Biopsies the week after Thanksgiving anyone?
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Hi everyone....I am SO sorry to have been absent for the last couple of days. “Big Brother” (aka my IT department at work) decided to shut down my access to our site because the word “breast” appears in the Internet address.......it took two days, and the threat of a lawsuit, to get it fixed!
I need to catch up on how everyone is doing, and I’ll be reading everything I’ve missed this evening. I’m just leaving my initial appointments at Sloan Kettering, and am feeling very confident that this is a better fit for me. They have some concerns about heart issues, so I am staying overnight in town and have more appointments tomorrow so they can clear me for surgery. If all is ok, I will have surgery on the 28th. And late on Monday I got b9 results for the Pagets! So now I am able to startmaking a plan to move forward.
I missed being in touch with all of you, and I was certainly thinking about you! More coming soon once I have caught up. But a special shout out to Boweser, since I did see your recent post....all these tests and unknowns are so hard. I’m sending you and your wife hugs and good thoughts.
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Browser, thinking of you and hoping for positive results.
I will be hanging around until all my concerns are addressed and I am confident that none of the lesions are cancer. Trying to see if I need further biopsies before my surgery on the 14 Feb. Not easy to make contact and get all the answers from a state facility in SA.
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Hi to all!
Just to remind you... I found my lump. Then had mammo, mammo, and us. I was sent to breast specialist. She did biopsy and I received b9 results on Thursday but was scheduled for follow up on Tuesday. So dr said that pathology was benign. She said I could leave it in and we could watch it or we could go ahead and remove it. I do have a family history of bc. So I am having the lump as well as the enlarged duct removed on the 29th. I will just feel better knowing for sure.
For those that are already starting your treatment plans...hugs and prayers. Bowser - please know we are praying for clear scans.
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good for you jdr! I probably would do the same in your shoes...just take it out. Will be sending warm thoughts on the 29th for you. I'm sure your surgery will go well and you well get some piece of mind
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Hi again! Still thinking of everyone here... I wish all of you well this hump day.
I emailed my dr to see if my biopsy results were in and the nurse emailed back saying it could take up to 2 weeks to finalize. Sigh... thought I would have them today. We leave for a vacation to ny this evening. Oh well. More time in “the waiting room”.
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So saw the Onc this morning as well as genetic counselor and my breast surgeon again. I have echo o Monday, PET scan Thursday, port placement on Friday and chemo starts the 29th. So I'm back in the waiting room a little bit keeping my fingers crossed for a negative PET scan. Also did genetic testing today so I know what to do with my daughters. Since I'm adopted, I have no history.....I am their history.
Thinking of you all
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Pharmgirl - even if something 'lits up' on the PET do not jump to conclusions. PET is very sensitive to any sort of inflammation, not just cancer. My PET 'lit up' on an area along my right lower jaw. So had the area biopsied that afternoon (path. report next morn) - nothing there.
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good to know. Thanks kicks!
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Quick question if you don’t mind... how many working days did it take to get your biopsy results
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I had my biopsy done on a Wednesday. Monday my family doctor called with preliminary results but the biopsy had been sent to TN for second opinion. I got the final results on Wednesday and met with breast surgeon Thursday who technically gave me the ibc diagnosis
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For me, I had biopsies in the afternoon on Thursday. The Radiologist who did the biopsies called me at 8 the next morning (Fri) with the path. report - as expected IBC.
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good morning my waiting room family! First let me tell you that I’m really glad we are sticking together even as some of us have moved from the biopsy / waiting stage and on into the treatment (and still more waiting) stage. I feel so much less alone knowing that you are all out here in various stages of this same journey with me!
Sounds like the week after Christmas is going to be a busy one for a lot of us. After lots of testing and consultation yesterday, I got cleared for my initial surgery on the 28th. The dox insisted it be in two steps to keep my time under anesthesia limited. Since that was my surgeon’s preference anyway, all good with that plan. Jdgr is having her surgery on the 29th and Pharma starts chemo on the 29th. Bowser, I am sure that will be a busy week for you guys too. So let’s all start gathering those positive thoughts for the last week of the year!
