This morning the mammography place returned my call, and I had to let them leave a message (one does not answer one’s cell phone when one is a library employee out in the stacks), but then I zipped to the break room and called them right back.
The nurse said that I have microcalcifications that are new since last year’s mammogram. She said they were too small to be felt during a breast exam and could only be detected with imaging. She said the radiologist would like another look at them from a different angle, and that I will need to have the new scans done at the hospital instead of at the local mammography place.
I started to look “microcalcifications” up online, because they sounded so unalarming I was certain I would be reassured; then I saw the first few search results and decided I’d rather wait for each step to occur and find out more THEN, if necessary, since there are plenty of outcomes where there is no need to have spent any time worrying about it. If necessary, I am an excellent and speedy worrier, and can easily make up the time.
Paul is still doing a lot of sighing and groaning. I already knew I was not great in the spousal role of Nurse, but I have had a new realization: I would not have been a good childbirth partner, if my spouse had been the one in labor. I would have had to find ways around this—perhaps showing support by buying gifts/treats, and encouraging the use of a doula, and then making myself available to run and fetch whatever was wanted/needed by either my spouse or the doula, or really anyone else on the maternity ward. I am pretty good at darting out to do specific tasks. I am very bad at listening sympathetically to panting and moaning, or dealing with someone making Suffering Eyes at me—EVEN IF THE PERSON IS IN FACT SUFFERING. (Though I might find myself better at it if the person making Suffering Eyes had not been doing so for every little sniffle over the past couple of decades.)
I had to go for a repeat mammogram/ ultrasound this year (had to move from local facility to big hospital) and also decided not to pre-worry, since I knew I would be able to catch up. And it worked out! Everything is fine. So I think you have an excellent strategy
I’m sorry, Swistle. I hope the stress turns out to be Unnecessary Bureaucratic Stress of the Better Safe than Sorry variety, but if for any reason it’s the serious problem type of stress, we’re all here for you. Both my mom and MIL went through breast cancer (stage 0 DCIS, and stage 2) this past couple of years, and it was rough, but not deeply traumatic and they’re still with us. I thought it would be worse than it was, basically. Is that comforting? I mean it in a comforting way.
This sucks. I care.
my husband had major, life threatening surgery 5 weeks ago. He was in the hospital for 11 days. We are now past this and I am to the point where I am no longer willing to play nursemaid. he can go walk laps and sit at the neighborhood pool, but would prefer not to drive to the store to pick up a steak. or unload the dishwasher. or take the garbage can to the curb, or really anything else. I understand that he is exhausted and still recovering (he is 75 – 12 years older than me), but my patience is wearing thin.
I had microcalcifications quite a few years ago (2010). I was 39 years old at the time. I ended up having 2 biopsies. I was just a bit terrified. Tissue was benign for both though. I’m now 51 years old. If nothing else, it just made me be more thorough in my breast care. I now get 3D mammograms every year. I haven’t had any issues since.
Microcalcifications are just an indication that there’s a change in the breast tissue. Doesn’t mean the change is dire. It’s actually great information, and great that everything can be checked out sooner rather than later. Definitely don’t stress until there’s something to stress about. (Full disclosure and maybe TMI – I had to get checked out at 39 because I had brown discharge from my nipple. Gross, but it was just a cyst that had burst. Nothing to worry about!)
Hi, it’s your friend the research nerd. Mayo Clinic states:
Breast calcifications are common on mammograms, and they’re especially prevalent after age 50. Although breast calcifications are usually noncancerous (benign), certain patterns of calcifications — such as tight clusters with irregular shapes and fine appearance — may indicate breast cancer or precancerous changes to breast tissue.
So what I’m reading is you’re an Early Achiever and it’s most likely nothing but bothersome. Having two benign cysts/tumors (one in each, for balance. lolsigh) I know how stressful it is. Assume it’s fine, until it’s not. And it will be fine because I said so.
I will still get in the car, if ever needed.
