Refusing a biopsy

Well, if Dr. Djmammo says it's doable, it's doable. You could forward his note to your BS and your primary care doc, then ask your pcp to contact the hospital and confirm that you require sedation. Perhaps a few meetings with a psychiatrist at that hospital will apply the proper pressure on the BS, and also give you a few tools to take the edge off your fear and help you move toward tolerating at least minor and routine future procedures such as the aforementioned blood tests and paps.

I understand. I am fine with all anesthetized dental procedures--fillings, root canals, extractions, but having my teeth cleaned absolutely terrorizes me. My dentist has to inject my entire mouth for me to be able to deal with what for me is a major trauma. Each time, he tells me that I'm his only patient who needs this, but he does it.

i completely understand your situation and your fears of invasive procedures and dear i stand by you.It's difficult but not impossible to deal with it. To fight it and thus ultimately fighting your own demons. You have to overcome it, no fear can bind us, not for life. I am sure you must remember how afraid we were of the dark as youngsters, but definitely not now. Similarly, you minght find yourself kiddish after a few years when you think aout this fear of invasive medicine. I am myself no big fan of hospitals and medical procedures but i underwent the treatment and I am glad I did. As you know its a personal experience thus you yourself have to collect yourself to come out of it, its you have to gather strength. Its not a fight between your anxiety and invasive techniques rather its a battle between your fears and your will power, and dear you must win. Cancer is a merciless disease you need to be very strong dealing with it. No amount of fear shpuld put you down and you need to work very hard to detach cancer from your nody. Start acting now and you might be healthy again.let doctors do their work, trust them and above all trust yourself

Love and Luck

What helped me through my Cancerfest was something I read here (I think posted by Beesie): You don't have to be brave; you just have to show up.

I don't understand why there isn't better anesthesia for these things. For me, the ultrasound biopsy was easy peasy and didn't really hurt. The MRI one was more stressful but Ativan helped.

But my word...the wire placement prior to lumpectomy...I still wonder if I should have complained to hospital admin about that. Painful, I was not adequately numbed...I felt that wire go in...they also felt it necessary to squeeze my large painful hematoma into a mammogram while I was sobbing in pain without adequate pain control, despite me informing them I wasn't numb yet. All of this immediately before cancer surgery. How more miserable can you make someone. In between sobs I asked why it couldn't be done once I was already medicated...they mumbled something about it being too hard to coordinate with anesthesia. I still say they need to do away with breast cancer awareness month and do a wire localization awareness month, lol.

I almost refused mine, talked to the radiologist in dressing room. She said you don't have to do this. It's your body. Had had 3 in the last year, was just tired of it and biopsy turned out to be IDC

Looking back I am so glad I was oblivious to the wire placement prior to surgery. I remember being told about the dye but I had no idea. If I had to think about that before hand, I would have been way more anxious than I already was. I just showed up as scheduled. Got the dye pack inserted 1st than a tech and Dr came over and explained this procedure. OUCH is right! I thought as they were smashing my boob down in the mammo machine and then punching a needle in there that I bet there's a lot of women that probably don't take this part very well! The tech agreed, said I did great but whoa!! I had 2 done, one on each side. The lighter and funny part when done was that they tape Styrofoam cups over the needles. Then, you wait for your OR time if they're running on schedule. I told my husband and daughter that this was like torture, and I felt like a pig being branded and sent to slaughter. By the time I reached the OR I was NEVER so happy to get knocked out!

BTW, I'm starting to get just a little anxious to get in the MRI machine again for a biopsy of left breast. It should work out fine. I just do what they ask and I'll have the Tylenol ready for when the lidocaine wears off. Wish me luck

Hotwing, let us know how you make out.

I was supposed to get the wire but they ended up not needing it for the surgery. So it is possible to not need the wire/styrofoam cup procedure

Yes--and if you have access through a portal, you should be able to read your path report.

My slightly funny story about the wire . . . they were out of the shorter wires so ended up using a really long one. Now I'm fairly small, 5'5" and my bra band size is 30" so this thing stuck WAY out on me. It looked like a really gigantic mutant cat's whisker (I love cats). They coiled mine up and then sort of taped the coil so no red Solo cup for me! Just a gigantic whisker.

Oh my goodness, the visual for that is . . . hilariously awful!

Hotwing, I'm sorry...I don't mean to give offense...but I would bet the farm that no one, anywhere, is going to authorize general anesthesia for a needle biopsy. It would be poor medical care. General anesthesia is not without risk, and If you had a complication it would be your doctors' butts on the chopping block.

A couple of ideas here. Have you discussed an open/surgical biopsy with your doctor? These ARE done with the patient asleep (at least they used to be) and it's probably overkill for a biopsy that could be done with a needle, but it's a thought.

And, have you considered consulting with a psychiatrist who could then advocate for you with your radiologist?

It also seems to be poor medical care to not do anything reasonable to help. Sorry you had this miserable experience.