Jdrgr- I agree with others. Surgery will give you peace of mind. Since it is b9 I assume you won’t have to do any lymph node testing. If that’s the case, then other ladies have said that the surgery and the recovery are pretty quick. That’s what I’ll be hoping for for you.
Moo moo- two weeks sounds outrageously long to me! I had my biopsies on a Tuesday and got full results (including ER/PR/HER2 info) on Friday. Others have reported that getting those hormone test results took longer, but the basic path report came more quickly. I guess all you can do is keep calling and complaining, and maybe make sure they know that you want initial results even if hormone results take longer. I am so sorry you have a long wait.
Breast intentions- glad your results were b9 and February will be here before you know it for your surgery. But keep asking questions to get comfort about the other things that you’re worried about. We’re here for you.
NSwrites- congrats for getting a lower BIRADS score (don’t know that I’ve read about anyone going backwards, so that’s great news). For your other symptoms, maybe you can try to get a second opinion? I’m living proof (for totally different reasons) that different docs listen to you differently and offer you different options and support. So if it is possible, think about talking to another dr.
Miss- when are you expecting your results? I hear you about the bleeding...it took 3 days for my punch biopsy (different than the one you had) to stop bleeding. My core needle biopsies bled for about 2 days. But now a couple of weeks out I’m no longer “Bloody Mary” and all is ok with the multiple incision sites.
Beachside, how did things go on Tuesday? Hope they keep their word and you were a VIP! When do you expect results?
Pharmgirl- we’ll be together during that last week of the month. Ending this stressful year and getting ready to go forward into the new one, which will also be stressful, but which we can be prepared for, so we can fight this crappy enemy.
Bowser - when is the liver biopsy scheduled for and how long do they think that results will take? You guys sooooo deserve to be out of the “waiting room” and fully into the stage of planning treatments. Nothing any of us can say will make this easy, for either of you. But we can see from all that you share with us that you are so much stronger than you know! Part of being strong, in my opinion, is your ability to admit to your fears and to know that it’s ok to be angry and to cry and to think that none of this is fair, for you or for your wife. I know that for the first time I started feeling a little better yesterday, as finally some plans were getting made. I truly hope that as you get more info, even if it is bad info, that you will also get some relief and some ability to look forward instead of sitting in this worry pit. Keep us in the loop. We’re all sending you both hugs and good thoughts.
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went for biopsy today after weeks of waiting got in the table got compressed radiologist said that while birad4 suspicions amorphous and punctuate cluster was easy seen on diagnostic he could not see it well enough to get a biopsy on this machine so he put me in a 6 months for two years surveillance
At this point after 2 months of worry and research I am going to be confident that I am b9 and not worry for two years I will follow through but cannot be in place I have been last two months for a full two years
I want to wish everyone the best in their treatment plans
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Our liver biopsy is tomorrow morning, they say it'll take about a week or so to get results. I'm encouraged by the earlier post that PET scans are very sensitive. If the liver comes back OK then it's "just" Stage 3 cancer with HER-2 positive. We can handle that!
PharmGirl, we're heading down a similar path, it's just that our Pet scan's already done. We're having the EKG next week and start chemo on Dec 21. They tell me it'll be about a 7 hour treatment since it's our first time. I'm guessing you're going on Herceptin also since they want the EKG to make sure your heart is healthy for it.
DagnyT, thank you for your kind words. Sending support your way on your upcoming procedure. I may have missed it, but you're then doing chemo after your surgery?
Think of where we all were about two weeks ago: worried and wondering. I think a lot of us here are still in that phase, yet we made it through the last couple of weeks and we can get through these next few weeks too!
And once we're through those few weeks, we'll hopefully have more answers and be ready to fight.
Finally, we get to push back and fight.
Prayers to everyone on this board. We can do this.
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Good morning all. Fridays used to be something I looked forward to, but now I'm finding that the weekends are harder that the work days. Too much time to think and worry and wonder....and of course, for anyone actively waiting for results, knowing that you won't hear anything during a weekend stinks. So Bowser and others still waiting for results, I'm sending you good thoughts and hope that you can find some distracting things to occupy yourselves this weekend. I know that I will have another weekend of waiting after my lx on 12/28, waiting for the final path reports to come back. So I'll still be with you all in the waiting room at least one more go-round!
