Waiting...

Hello Gemma,

I am in a similiar situation like you. I actually have a long story.For the past 6 months, I have been under huge stress, really stressful conditions from work. I have had absolutely zero exercise. I have just been on the computer studying and at my work place for >18 hrs a day. On top of that I have fibrocystic breasts. Just this month had been more stressful than the past 6 months as I had some real traitors at work , who hurt me knowingly and fooled me. I have just been getting daily shocking news at work , i had a needle stick injury and had to rush to the ER , etc etc etc. I have been heavily stressed. To add to things, on my last menstrual cycle, I had some breast soreness a couple of days before my cycle. Then on my second day of cycle, while writing an article on the computer, my hand slipped on my breasts and I found a line like lump in my left breast running across my left breast. I PANICKED !!! I did not think. I had not seen my gynecologist for over 3 years and not done any mammogram,pap smears etc for the past 3 years due to problems at work and no time at all. I did not think and immediately called radiology services at a hospital nearby and scheduled a mammogram.When I reached the office for my mammogram which was a few days after my cycle, AND ALSO by then , thank GOD, touchwood the lump had disappeared,but i went in for a mammogram anyways. They asked me if i wanted a 3D mammogram which would cost only $ 50 more and i casually said "Ya why not??" And i did it. My troubles have not ended after that. I wish I had not asked for a 3 D mammogram as sometimes it finds things that are not abnormalities usually and leads to unnecessary additional imagings and so here I was called for a diagnostic mammogram. My gynecologist gave a consent to that even though I was not seen by her YET.So nobody had done a breast exam on me yet and i have already had second imagings, ultrasound and a spot compression. Now , I have been asked to come in for a left breast sterotactic biopsy,a right breast core needle biopsy and a metal will be placed inside to mark the area and I will have a repeat mammogram on the same breast immediately after the procedure. My gynecologist says it is out of her hands now and it is entirely upto the surgeon who does the biopsy as he has found some suspicious cluster, punctuate and amorphous microcalcifications in my left breast and a 1.5 cm, non shadowing,indeterminate mass in my right breast and biopsy is the only next step that can be done. I am all confused now, i feel i shouldn't have jumped into all this as as i later read that some lumps can occur in women around the time of theri cycle. I am so confused .Also, I have learnt from the crazy web browsings that I have been doing recently, that a 3D mammogram has some cons that it goes too much in detail and sometimes things that would be normal are brought up as being suspicious .It leads to un necessary additional imagings, biopsies etc. I am already hurting and have a burning sensation from the second repeat mammogram and spot compressions. I can't think of how hard biopsies on both breast at the same time will be.The surgeon who will do this is extremey busy and so he has scheduled all this in one day. I wonder how much i will hurt after the core needle biopsy as i have heard sometimes it leads to soreness for days after the biopsy , there is risk of bleeding etc. I am so scared , wonder if I should not get anything done at all and get a second opinion

Dear Gemma:

I am sorry for your news but good luck with your tx.  At least you were diagnosed early.  I am sending you hugs.

Dear Bina:

The 3D mammogram is the only way to go for me. 

What you are going through is extemely scary and stressful.  Good luck with your results. 

In my experience, core needle biopsies are not that bad.  I just had an ultrasound guided core needle biopsy on Monday and I feel fine.  I have had many biopsies in my life and I have always done well with the recovery. I hope that you will feel fine too.  Just so you know, 80% of the time, suspicious areas are benign. The waiting and not knowing is the worst part of the entire ordeal.   I am praying for a benign finding on your pathology report.  Good luck.