My anxiety and hello
First off, I’m a guy and I felt gut punched when I was told that the mass I’ve got in my right “breast” has an 80% chance of malignancy but, as I have not yet had my biopsy (scheduled for next Tuesday) I’m remaining optimistic.
This wasn’t helped, however, when - on the same day I had my mammogram and ultrasound - I received a auto-generated form letter from Radiology stating that I had no cancer. I called this morning and spoke to my radiologist and he said that I “received the wrong letter” and did that I’ve still got an 80% chance of malignancy. He wasn’t quite apologetic but I am very upset that, because of some glitch in their IT department, form letters giving the wrong informations are going out. Despite this I am going to give them one more chance before seeking a second opinion.
Spiculated mass, irregularly shaped, etc. it’s all foreign to me and I’m not going to freak myself out by looking online and getting myself all freaked out.
That’s the story. Thanks for reading.
Comments
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don’t freak out. And schedule your second opinion as it’s always good to make sure you are comfortable with and confident in your medical team. Sorry you find yourself self here.
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Hi Nighthaven, and welcome!
We're so very sorry you're here and worrying, but we're all here for you! Just know that until you have your biopsy and have answers, it's best to stay positive, take a deep breath, and try to keep busy. We know it's easier said than done!
In the meantime, feel free to ask questions here and get the support you need. We're thinking of you!
--The Mods
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Hey Nighthaven,
The anxiety is intense, and this stage you're in is so hard. 20% chance it's benign is not insubstantial, and I hope it will be benign for you!
I think some good things you could do in the mean time that might help channel your anxiety could be to check out the procedure for releasing the labs and biopsy results either to a cancer center or for a second opinion on the pathology, and to see what you need to do to set those up. If you don't end up needing it, think about how great it will feel to cancel that appointment.
If the anxiety gets in the way of your life or sleep, you can ask your doc for a prescription for Ativan or something similar. I think that's pretty common.
And what a frustrating story with the radiology place and their false letter. That's so dumb and aggravating!
There are a couple of threads on here focused on men with breast cancer, if you think they would help, you should search for them. Though if you think they would add to your anxiety, then just ignore!
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Nighthaven- so sorry you are in the waiting game. It really is a tough place to be. It is definitely scary as hell being told that percentage. I think it is good to stay off google, and I hope you can find something to distract you a bit from the worry. As Salamandra mentioned if needed talk to your doctor about something for the anxiety.
How frustrating to get the wrong letter!! The radiologist should have been more apologetic. Feel free to ask any questions you have or if you just need to vent, we understand and are here for you. Let us know how your biopsy goes. I am sorry you are going through this.
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Nighthaven, welcome to this group. Should breast cancer be confirmed, there's plenty of help and advice here and that includes help from men who've been through treatment, such as me. I know waiting for results is a bummer, but when you get them, and if you are diagnosed with this disease, post all the details here and we'll respond appropriately.
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