BetterMost, Wyoming & Brokeback Mountain Forum
Our BetterMost Community => BetterMost People => Topic started by: delalluvia on June 21, 2011, 07:14:40 pm
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Hi all,
Last week I went and had my yearly mammogram.
Today for the first time ever, the office called, left me a message and asked me to call them back.
Of course, I got the message too late to call them back. I will have to wait until morning to see what they want.
Trying to stay positive, but am feeling resigned.
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My thoughts are with you, friend. Don't get too resigned...oftentimes women are asked to come in for "more views." This can be more mammogram views or maybe a sonogram. I have dense breasts (:P) so I always have to get more views or a sonogram. I also had a prominent lump in my right breast which my doctor pointed out to me when I had my yearly exam on the last day of June several years ago. She advised me to make an appointment for a mammogram immediately. I called all around but nobody could see me until after the July 4 holiday. So, I had to go through all the festivities thinking I was going to die soon! When I finally was able to have my sonogram, the nurse said, "I think this is a good lump." I didn't know a lump could be good! But it was...the doctor confirmed that it was a harmless cyst filled with water. I could have it "aspirated" if I wanted, but I declined. A few months later, it went away.
Take heart, friend.
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This is quite typical. If they thought it was a serious problem they would have kept phoning until they got you to come in RIGHT DAMN NOW. Leaving a message is because they need an additional view or two because mammograms are simply x-rays and they throw shadows. I've had the call-back thing twice out of three mammograms - and I was almost surprised the third time that I DIDN't get a callback.
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Thanks friends. Will keep these in mind.
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*sigh*
I had hoped to have an answer today, but I don't. The person said, "Oh, there was movement on one of your scans and they want you come back in."
So I was relieved for a split second as I said, "Oh it was just a bad scan?"
She said, "Yes, can you come in Thursday? We want you to take a scan while the doctor is here and she can see them right away."
My heart sunk and I was like, "Why does the doctor need to see them right away?"
The woman replied, "Oh we don't want you to go home and the doctor find something that she wants you to have more tests on and then have to have you come in a 3rd time."
It didn't sound convincing to me, but then nothing right now would sound convincing.
But there is still some hope.
I will let you know [fingers crossed].
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My fingers are crossed for you too! In the meantime, try to relax. Hopefully you have some project you could lose yourself in. Or maybe a good movie??
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Good luck, del! These things often turn out to be okay. My last mammo had a similar recall and outcome. :)
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*fingers crossed*
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I have my fingers crossed for you. I'm sure its just precaution and a nurse with bad customer skills.
But its good you get them done yearly. In Scotland you dont get a mammogram on a regular basis (actaully at all unless there is a reason) until you are 50.
If you are aged between 50 and 70, you will be routinely invited for mammograms every three years.
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Good luck Del! :-*
I know the feeling of someone pulling the rug out under you that you have when you get such a call.
The good news is that in by far the most cases everything turns out to be all right.
Also, mammogramms are known to tend to give wrong possitive results.
This tendency is higher, the younger women are. That's why in Germany (I guess it's similar in Scotland) only women between 50 and 70 are routinely screened. For women under 50, the densitiy of the breat tissue is higher, which leads to a too high quote of wrong positive results. So there are no mass screenings in the <50 age group.
I know, all available info can't take away the fear. But maybe it helps to handle it better.
(((Del)))
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Yes, good luck Del.
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*sigh*
I had hoped to have an answer today, but I don't. The person said, "Oh, there was movement on one of your scans and they want you come back in."
So I was relieved for a split second as I said, "Oh it was just a bad scan?"
She said, "Yes, can you come in Thursday? We want you to take a scan while the doctor is here and she can see them right away."
My heart sunk and I was like, "Why does the doctor need to see them right away?"
The woman replied, "Oh we don't want you to go home and the doctor find something that she wants you to have more tests on and then have to have you come in a 3rd time."
It didn't sound convincing to me, but then nothing right now would sound convincing.
But there is still some hope.
I will let you know [fingers crossed].
Here's why you don't need to worry: because they said "Come in Thursday." If it can wait till Thursday, it can wait. And they routinely make you wait for the rescan because some people's mammos always come out with shadows and they have to take multiple views, and they don't want to call you back a third time - it costs THEM more money to do that, so they make the doc review retakes on the spot. Yes, this happened to me: twice.
