Dr found a lump and now tests needed

Britty · July 2017

Well, I went for my annual exam on Friday - mainly as a check up for something else I'm dealing with. Went in expecting to just talk about my medicine and the side effects I've been having.... But when she did my breast exam she told me she found a hard lump. She checked everything a couple more times and then confirmed she really did feel a "small hard lump" just on my right side. She had me try to feel but I was totally in shock and just kind of brushed it all off. She said she'd refer me to get an ultrasound and mammogram at a diagnostic and testing center. She asked if I had any BC that ran in my family and I told her that my paternal grandmother and two paternal aunt's had it. That was all I knew.

I told my husband when I got home and tried to brush it off as nothing but he got extremely worried immediately. He's not even the worrying type over anything, but his mother passed away when he was a kid, from bc. Seeing him worry didn't help me much.. I was determined to just stay calm before that.

So I told my mom, mainly just for advice. That's when she told me that her mother and also her aunt had bc as well (and one of them died from it). I had no idea. She also told me she had a lump or two when she was younger that she still has and they turned out to be nothing. But she also had me starting to worry because she said hers weren't hard and only to worry if it's hard...

Sorry I'm rambling.

Anyways, I keep telling myself to stay calm; chances are that it's nothing. But then when I have a quiet moment I completely start panicking. I'm trying to stay off Google, so I wanted to come here and talk it out I guess.

I've been talking it out with my husband but we're also trying to not talk about it either.

I have called to set up my appointment multiple times but they're closed until Monday. The message even says that but I still keep calling as if someone would happen to be there. I just want to get this over with. I'm so scared.

Oh, I'm also 32 years old; no issues with this before at all. Never had a mammogram, though I tried to get one when I was around 25 but was refused because I was too young. (Only wanted one just for peace of mind; didn't have any reason)

Anyways, thanks for reading.

gb2115 · July 2017

Sorry you have found yourself here. My lump was found the same way...doc found it during an annual exam last year at age 38. Your first step is getting the imaging done. One step at a time...it will feel very slow and waiting for results is hard. Try to stay busy if that helps. And Google is not your friend... I Google a lot too and it really doesn't help! You will just scare yourself with worst case scenarios. If this ends up being your worst case scenario, you will get through it!

Please keep us updated.

Britty · July 2017

thank you for the reply gb! I have definitely been trying to stay busy with cleaning, shopping, etc. Anything.

Well, here are some updates...

I called Monday to schedule my mammogram and ultrasound and the earliest I could get in was July 13th.

I had some neck and back pain come back, which I've had off and on for a little over a month. I didn't think too much of it, until I start mulling over everything Monday...

I've had this extreme itch down my spine for a month as well. (That was the main reason for my appointment with my midwife last week). I thought it was a side effect of the new medication I was taking so I stopped taking it last week. Well, the extreme itch (and sunburn feeling) is still present so I called my general practitioner to be seen. I told them everything from the recently found mass, to the itch and back pain. They got me in this morning to be seen.

At first he was brushing it all off. He said it's probably nothing, probably a cyst or fibroadenoma. I told him about my itch that's still persistent and he said it definitely wouldn't be related to the recently medication I was taking because that's out of my system. He checked out my skin, etc but said he doesn't know how the itch, pain, and mass would be related. He was going to send me on my way but I told him I wanted him to check the mass out (he's also an OB). He felt and said it's much larger than he imagined; it's 3 cm. He had his receptionist call to all the local diagnostic places and they were able to get my in tomorrow morning. So, now my ultrasound and mammogram are scheduled for tomorrow morning at 8:15.

I updated my mom and she and my older sister are on their way up to me. (My family lives 8 hours away).

I'm freaking out. I'm trying to stay positive and tell myself it's absolutely nothing, but I'm really scared. I shouldn't have, but I googled the spine itch and back pain in relation to the mass and of course it wasn't great.

But whatever it is, I'm just glad to get this appointment out of the way and done with tomorrow.

mommakat · July 2017

Thank God you were persistent and able to get it scheduled early. Knowing has to be better than not knowing. Good luck. I'm only waiting for my results so have no insights to offer other than waiting and worry sux!

keepthefaith · July 2017

britty, good for you for being persistent! It is hard not to go to those dark places, but try to stay calm and breathe! You are headed in the right direction in getting answers. Don't forget to get your imaging reports as you go. Praying for good results for you.

gb2115 · July 2017

That's great that you don't have long to wait for the appointment...I think waiting for these things makes everything so much harder. Is the place you're going to the kind that gives you same day results while you are there? Mine did that, and it was good to not have to wait.

Britty · July 2017

Thank you all for the replies.

Yes, to my knowledge, the place I'm going to is a place where I'll get results immediately. (Well, whatever results they'll have of course) My doctor said they can also do immediate biopsies if needed (I'm assuming the results on that would take time though?).

gb2115 · July 2017

Yeah, I've heard up to a week, but I experienced really fast turnaround time on my biopsy. I had the biopsy at 3 pm on a Wednesday, and I knew it was cancer by lunchtime the next day. I don't think that's the norm though.

LisaAlissa · July 2017

Be sure to ask for copies of the imaging reports, any actual procedure reports, as well as any pathology reports (if there is a biopsy). You're entitled to have copies of all of them. And ask them when each of them will be available, and from whom.

That way you won't be imaging things while you're waiting, and you'll know to chase any missing reports if they aren't where they told you they'd be when they told you they'd be there.

Each facility and doc has their own procedure. For instance, I had one doc who would never give you pathology results (positive or negative) over the phone. He wanted you in his office so that he could discuss the limits of the results, as well as any follow up either way. If your doc is that way, and if you know that in advance, you won't be imagine the worst simply because they want you to see your doc.

Hoping for B9 results for you!

LisaAlissa

MTwoman · July 2017

how'd it go Britty?

Dr found a lump and now tests needed

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