Bowser, I'll be thinking of you and your wife this morning for the liver biopsy. I know that I'm starting to feel like a pincushion! Hang in there. It sounds like this last test may give you some concrete info so you can make a plan. That is what i will be hoping for. You're absolutely right....think about all that we know now, and the different people we are from 3 weeks ago. Stronger, more scared, but smarter and motivated to get through this. We will all be looking back next Thanksgiving with a different sense of gratitude after all that we will have been through. We will definitely have a reunion post-a-thon next Thanksgiving!
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Hi All!! I'm back! Sorry I was away for the week, it's been crazy with the biopsies on Tuesday, and then it didn't go as smoothly as I'd hoped so today is the first day I've really felt like typing much!
DagnyT, thanks for checking in, it means a lot!
So when I checked in for the biopsy they sure did treat me like a VIP, they had a card waiting with a Starbucks gift card! It made me feel great. They had a slight paperwork mix up and only had one biopsy down for the procedure but I quickly made sure that was supposed to be two. They fixed it right away and I got back fairly quickly. The MRI-guided biopsy.. Not fun. I underestimated how much not fun it would be. They put the guide in the wrong place and had to start over in one spot, and then with going in and out of the machine nine thousand times I was on my face and sternum for almost three hours. One of the numbing shots went right through the other side of my breast.
So I have four holes. I wouldn't stop bleeding, so from the time I got there to the time I got to leave was almost five hours. But through it all the people were PHENOMENAL. I can't complain. And they called me the next day with my results, I think it was close to noon... Benign. BENIGN!! One area is duct ectasia and fibrocystic changes, the other area, the 2:00 area is duct hyperplasia, adenosis, and proliferative fibrocystic changes. They put me on a six month MRI schedule due to the fact that the hyperplasia was borderline ADH and I also have an area on the left side that wasn't biopsied that looks on MRI very similar to the area on the right, so there's a possibility that it is the same thing. But I couldn't be more relieved. Cancer free and on a strict imaging and biopsy plan, I don't think anything is going to slip by. Had it just been normal tissue, they would have just sent me home, with no plans to come back for follow up, so this is really the best thing that could have happened to me. I am ready to just move forward now, and get on with my life. I know that it may be a long road, with biopsies, and many, many times of waiting and fear, but right now, I'm going to enjoy this day.
I hope that everyone else is doing ok. I have been thinking about every one of you, and hoping that every day brings some joy! Lots of love and wishes for healing and peace!
Crystal.
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rad 5 mammogram and ultrasound highly suggestive of malignancy. Waiting for my biopsy 12/19. My annual mammogram was one year to the week but have a 3.7 mass. My mom had a mammogram the day before (20 year bc survivor) and didn't know I had one the next dAy. She thought to herself how bad it would be for someone with bad news around holidays
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Crystal....so glad to hear the good news! And that they will be monitoring you closely is even better. Congratulations! We will always be here should you ever need us, although I hope you will not. Best wishes and warm hugs to you.
Kat, the waiting is the hardest part it seems. Its scary and nerve wracking. Good luck with your biopsy on the 19th and we will be here with you every step of the way. Hugs to you
Bowser, how did biopsy go? How's your wife doing? How are YOU doing? Yes we seem to be about a week or two apart on our journey. I'm so glad you are with us all. You are really helping me to see what my husband must be going through. Sending you and your wife warm hugs.
Have a good weekend everyone. Try not to let the "what ifs" rent space in your head. Hugs and warm thoughts
Stacey
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hi everybody. I’m planning for a better weekend than last weekend, since no waiting for test results during this one for me
For those who are still waiting for results over this weekend- moo moo, miss, bowser...hang in there. It feels like next week can’t get here fast enough. Like pharmgirl said, don’t let bad thoughts “rent space” in your brain. Put up some “no vacancies” signs if you can!
Crystal, woo hoo for you!!! It sucks that it took so many unpleasant steps to get to this excellent result. But b9 and watchful follow ups is a great prognosis. I hope you don’t find yourself in the waiting room again any time soon. But if you do, you will be stronger from this most recent experience and you know that you will find support on these boards.
Sahicks, I think yours was good news? Watch and wait? But are you feeling better or still stressed out? We’re here for you if you still need support.
