Highly suspicious of malignancy

tell your family when you feel ready. Take the time you need to process the information given. No one wants this shut in their bodies,but take the time to choose your treatment logically and not emotionally. Lots of sisters her to help or vent to. Be gentle with yourself. You are not alone.

Nicole, I'm very sorry for the news. I've been checking in to see how you were doing.

SunnyDee I am thinking of you, too.

WayTooAnxious, thank you for the advice you shared.

Well, I've been trying to stay calm since what seems like forever ago, but in reality was only ten days ago on June 12 that I had my call back mammo views and ultrasound findings that launched me into this process. In just a few hours today I will meet the breast surgeon for the first time to see if she agrees with the radiologist's recommendation of a stereotactic biopsy, and if she does it will likely be done on Tuesday, the 26th.

I have kept myself very busy to distract myself, shoving as many appointments as I could into these last ten days to help clear my schedule (either for the coming treatments if needed, or a well deserved rest if things are B9). I also continued going to PT for my back and upper body strengthening, which has helped keep me calm - truly without the PT exercises to expend my energy, I would be an anxious mess and getting no sleep these last ten days. PT takes all the anxious wind right out of my sails.

In a way, after the first couple days of panic, once I decided on which surgeon to consult, I have felt oddly calm and very detached, which makes me wonder if that is very good or very very bad.. not quite autopilot, not quite denial, more like compartmentalized with a touch of pissed off and determined. Even though my husband will be driving me today and sit by my side, the men can't understand really, not the way a woman can, especially one who is going through it or one who has survived it... I will feel like I have all of you and those who have gone ahead of us sitting beside me as well, giving me strength and courage to hear what ever the surgeon has to say. Thank you all.

Somanyquestions - Sending prayers your way. Good luck with everything and we are always here for you.

Nicole - I hope you get some rest this weekend. Sending you hugs.

Hi, Nicole. Sorry to meet you here, but at least you've got us to support you in this f-Ing journey none of us volunteered for. I was diagnosed in March 26. Diagnostic mammogram was done to check on a suspicious lump in my right breast, then immediate US. Then the radiologist showed up and said that my OB ok'd a biopsy. 10 min later he called me to his office and said he is pretty sure it's cancer. I met with a breast surgeon 2 days later.

From that point on everything went downhill. The pathologists couldn't determine the receptors. Breast surgeon insisted on a neiadjuvant chemo just in case. I went to see another breast surgeon, a wonderful lady, who said, let's cut it out first and see whether you really need chemo, but when she received the slides with the tissue, there was no cancer in them. So, they made me do another biopsy, because they couldn't do BMX without the proof of malignancy. Of course, that biopsy came back positive, and I finally had my receptors.

Meanwhile, I got a call from the company that was supposed to do my genetic tests 3 weeks after the blood draw, and they told me they cannot proceed with the test until I had a consultation with their own doctor to determine whether it's needed. I almost flipped at that point. Did the stupid consultation and waited another 3 weeks for results. The waiting game was 6weeks long. I was on anti-anxiety meds all that time. My mornings started with me imagining my own death.

So, I know how you feel! Once you have a plan of action, though, you'll feel better, I swear. I am now post surgery and in the middle of chemo, and I already survived a wait for MRI results (2 days), surgical pathology results (2 weeks), bone scan, that showed 'focal uptake of dubious significance in the cranium' (3 days), and CAT scan, which showed nothing, thanks G-d (3 days). I totally agree that waiting is the worst part of this nightmare.

My advice: watch comedies and distract yourself as much as you can. Our fears are our worst enemies. And remember, we are here for you.

Hi Nicole,

Hope your feeling ok and not going mad with worry. I've been cancer free after my treatment in 2012. I had stage 3 grade 3 with many cancerous lymph nodes. Last week I went for a routine mammogram and got a letter saying I needed to do the next Stage for more tests.

somanyquest. How did your biopsy go? Hope you are well

Nicole, sorry to hear that, but you’ll push through. Do you know what kind of chemo regiment they are suggesting

I’m so glad you made it through! I hope the next few days pass quickly and the nurse calls

Hi all. SoMany and Nicole, we three seem to be about in the same place. I had my biopsy today. US needle core biopsy, doc took 8 samples of the lump and a lymph node! Left two clips, which the doc slipped and said were for the surgeon. Then added if the biopsy is malignant...

Nicole, you said you looked at the screen and that’s how you knew it was cancer-what specifically were you looking at? Everything I saw looked horrible and huge, so was wondering what you saw.

This sucks but it does feel a little better to hear there are others going thru same and those who have lived to tell their tales. Thanks for listening.