I’ve been through breast cancer twice, (once during covid) and lived to tell about it. Most biopsies, if it goes that far, are benign. My daughter 29, had two and both were fine. You can imagine that was not fun for us when I was going through cancer at the time. The good news is this: IF and that’s a huge IF, it’s cancer, you caught it early and its so very treatable! IF it’s not, which probably it’s not, they will be keeping an eye on it and you will have better looks at your scans going forward!
Very glad you got to speak to someone in the mammography center and hoping that there are other, better distractions from waiting than dealing with Paul’s woe. The suffering eyes would do me in too, I think.
I am going to echo everyone else in that there is no need to worry yet. The wait and see attitude about worrying is the best approach. I’ve had a couple of call backs on mammograms in years past, and that was NOT the approach I took. After all was said and done, the pre-worrying was exhausting and a waste of time. Apparently, I have very “dense” tissue and have had at least on biopsy which turned out to be nothing. Now, I generally get the 3D mammograms and haven’t received any call backs. I’m sending you happy thoughts and a hug or two.
Hm, that still sounds like a kinder expression than what they used for my breast tissue, which was “naturally lumpy”.
Thank you for the prompt update! I love your “not worrying until it is time to” plan. I like to pre-worry…over everything. I wish I could take this advice!
Hoping it is nothing, but yay for the mammogram that caught this change very early.
I think you’d be a good childbirth partner, because childbirth isn’t just suffering, it’s WORK. For a PURPOSE. At the end of kidney stone pain, you have nothing except you feel better (one hopes.) At the end of childbirth, you have a newborn! I think you’d be very encouraging.
This.
My first mammogram was a Friday afternoon. I got a call from the mammogram center while I was in the parking lot leaving the center. I missed the call and of course no one was there when I called back. However the fact they called to schedule a follow up so quickly after my initial scan freaked me out. I imagined the tech glancing at my scans and pressing an emergency button under the desk after seeing something alarming. All weekend I thought about the tech sending out an alert and it was hard to shake. I rescheduled as soon as they opened Monday morning.
I told the staff at my follow up appointment about my emergency button fears and they said it was just a coincidence, must have been a slow Friday.
Scheduling a mammogram is on my to-do list- thanks for the reminder.
My MiL was also told she had microcalcifications recently and all was well, if that is helpful! I think it was a case of first checking them in more detail – like they are with you – and then regular monitoring for change. But in and of themselves from what she has told us, it’s not a cause for concern.
I would never be able to be a nurse. I do not have patience. I have even less patience when people in my home are ill and I have to really work at not being a horrible impatient bitch. So, probably good that I was the one to have the babies. I never thought of it before but I would have been terrible at the role of partner, in terms of childbirth.
I am impressed at your “not worrying until there’s something concrete to worry about.” I try to live that way too, it usually works well but sometimes not.
Another data point for you: one of my callbacks was for microcalcifications, too. It turned out to be negative. Hugs!
I feel as though you would be great providing childbirth support to someone you know to be kind and supportive to others in their hours of need. Think of how nice you are to your kids when they’re sick. Think of how supportive you are to us when we want to whine.
Does needing a scan in a hospital mean a trip out of town? Could you fold a night in a hotel, all by yourself, into the experience? I hope it turns out to be nothing, but remember that in addition to your own abilities (“I am an excellent and speedy worrier, and can easily make up the time” needs to go in the Swistleism-a-day calendar), many of your readers are also excellent worriers and would be happy to spell you or just add to the crew.
But I hope it’s nothing other than your body taking on an ill-advised craft project.
ILL-ADVISED CRAFT PROJECT. Ha ha ha I love that!!
I recently went through the mammogram callback situation and it is stressful enough without googling things, that’s for sure. I was very comforted when I understood that it is a very common thing – between 10 and 12 percent get a call for additional imaging – and that a very small percentage show anything cancerous. It turns out mine is cancer, but because we caught it so early, it’s only Stage 1 – very good news. I have found that the imaging and treatments available are amazing. Even in the “worst case” there is just so much that can be done. I was shocked to know that once I complete my treatment my risk of recurrence will be no higher than anyone else’s risk of getting cancer. Keep us updated. I hope this is comforting?
Checking in. How are you all doing? Did you get the new scans?