Welcome Kat - do you know if it’s likely that you’ll get results before the end of next week after your Tuesday biopsy? I had mine on a Tuesday and got results on Friday ...but it sounds like I was a little faster than some others. Make sure to ask your dr about timing. And if it looks like you’ll have to wait through the weekend, come hang out here with us....we’ve all had those weekends of waiting that stink. And I’ll be sending you good luck for Tuesday. What kind of biopsy are you having?
Pharmgirl - I’ll be putting up “no room at the inn” signs in my over busy brain! What a great metaphor and visual image to keep bad thoughts away. Thank you!
Bowser- I hope the biopsy went well yesterday. I have always been a whimp when it came to doctors and needles (other than the dentist, weird huh?), and pretty private when it came to my body, and my breasts in particular. And I am amazed at the amount of desensitizing that I’m experiencing (for better or worse) though all these doctors and procedures. Yesterday I had to go to the dermatologist because what they originally thought might be Pagets cancer came back as just bad eczema. But the affected areas are right where they will be performing my surgery...so the surgeon said to try and get it cleared up so I have the best chance of clean scars and good healing. So, I go into this dermatologist’s office and explain the situation and she says ok, let’s take a look. Well, then she puts this big headset on, kind of looked like a scuba mask with headlights, and shoved her face right into my girls until her nose was literally almost touching my skin! And then she poked and lifted and looked around. Now, a month ago I would have felt like dying from embarrassment over this. Instead I found myself looking at the top of her head and noticing that her grey roots were showing and she needed to visit her hair stylist! Amazing how things can change! I’ll be sending you and your wife strong thoughts for another weekend of waiting, and good juju for b9 results on the liver biopsy so that you can move forward with a clear plan.
Hugs to everybody
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LOL!! Dagney, that is hysterical about the doctors grey roots.....it also shows some great progress for you. I hope when she was done snorkeling you said "ya know I have a great beautician who would really do great with your roots". I'm sorry, but that was just too funny. We gotta laugh when we can.
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thanks pharmgirl. Snorkeling is the perfect image! I wasn’t fast enough on my feet to give her a witty response, but that would have been perfect
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Dagny, your story about the roots is the perfect metaphor to show how quickly our perspectives have changed so quickly. Humor is essential. I've cried more in the last 2 weeks than ever in my life, and yet we've laughed so much. It's hard to describe, but humor is so important. My wife has decided that she wants to be a blond for a while. She's about to have her chance, and why not?
Katlover: Hang in there. PharmGirl is right: Waiting is so difficult, and yes, the holidays seem to make that more difficult. But look at our experiences and you'll see that it does get better. As a spouse, I was paralyzed earlier, and our news hasn't been good, but we're both better now, because we know we're about to FINALLY have our change to fight back. If you get unfortunate news, your time to fight will be here too, and you absolutely can do it, and we'll be here to support you.
The liver biopsy didn't happen. When he finally found the spot of concern he said he can't get to it "safely" without open surgery. So we won't be getting those answers for a while. However, it's very small, and it took several different attempts just to see it, and said it's not well defined. I'm taking that as kind of good news, but I don't know how the oncologist will take it. Either way, I don't like the idea of open surgery when we're about to start chemo, hopefully we won't go that route.
Her port surgery went well yesterday. She's a little sore, but she asked me to take her to see Star Wars last night so that was fun! She's more sore today, but resting comfortably.
We're both doing better now. For a week I kept waking up from dreams of her crying and vomiting and sick to her stomach, fearing that was coming with chemo. No spouse wants to see their loved one suffer like that, it's so disturbing. But those dreams have now finally stopped, and we're both very encouraged that treatments for sickness and nausea have come such a long way. We know three people who have been through chemo recently, and nausea wasn't a big issue for any of them. How things have improved!
I'm in a MUCH better place now, and she's so ready to fight now!
I'm rejoicing with those who have had good results here, and sharing many of your posts with my wife to encourage her. Dagny and Pharmgirl, We will have so much to celebrate this time next year, and I NEVER want to take that for granted!
