When last we chatted, I’d just had a call about my mammogram: they wanted me to make a follow-up appointment so they could get a better look at some microcalcifications that were new since my scan a year ago. I had those scans today. If you’re curious, it was almost exactly like getting a normal mammogram, but they only did one side, and the technician said “I’m sorry, but it’s going to squeeze harder”; I don’t think I would have noticed, but it was good to be warned. And afterward, instead of getting dressed, I was sent back to the waiting room in my hospital smock (just in case the radiologist wanted more images) while the radiologist took a look at the scans.
I was glad no one asked about or remarked upon the little patch of sunburn in my cleavage. I had a fun afternoon outside with friends yesterday, and I did pretty well with the sunscreen application, but apparently missed a small portion down the front of my swimsuit. I am a little surprised the sunshine managed to get in there: I am not amply bosomed, and even the word “cleavage” is a stretch. Well, the sunshine managed, and it is a good lesson about how well sunscreen works, because the rest of me is nearly as pinkly pale as ever.
After I’d been in the waiting room for ten or fifteen minutes, the technician came back for me and brought me to the radiologist. The radiologist showed me the scans, which were pretty neat to see. First she showed me last year’s scan compared to this year’s, and sure enough: little tiny white specks on this year’s but not on last year’s. Then she showed me the close-up they did today, and mentioned some positives: the general shape of the cluster is oval, which is good; and also some other things which I have already forgotten.
She said she is 90% sure these are just calcium deposits and not cancer, but the close-up did not give her the information she would want to see in order to be completely sure, so she would like to do a biopsy. She says when she does the biopsy, she will leave behind a tiny little smidgen of titanium to mark the place, in case they need to go back in (like if the biopsy DOES show cancer or pre-cancer), or in case later they want to remember where those little microcalcifications were. It all sounded pretty cool, though of course 10% does not sound like a small chance to me. But the radiologist said if it IS cancer, we have caught it at absolutely the earliest possible stage, and she gave a little laugh that I found reassuring—like, we’d have caught it so early our timing would almost be comical. Ha ha. Ha ha.
I am trying to think of another update. OH. So, I mentioned a fun afternoon in the sun. Friends and I lounged in THESE in the water, with beverages in the cupholders:
(image from Target.com)
It’s a SwimWays Spring Float (Target link) (Amazon link). (One friend had the very similar Kelsyus one, if that’s easier to obtain where you are.) Once in a while we would paddle lazily inland and holler for one of the husbands to bring us a fresh drink. It was BLISS. I have ordered three of the loungers and may order more: I got overwhelmed by the Exactly How Many decision, but didn’t want to miss the Target sale, and knew I wanted AT LEAST three for an upcoming family vacation, so I got the sale price on THOSE anyway, and will order more after I’ve had some time to think.
These are my favorite floaties of all time. I think I am on my second or third. They are perfect in that you are IN the water and yet, not fully submerged. They are perfect for reading (waterproof kindle) and having a beverage on hand. Also, I may need to order another since they are on sale and we are about to install a new pool. (Our old one was damaged in a big storm a couple of weeks ago.)
I can’t believe I forgot to add that I hope it is just calcium deposits. Sending good thoughts your way.
I had the exact same scenario 14 years ago. 2 mammograms, and biopsy. Everything was fine and nothing has changed since. If that’s any reassurance.
I’m so glad the scans look reassuring- whenever I have scary scans or need to schedule follow ups for the issues I need the scans for I practice some low level gratitude to help cope: I remind myself how fortunate I am to have good health insurance and access to great care and doctors- and that is the best possible combination of circumstances to have. And that float was my favorite for 2 years and it finally bit the dust and wouldn’t inflate anymore and leaked in multiple places but I am ordering 2 more today thanks to your reminder!
Hi! So, I just went through a biopsy. I want to tell you that it was a very quick procedure. They numbed the area and then took the biopsy and dropped the little marker thing where they biopsied. It did bleed some, I think because they do not suture it, but the nurse put pressure and bandaged it. Then they did a gentle mammogram to make sure the marker was where it was supposed to be. I was afraid of that part, but it was not as uncomfortable as I feared (I have large breasts which helps). I I was able to return to work afterwards, taking ibuprofen. They gave me little boob shaped ice packs to tuck into my bra, which was ideal and I would highly recommend. The results took a few days. They also offered aromatherapy and music, but I declined because I decided I didn’t want anything associated with cancer diagnosis. I amhappy to answer other questions you may have. I thought it was nice to have a front closing bra that day and depending on where the biopsy will be, you may want one with no underwire.
