Not Diagnosed and Waiting for Test Results? Start Here

Hi everyone,

just created an account a few days ago and lurked a bit. I am waiting for my biopsy results. According to radiologist, my oncologist and gynaecologist who took the samples, it doesn't look good, but trying to think positive until pathology results come back.

I am not a stranger to the C word, since in 2011 I was treated for Hodgkin's Lymphoma 2A with 4 cycles ABVD and involved field radiotherapy. The lump I have right now is up, middle, right, is right at the border of that field. It is a very big lump (5cm+), which came out in 1 day some months ago and didn't change size as much as I could tell by poking it, so I ignored it for a while, waited for semester to be over since I am working as a professor in a university and I am fed up with cancer delaying my life. Sorry a bit of a rant here, I was 33 when Hodgkin's was diagnosed and I got biopsied right before my wedding, got the results one day after the wedding, you can imagine how hard was it for me to dance during it with all the anxiety. Now at 43, right when my research started to take off, life seems like having other plans for me.

Back to the topic, the punch biopsy was done on Wednesday (2 days ago) and it was on the breast lump as well as 2 lymph nodes that looked suspicious under my arm. The doctor who performed it wanted to already stage me, full body CT, bone scan etc, but I told him I'd rather wait for the diagnosis. Probably just need a week off from all this during my vacation, hope I don't regret the decision.

I will report back about what it is. I'd like to thank the moderators who seem to maintain a very active board here. I know such forums are so helpful. Last time I had great support at a Lymphoma Forum, if this one comes out as BC, I am planning to actively share it with you.

Cheers,

Sarah

Well I'm fixing to have my mammogram done. Doctor's had found my lymph nodes are swollen under my arm left side and I have a hard lump under the nipple area and a lot of discharge and blood so they decided I need a mammogram because of my family history of having four of my dad's sisters passed away from breast cancer they did not win the fight 😪. On that and on top of it I have lupus and I had cancer at 21 and they did a full hysterectomy and some chemotherapy and so mentally I'm a mess and my stomach's got butterflies and I'm scared maybe I just needed something like hope, I feel that there are other's here going through the same thing as I am, of so please contact me,

Need a friend

I NEVER thought I would be writing here again!

My story in a nutshell: 2003 Dx IDC, treated at local hospital. What could go wrong did, but in the end, I survived and thrived!

In December of 2018, I was Dx with ILC, treated at a cancer hospital.

After almost three years, I decided to see if I could do my follow up maintenance at our local hospital, the drive to the city no longer seemed necessary. So I went through the process of transferring my records and getting disks of my imagining back to my local hospital. I was two months past my one year mammogram due date, but not at all concerned about that. Last week I saw the new breast surgeon. I really like this doctor, he is everything one looks for in a breast surgeon and his staff is wonderful! He gave me my mammogram script and a referral to an oncologist as well as a plastic surgeon who does lymph node transfers. (I have lymphedema in my one arm) I didn't see the plastic surgeon, but I had my mammogram and saw the oncologist.

Well, the mammogram didn't go as expected. I thought I would be in and out in very little time, after all, I only have one real breast left! Nope, I needed more views and then the radiologist told me I need a biopsy, which I am having this week. Birads 4. Ugh.

Now I am no newbie, so I know all too well that the chances of being benign are high, but that never, in my experience, has knowing this lessened the worry factor. This time, my third with the other two times being positive for cancer, I am hopeful, but have an open mind to the possibility of another positive outcome. I never thought I would get a positive result either of the two times prior. This time, I WILL NOT BE BLINDSIDED.

I saw the films and I saw the area of pleomorphic calcification that was not there last year. I know I either have a benign condition, in which case I will go back to my regular monitoring, or it is likely DCIS. Because I was refused a double mastectomy at the cancer hospital I went to, and my new breast surgeon told me he would have recommended that due to my cancer and family history, I would definitely go for a second mastectomy. Either way, I feel pretty good about either scenario. Benign is Benign! No worries! And DCIS, would remove a breast I never wanted to keep without need of radiation or lymph node biopsy! That said, mastectomy or any treatment, is never easy, and it would make things less than ideal with my job! To be honest, I am more concerned about the financial aspect of a positive diagnosis, than I am about having a positive result.

Being a firm believer that things don't always work out the way that we want them to, I will deal with whatever lies ahead of me, and tackle it with gusto!

That said, WAITING FOR TEST RESULTS IS DEFINITELY THE WORST PART OF BREAST CANCER!