly in the same duct, etc). He confirmed that I have several clusters but never even looked or acknowledged the specific question I was asking him. I already know I have several clusters because the mammo report says so. He said "I might want you to get an MRI before your biopsy. I may check with the radiologist about this." It wasn't until after my appointment that I realized he never confirmed if he WILL be doing this or not. Ugh!

More than anything I'm complaining. I keep telling myself I'm not scared but I am. the wait is torturous and now I have another 5 week wait for my biopsy, another week after that for pathology. I am scheduled to see the oncologist next week, although I'm not sure why. The surgeon asked why I was going to see him so soon as well. At first I thought I'd cancel and reschedule after my biopsy so that I have more info to give him. But I'm going to keep the appointment (after all, they called me to schedule it not the other way around) and perhaps I'll feel a little more settled if I talk to him about my risk factors and what he thinks about my mammo and pathology report.

My goal for tonight is to get a good night's sleep! All things may seem clearer in the morning.



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  • sas-schatzi
    sas-schatzi Member Posts: 19,603
    edited August 2015

    Trichick, Sorry your here. Whom ever is coordinating your appointments is doing a very good job. Granted the surgeon didn't have a report, but you will see retrospectively it's better to get things moving than have delays.

    The path report will be available sooner. This is how to work it. Call the MO office Monday morning and ask for the nurse navigator or the person that coordinates first time appointments. Ask them if your path report will be available for the MO. Tell them you are concerned of wasting time if the report is negative. That will get it on their radar to get the report. It's usually already is on their radar, but you will be backing it up by the phone call. They're is a whole behind the scenes process on referrals. Does that make sense?

    Also, if the Mo's office is a multi doc office, keep in mind you don't have to have the doc assigned to you. If you are happy with the Mo you see next week, then stick with them. If you decide it's not a good match at a given point, speak up and ask for a different doc. It's done all the time. If it's a one MO doc office and the match isn't good ask your Gyn(original refering doc) or PCP to make another referral. This is also, done all the time.

    You had the surgeon appointment. Bummer not knowing if it was one that your doc likes. Call the Gyn's office and ask the referral scheduler, if this is one of your Gyn doc's favorite doc to refer too. If they hesitste rephrase the question as to --"Is this the surgeon she usually refers too?"  The reason I suggest this as you said it wasn't a stellar first meeting. Surgeon's are cutters. You want the best cutter. Kind, compassionate, and teacher, and being an excellent cutter are really nice to have together, but may be hard to come by in your locale.  If the scheduler says yes this is who she refers to and they take your insurance. You have your answer. YAY.

    They're is a forum for folks waiting for test results in the Just Diagnosed Forum. Wander around and look at the thread topics. Sounds like you have some experience with discussion groups b/c you asked what forum you should be in? Then you will recognize the word Lurk. Lurk and then dive in. Sometimes just maintaining a thread like this, others will drop by and suggest things. Good luck. sassy

    This is a link to a thread I started after being into BC for a year. Just Diagnosed - Get Prepared. They're suggestions regarding this phase that will help.

    https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/5/topic/748296?page=1

    This is a link for new  folks. lists the threads

    https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/131

    Link to the "Not diagnosed but Worried" forum

    https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/83


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  • MelissaDallas
    MelissaDallas Member Posts: 7,268
    edited August 2015

    Hi Trichick.Sorry you find yourself here. Come over to the "not diagnosed but worried" or "high risk for breast cancer" or ADH threads.

    I don't temember the actual odds on being upgraded on excisional biopsy from an ADH diagnosis to DCIS or invasive cancer, but you will find support on any of these threads. The waiting does suck

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  • sas-schatzi
    sas-schatzi Member Posts: 19,603
    edited August 2015

    Sleep stuff. Hope something helps. Some will apply, some won't, sassy

    May help with sleeplessness: circadian rhythm, melatonin--pub med evidence based research. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21476953 Agometaline is approved for use in Europe/Australia for insomnia. It is NOT approve in the USA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agomelatine

    How to naturally reset circadian rhythm with food : http://www.wisebread.com/how-to-naturally-reset-your-sleep-cycle-overnight

    Article connecting insomnia and depression. It's a chicken egg thing--insomnia <----->depression.

    http://blog.aarp.org/2013/12/02/is-curing-insomnia-key-to-curing-depression/?intcmp=AE-ENDART1-BL-REL

    Second Sleep---The NORMAL for humans before the light bulb http://slumberwise.com/science/your-ancestors-didnt-sleep-like-you/

    Autonomic dysfunction: http://www.holistichelp.net/dysautonomia-autonomic-nervous-system-dysfunction.html

    BCO Member Notself's three day plan: 1. Get doc script for sleep aid, at lowest dose. 2. Set sleep time. 3. Take pill 1/2 hr to 1 hr before set time. 4. Do this for three days; 5. Should sleep on fourth night.. 6. Repeat steps 1-5 if sleeplessness has lasted more than one night.

    Don'ts that are known to cause sleeplessness: Alcohol, coffee, chocolate, looking at computer screens before bedtime, sex and exersize(variable by person); Do's that promote sleep: Sex and exersize(variable by person) , book reading, foot massage, aromatherapy, sleepy teas. After dinner walk(variable).

    Slide show on Sleep disorders, problems and solutions: http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/ss

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  • Trichick1964
    Trichick1964 Member Posts: 43
    edited August 2015

    Thank you sas-schatzi for all your wonderful information. You are certainly a wealth of information :). I slept like a baby last night and feel so much better today. I have an email waiting for my gyn to ask about the surgeon. My gyn and PCP are both fantastic communicators and the healthcare system I'm in uses an online portal for info, so I actually see results and reports as soon as they are available. It certainly alleviates a lot of frustration and fear that way. The problem right now is both gyn and PCP are on vacation (of course, it's August after all). It was kind of rude of them to both leave at the same time. I'll share my feelings with them .. ha! I also look forward to meeting with the MO on Friday. Over all I feel better then how I felt yesterday after the surgeon appointment. I think it was a long week of anxiety and waiting followed by a less than stellar appointment and the let down from that.
    Again, i appreciate your feedback and I'll check out other forums as well


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  • Trichick1964
    Trichick1964 Member Posts: 43
    edited August 2015

    MelissaDallas...Thank you! Yes, I'll head over there. The waiting is the worst. I know that even if I was patient by nature the waiting for this would suck, but I"m not even patient by nature ;).

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited August 2015

    trickchick---the excisional biopsy is done after a finding of ADH to make sure nothing more serious is in there along with it (DCIS, LCIS, or invasive bc). Oncologists usually like to see you after the excisional biopsy is done, so they have an updated completed pathology report, so they know what they're dealing with. You could certainly keep this appt if you want, but they may want to see you again, when they have more information and know the whole picture.

    anne

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