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Seems you were mostly right, Louise.
Some good news today. :-\
They weren't lying, one scan was blurry. So they had me retake it.
However, the doctor did see the scans immediately and wanted me to take a sonogram of one breast. So I took it then and there and she personally came to do the sonogram and explained as she scanned my breast.
She found two spots - one was a harmless water-filled cyst. She looked at my past records and saw I've had it for years. Nothing to worry about. The second spot was smaller, but also looked to the doctor to be partially water-filled and she thinks - 98% sure based on morphology (just looking at the structure) - that it's shaping up to be another water-filled cyst. However, it does have a small solid area. So I could either
1) wait 6 months and come back to see if there's been a change
or
2) have a biopsy done
I went for the biopsy. I go in Monday and will have results within 24 hours.
I called my sister and she was suspicious. She, too, had a structure in her breast she'd had for years and when taking a biopsy on the other spot they'd found on her, she asked them to check the old one. They did and found malignant cells in the spot she'd had for years.
However, she'd never had water-filled cysts. Hers were hard 'capsules'. So my things are a new experience. She told me to have them do a biopsy on both spots. I'll see if they can, just for grins.
So, thanks to all of you for your good wishes, they really mean a lot and help a great deal :)
Keeping my fingers crossed for Monday's biopsy. :P
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Sounds like you're on the right track, del. Good news, and some real reassurance yet to come. 8)
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fingers crossed for ya, darlin'!
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looks like you're following the safe route, Del, good on you.
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Best of luck, Del.
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Thank you for all your good wishes!!
Biopsy came back just now and it's a harmless cyst, benign and actually related to the fibroadenomas I had in my breasts as a teenager.
Thank you guys for being there.
Much love to all,
Del
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Great to hear!! Now you can relax and enjoy the long weekend!! :D
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sorry you had to go through the biopsy, but I'm glad you came out clean.!
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Thank you for all your good wishes!!
Biopsy came back just now and it's a harmless cyst, benign and actually related to the fibroadenomas I had in my breasts as a teenager.
Thank you guys for being there.
Much love to all,
Del
YEEHAW!! 8)
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Good news! :D
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That is wonderful news Del! I am so glad.
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:-* :-*
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Yay!
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love ya back, darlin'! Best news I heard all day!
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Guess I'm going to be living my life 6 months at a time.
Went for my 6 month mammogram - this time with an MRI as my doctors thought it best given my family history.
I don't know why I thought it would be like a CT scan. Nope. It's lying face down and having to not move for 45 minutes, even though your sinuses are filling, your neck is growing stiff and your back is starting to ache.
Anyway, again. The doctor found an anomaly. This time in my other breast. Scarily, super close to my lymph nodes under my arm. It could be Stage 0 breast cancer, it could be just another cyst.
After swearing off MRIs for the rest of my life, now I had to undergo another MRI this time an MRI guided biopsy. Again, trying to stay calm. Trying not to worry until I knew if I had something to worry about.
Finally talked myself into what they euphemistically call a 'prophylactic amputation' e.g. cutting off your boob before any growth gets going. Imagined myself as an ancient Amazon, cutting off a breast to draw a bow better.
This time I only told a friend and one of the doctors I work for - not my sister because of her reaction last time.
Luckily I only had to wait 24 hours for the word of the results of the biopsy...
benign. Absolutely no cancer. No atypical cells.
;D :)
Whew.
Next stop, 6 more months and I go through the drama again.
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Great news, del! May it continue to be so! :-*
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Great news, del! May it continue to be so! :-*
Thank you!
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That's wonderful news it was benign, Del! :-*
"Whew" is right!!
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I'm happy for your del. Don't let thosoe doctors intimidate you too much.
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Great news Del! ;D
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What Meryl said...
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I really appreciate the good wishes.
Thanks again to all. :-* :-* :-*
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Extraordinarily wonderful. So delighted to hear the super news. May it be so for the next several check-ups as well.
I will be sending you all the good will I can... Best of luck dear.
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Phew is right! I hope the news continues to be this great and thanks for the reminder...
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Luckily I only had to wait 24 hours for the word of the results of the biopsy...
benign. Absolutely no cancer. No atypical cells.
;D :)
Whew.
Next stop, 6 more months and I go through the drama again.
(Del) :-*
Glad the drama had such a happy end! :D
May it continue that way (hopefully with a little less drama even).