I was coming to give this same info! I took the ibuprofen prior to the biopsy, so it had already had time to kick in.
You may want to ask them how the protocol works for getting your biopsy results. I bet the practice varies throughout the US. Will they kick that back to your GP to communicate with you? When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, it was a surgeon who told me the news. In my area for women under 40 who needed a breast biopsy, general practitioners scheduled an appointment with the surgeon before the biopsy. Luckily for me, it sped up the referral process immensely. After diagnosis, I already had one member of my team identified and their schedule was cleared quickly to accommodate the surgery. This may have been an under 40 yo practice or a protocol that was followed if someone found a palatable lump.
I don’t want to add stress, but knowing the protocol will be helpful in determining how you want to proceed. I was blissfully unstressed by the weird lump in my breast and reassured throughout the whole scanning process that it was HIGHLY unlikely to be cancer due to my age and family history. I think a bit annoyed that the surgeon’s front desk staff wouldn’t just tell me the results over the phone. I assumed the appointment to get the results would be a quick 10 min breezy event, so I had picked up my husband & 2 yo enroute. I told my 2 yo we were getting dinner and ice cream after the appointment. My first clue should have been when the nurse suggested I take one of their toys into the room with me. I brushed it off, “We’ll only be here a few minutes.” She insisted. It was VERY helpful to have my husband in that appointment with me because my mind was BLOWN. It was not great having a two year old asking why I was crying. I’m mentioning this because you are a planner. You will plan better than I did. Knowing the protocol will help you make those decisions.
Sending positive thoughts about the biopsy.
Well your outdoor friend day sounds AMAZING. I recently was outside in a bathing suit and applied sunblock assiduously and yet the sun managed to paint a bright red stripe right along the interior edge of one of the swimsuit bra cups and then another bright red stripe along the bottom edge of the bikini top on the right side, almost directly in line with my armpit. That sun is a sneaky grabby handsy fellow indeed.
The appointment sounds informative and the radiologist sounds like she has the exact right mix of cautious/optimistic that I’d want for my own physician.
The edge of the swimsuit probably helped rub off the sunblock, as well. Sneaky teamwork!
That pool day sounds heavenly.
In the weirdest of coincidences, over the weekend MY husband had a kidney stone AND I developed a sore tooth, which, as it turns out, is badly abscessed and will need (drum roll) a dental implant. I was so grateful to be able to look back over your entries on both events and feel reassured that All Would Be Well. And I am wishing you all the best now, too, for the biopsy (and assuming that in about 18 months I’ll have the same issue, since we are Healthcare Twins, so odd)
This is very similar to my experience a few years back. In my case it was a cyst and not calcium deposits, but had the same after thin the office after the second mammo, look at scans with radiologist, and then biopsy “just to be sure” pattern. The biopsy is not a particularly big deal … they numb you up and then run what felt to me like a pizza cutter back and forth over the spot, and leave a tiny metal clip in you for future reference. The radiologist said exactly the same reassuring things to me at my biopsy: oval shape is good, if cancerous extremely small and localized etc etc.
After my biopsy they sent me back for yet another mammogram, and had me wait while they read it. In the waiting area was another lady from my church whom I knew vaguely. We were sitting there in our little open-front smocks and whe was telling me that her docs had told her 6 months previously that her scans were “indeterminate” and to come back for a rescan in 6 months. (such fun.) While we were waiting the radiologist stuck his head into our area and said to her, “Peggy? You’re good. Scans clear. No cancer. Come back in a year.” I told her that while that was obviously a huge breach of HIPAA, she had done me a favor by inadvertently letting me witness that positive outcome. So now we have a meet cute story (we knew each other only by sight at that point but have since become friendlier).
In any case, you are closer to clarity now than you were before. Here’s hoping for the best outcome.
Hoping for the absolute best outcome re: your biopsy, and it sounds like you had the exact type of radiologist experience that has me going back again and again to the place I go to for mammograms (I mean, they’re over an hour away from me now, and I’m not even looking for any place closer.)
Those pool floaties sound awesome.
I find it helpful to put on sunscreen BEFORE the bathing suit, and put it on as though you were going to go skinny dipping.