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Hello everyone! Thanks for checking in DagnyT. Bowser and pharmgirl69 hope that the treatments go well for your wife/ you. I heard from my doctor that no cancer cells were found in my biopsy. I didn’t get any other info because she emailed me while we were on vacation so I will try to talk to her tomorrow for more details. I just want to say how much I appreciate you all and how great this forum is. I wish you all well.
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great news moo! Congratulations and happy for your b9 results. Best wishes to.you and hopefully you will never need us but if you find yourself in the waiting room again we will be right here with you.
Hugs
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hi everyone,
Remember that post I put up a while ago about being grateful for my lovely hot shower in the morning? Well guess how my day started yesterday......watermain break, no water on our whole street. And of course I was packing to leave right from work to come down to NYC to meet with my radiation oncologist. So leaving a house that had unflushed toilet, wet clothes in the washer and dirty dishes in the sink when I would be gone for two days (not to mention going to work without a shower) ....very low on my list! But here I am in NYC in a hotel and I am reminding myself, again, of the luxury of running water and a hot shower. Trying to start the day feeling grateful about something, no matter how small.
Pharmgirl girl - I think this is a week of lots of stuff for you? PET scan and port at the end of the week (I hope I didn’t get my weeks mixed up and you went through that last week without a shout out from me!). Let us know how things go. Remember what others have said about PET scans lighting up for benign things and take some comfort from the fact that Bowers’s wife got through her port placement and wanted to go to the movies afterwards! May your experiences be similarly manageable.
Katlover and miss....did you get results yet? Keep us in the loop.
Moo moo- yippee!! For your b9 results. We are all happy for you and glad that you hung out with us while you were waitiing. As pharmgirl said, may you not need us again...but we’ll be here if you do.
Bowser - I would also be glad that the dr doesn’t want to do surgery to get to that liver spot. Adding recovery from surgery on top of everything else would just be one more thing to handle....and your plate is pretty full already. but, if they change that decision, I am sure that you will have the fortitude as a team to handle it. I am repeatedly uplifted when I read your posts, and I can hear the drive and positivity and the fight in you. I am amazed that your wife wanted to go to the movies after her port placement! She has the same kind of grit and positive attitude that you do. Fantastic! I think that your first chemo day is Thursday? I’m sure it will be scary because of all the “firsts” / “unknowns”. I’ll be sending you good thoughts on that day.
Ok, I’ve got to get ready for my appt. I’ll be thinking of all of you. And if I missed anyone who has jumped into our thread, please speak up and say hi again! When I’m working on a remote device it can be hard to go back pages to make sure that I didn’t miss anyone
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I want to cry.....so last week got turned away by radiologist with a watch and wait for two years type thing.... today got a call from Gyno who ordered mammo she is not comfortable with watch and wait on a Birad 4 so here I start all over again with waiting once again she is sending a referral to a breast specialist who will get more views and and decide if I am Birad 4 if so get a biopsy then waiting in appointment then waiting on results...... I really was worry free last week and focusing on husband who has a failed knee replacement that was only done 12 months ago and needs revision I was feeling stronger I need to be jere for him and Be” well ugggg
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sahicks....I'm so sorry that you are going through this. The waiting is so hard and torturous. However, I am glad that your gyno is advocating for you. It sounds like you are in excellent hands with her. We will be hear with you when you want to scream and cry. And we will be here to celebrate too. Hang in there, try to stay away from Dr. Google, try to distract yourself with the holidays.
Big warm hugs to you. Keep us updated
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thanks so much Pharmgirl69 radiologist said he could not get a good biopsy because calcs were faint gyno said specialist may then do a surgical biopsy I do not have appointment yet with breast surgeon I hope you are doing okay I stepped away for a week and need to catch up on everyone’s updates
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so sorry you are going through this sahicks. Hang in there andd keep us posted. Keep advocating for yourself
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thanks DagnyT I got a call today and my gyno is referring me to a breast surgeon who is also an oncologist should be getting appt cal by Friday I looked up the Dr and she is one of the top in her field in our area so feel I am and will be in good hands just feel I will for sure be doing a lot more waiting I have cleaned closets and drawers lol poured candles I have been waiting since nov2 and I am sure it will be Jan before I find out thanks y’all for listening and I am keeping up on everyone how are you feeling DagnyT with all your news
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