Getting Frustrated

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ShinyLife
ShinyLife Member Posts: 28
edited December 2018 in Waiting for Test Results

Been lurking for a couple weeks now, and figured I'd post. Have a family history of breast cancer and am awaiting genetic testing results. I've had mammograms, ultrasounds, and (negative) biopsies in the past. This time it seems to be different.

Had my first over-40 screening mammogram on November 12. Received call back on November 14 for ultrasound because mammogram found architectural distortion. Thought nothing of it because I had breast reduction surgery in 2011. (We have post-reduction mammogram films to compare against.) Had ultrasound day before Thanksgiving.

Because of the holiday, it took a little longer than normal to get the ultrasound results. Came back showing irregular hypoechoic lesion with eccentric shadowing. It's 12 mm at its largest point. Ultrasound-guided biopsy ordered.

Because of a coding issue, ran into issues getting insurance approvals, which delayed the biopsy. Had that eight days ago. Doc had the ultrasound tech quickly scan my axillary lymph node while they were getting everything set-up and didn't see anything of note. Got the results last Friday, came back as negative for malignancy. Hurray?

Then the call came yesterday. Radiologist doesn't like biopsy findings for some reasons unknown to me and wants MRI, so in the process of getting that scheduled now.

Biopsy report turned up in the online portal at about the same time. Says "fibroadipose tissue with blood clot." Good 'ole Dr. Google translates fibroadipose as "fatty" tissue. I'm certainly not a doctor, but that pathology finding seems to have absolutely no correlation to the imaging findings. Sounds like breast tissue minus the blood clot. So I think I'm back in the waiting-limbo.

Went back into the patient portal a few hours later, and the pathology report has been pulled. Thankfully I saved a copy for my own records before hand. Getting frustrated at how drawn out this is. It's been a month today since the mammogram. Anyone else had anything like this?

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  • MDRR
    MDRR Member Posts: 133
    edited December 2018

    yes and it can get frustrating when you just want and need answers! my initial mammogram was late november 2017, leading to a couple of biopsies and an MRI. That all took a couple of months; it just takes time for scheduling, testing, interpreting and communicating. Looking back I can see it was methodically step-by-step and not all that long, but it definitely feels like an eternity!

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  • ShinyLife
    ShinyLife Member Posts: 28
    edited December 2018

    Ick. Sounds like it took a while for you. Heard back from the doctor's office tonight. Radiologist wants an excisional biopsy in addition to the MRI. So at least that will hopefully settle things. I was afraid they wanted to get the MRI results first before deciding whether to do an excisional biopsy. At this rate, I may have my genetic testing results back before we know what we're dealing with mass-wise.

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited December 2018

    Hi ShinyLife-

    That does sound incredibly frustrating! But we're glad to hear you're at least moving forward, and hopefully you'll have some conclusive answers soon! Please keep us posted.

    The Mods

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  • Tchuts
    Tchuts Member Posts: 17
    edited December 2018

    I’m with you here. My dr told me last Friday that I need a biopsy and I’m still waiting for a call to book it. Waiting is horrible.

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  • ShinyLife
    ShinyLife Member Posts: 28
    edited December 2018

    Still don't have MRI scheduled yet, so doesn't look like that's getting done before Christmas, despite the ASAP order. Surgery consult is scheduled for Monday afternoon at least. The hospital is about 40 minutes away from where I live, so I've called ahead to have copies of all imaging and reports ready for us while we're in town. Figured might as well get those now because I had decided that if I am ultimately diagnosed with breast cancer, I want to go to the breast cancer clinic that's closer to home (and at a much larger hospital) than the hospital my current testing is being done at. Doesn't hurt that it's where my neighbor, who is a radiologist, recommends that I go there. Just done with the current hospital group I'm working with.

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  • ShinyLife
    ShinyLife Member Posts: 28
    edited December 2018

    And there was YET another coding error by my doctor's office, so still don't have the MRI scheduled. Beyond frustrated at losing five more days. Grr!

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  • JoE777
    JoE777 Member Posts: 628
    edited December 2018

    Maybe insurance i telling a little fib or not knowing it's own business. I had the same trouble. Not my doctor's fault. They really want the deductible, so stall until January 1

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  • ShinyLife
    ShinyLife Member Posts: 28
    edited December 2018

    My deductible is from October to October, so have to pay it twice this calendar year. Not a biggie though because we have a FSA and put more than enough in there. :-) Whatever it is, not liking this lack of transparency.

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  • ShinyLife
    ShinyLife Member Posts: 28
    edited December 2018

    After lots of going back and forth, finally had the MRI last Saturday. Wasn't a coding error, ended up being coming to a consensus on what to order. Guess the order changed multiple times, even changed to a MRI-guided biopsy at one point. Because I already agreed to the wire-guided excisional biopsy, ultimately settled on bilateral with and without contrast.

    Got the results back today. Didn't really add much other than the mass still needs to be taken out and biopsy clip is next to (as opposed to in) the mass. To me, that again suggests that the mass may have been missed during the ultrasound biopsy.

    Heading to warmer weather starting Monday and am going to make the best of my vacation. Can return to reality in the New Year and the excisional biopsy.

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