I had all of this happen earlier this year, with the next step of excision, which was a little worrying, but all was clear once they biopsied whatever needed. I did have to have a strange sitting down mammogram at some point. It was reassuring that anything they found would be very early and I was glad for their care.
If it’s any comfort at all, I have had the biopsy and the titanium chip and everything is fine and none of it was excruciating. At this point (maybe because I am losing my mind one day at a time), I’m not even sure which breast has the chip (the left, I THINK). I know it’s scary and unnerving but it’s probably fine. Sending you lots of virtual hugs and wine…or the hard stuff; whatever you need. xo
This is scary, Swistle, and I’m sorry you are going through it.
I needed a biopsy just before Christmas 2021 and it wasn’t too bad. You know I’m an RN, though, so medical stuff is my wheelhouse. I got to the center and the staff member who brought me back asked me, cheerfully, how I was. I said, hesitantly, that I was not great and they asked why. I said, “Because I’m here to be checked for CANCER” and I made sure to write that in the “how did we do?” survey. Just because something is routine for medical staff does not mean it’s routine for patients and we need to be aware and sensitive about it.
Anyway, they had me change and took a set of vitals. I had to mark which breast we were biopsying – I wrote “NOT THIS ONE” on one and “BIOPSY HERE” on the other (I’m cursed with ample bosoms). I see no one has mentioned that they have you climb up what looks like a car lift and lie face down with your boob hanging out of a hole. They were very nice and made sure I had a blanket and offered a pillow and generally tried to position me as comfortably as possible, but it’s not a very comfortable position. They raised the lift and my doctor was actually underneath me, sitting on a stool. The worst part is the lidocaine – stick and a burn, but it’s over quickly. They cleaned me off with betadine (you will probably get blue or orange colored chloroprep, but it gives me a rash) and numbed me up. It took about 5 minutes after that. They got a repeat mammogram and I could see the doohickey they left in.
I happened to have some internal bleeding, so they wrapped me in this stretchy tape and told me to keep it on for 24 hours. It was like having a strapless sports bra, but wasn’t uncomfortable.
They called me on Christmas Eve morning to tell me that it was okay and I’m so thankful. I told that to the nurse who called me and she said they were working an extra half day to try to get good news to as many people as possible that day. (I did not ask what they were doing re: bad news.)
I hope yours goes as smoothly as mine did!
So interesting! Mine was not upside down, so perhaps it depends on where your biopsied area may be?
I wasn’t upside down either, just reclined.
My breasts are dense and like to form cysts (as do my ovaries, actually) and I have one that required a biopsy. They left the marker your radiologist mentioned, except their reasoning was so they would know this was the spot they’d already looked at. I am grateful, because now the radiologist compares to the prior my scans, sees no change and that this is the previously biopsied cyst. Otherwise, I’m pretty sure they would keep biopsying it!
I remember being a little scared during the wait, even though I have no breast cancer risk factors and the chances were quite slim it was cancer. (My husband was very scared, but I only realized that after hearing about the questions he asked a friend whose twin sister was in treatment for breast cancer. He was way ahead of where we were.) I’m hoping the wait isn’t too excruciating for you.
Sending the very best wishes your way! I had to have a biopsy a few years ago and everything was ultimately fine, but I was annoyed that they didn’t tell me until I was in the procedure room that I wouldn’t be able to shower for a couple of days afterwards. This might have been related to the particular type of biopsy I was having, which was slightly more invasive than some, and I certainly could have rigged up some sort of bandage/plastic wrap situation, but in the moment I could not believe no one had mentioned that beforehand in all the conversations about the procedure and next steps, and it made me more stressed about a stressful situation (I do not like surprises! I do not function well without a shower! Dry shampoo does not work for me!) Now in hindsight, this was of course not a big deal, but very much falls into the category of Things I Would Like To Know About A New Experience. Hoping all goes as well as possible for you!
I just did that procedure 2 weeks ago – that TABLE they will use SUCKS! Feel free to email me if you’d like more to know what to expect!!
Swistle and the Swistlian circle should get to run everything.
I continue to wait to hear that the medical professionals are done with you and have sent you on your way, ideally for floating relaxation. Until then, I’m thinking of you.
Sending you peace and calm thoughts, and wishing you the very best results from your biopsy. Also, if it were me, after the chip I would constantly be singing “I am TITANIUM” at the top of my lungs and become insufferable to my family. So there’s an idea if you need some alone time.