How would you rather receive your results?

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FarAwayToo
FarAwayToo Member Posts: 255
edited September 2017 in Waiting for Test Results

I'm waiting for results on my Core Needle Biopsy. It was done Monday and my hospital states "2-4 days" until receiving the results. Supposedly, the results will be sent to my referring physician, which, in my case, was a Nurse Practitioner at my OBGYN practice. While I don't have any reason to doubt that she will deliver the news as soon as she has it, I don't have any connection with her. I usually see another doctor in the office, and being otherwise healthy and not planning any more children (I'm 40 and have two teenagers), I only go once a year for my PAP and exam. Of course, when I found my lump, the doctor was booked weeks out, so I had to go for the first available provider, and that was this NP. I liked her a lot, but still - I don't know her.

My OBGYN office is a bit disorganized. I called this morning and asked if they received results of my breast biopsy. "I'm sorry, you are looking for results of your breast exam?" "NO! I had a biopsy for a suspicious mass. My results should be sent to NP. Can you tell me if they were received?" "Oh, I will have to leave this message with the nurse" Ugh.

While I was waiting for my biopsy (which was scheduled more than 2 weeks after my diagnostic mamo and US), I found a surgeon who I want to remove my lump, even if it is completely benign (radiologist told me it is likely a fibroadenoma). Surgeon said it did look benign based on shape, but it is hypervascular, which worries him a bit. Anyway, we are waiting for biopsy results regardless. At the breast imaging center where my biopsy was done, I added surgeon's name to the list of physicians receiving my results, but I'm not sure they did it. So, I called the imaging department and left a message asking them to confirm they did add his name and he will receive my results. I'd rather talk to his office than my OBGYN.

Which brings me to my original question: would you rather get a call from whomever as soon as your results are in, or have a follow up appointment scheduled where results are shared with you? I'm very much in the second camp. At least I won't jump to the ceiling when one of my charity calls me about contributions (this happened yesterday). They are in luck, because I immediately agreed to up my contributions. Yay for clean water!

I'm a very anxious person, and with this lump I, for the first time, broke down and asked my doctor for something to help with anxiety. Yesterday, I was waiting/hoping to get a call with results, and every phone call sent me into a horrible adrenaline rush (see above). Of course, no results for me yesterday. Today I decided to take my small dose lorazepam in the morning, to help with shakes a bit. I still don't know if I will get my results today, but at least I called and asked them to check for them. The pill is helping quite a bit so far.


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  • gb2115
    gb2115 Member Posts: 1,894
    edited August 2017

    If it were me, I'd prefer a scheduled follow-up visit. I don't know...I found out my results via phone the day after the biopsy...the radiologist who did the test called me with results. I appreciated the quick turnaround time, but waiting for the phone to ring was difficult to deal with. It's hard.


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  • FarAwayToo
    FarAwayToo Member Posts: 255
    edited August 2017

    GB, did they tell you in advance when they were going to call you? "2-4 days" is a pretty wide range, and it's bugging me. Of course, I'm sitting here thinking: "is it a good thing it takes longer? Does bad news travel fast? Or is my case co complex they are getting multiple pathologists on it?"

    On a side note, I went through a scare with my older son once. He had an MRI for what his ophthalmologist thought might have been a brain tumor. He had enlarged optic nerve and was 16. I don't know how I survived from Monday when doctor suggested the MRI and Thursday, which was the first available time. The MRI was at 9 am and at 1:00 pm ophthalmologist was calling me. I about fainted, because I was convinced that there couldn't be any good news that fast. Surely, the doctor has other things to do than deliver "all clear" during the day. Turned out, the MRI was normal and my boy is just special :) So, going by how soon you get results is also not very reliable way to tell if they will be good or bad.

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  • Mojojennijo
    Mojojennijo Member Posts: 173
    edited September 2017

    I had a biopsy on Thursday last week and was told that they would have results Monday or Tuesday at the latest. I asked to have the results forwarded to my pcp and surgeon. The surgeon called me Tuesday with results (I preferred a call instead of waiting to come in so I could digest it and have my questions ready). My pcp called me Wednesday with results. Anyways both of those drs prepared me for what was likely to be found (I was a birads 5) so it really wasn't a surprise.

    However I was on vacation this week so I felt like I had my phone glued to my hand all of Monday and Tuesday cause I didn't get a call till Tuesday at the end of the day. I didn't answer the call when my pcp called cause I went back to enjoying my vacation. I just called him back later and left him a message that I already knew.

    So in the end, I was prepared for the results I got ahead of time, so for me a call was best. I'll go in Tuesday to see the surgeon and get the rest of my report as they only had preliminary when they called.

    Waiting is hard! Hang in there! Hoping for benign results for you!

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  • Rrobin0200
    Rrobin0200 Member Posts: 433
    edited September 2017

    waiting is torture. I swear, they need to invent something that gives a positive or a negative resultASAP. I received a call from the nurse practitioner, but I asked her to phone me when the results were in. I had to know, asap. I wanted to prepare myself prior to the appointment.

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  • Kicks
    Kicks Member Posts: 4,131
    edited September 2017

    It needs to be remembered that not all BC is the same.

    For me, my biopsies were done on Thurs afternoon and at 8 the next morning (Fri) the Radiologist who had done them called me with the path. report. It was as we had discussed expected - IBC. For some, time is more critical than for others .

    I usually get the path. reports on my possible BCC and SCC biopsies in about a week. (Skin cancers that have no relationship to IBC.)

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  • Susug
    Susug Member Posts: 193
    edited September 2017

    It's crazy how we have to wait on our results no matter how hard we try to put in the back of our mind it won't go way. When my twin went in for a mamo they immediately did a mammogram then a sonogram then a needle biopsy all in the same day Some states ( larger one ) do it all under one roof the same day. The first time I was very anxious. But 2 years later I was not in a hurry to find out I had a new primary in the other breast. My next mamo is next month. Will se how it goes. If it's not good I will have a double mx but now my breast have both been radiated ugg hope all goes well. Hugs to all susu

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