Waiting for biopsy results

[13cats-lives]

I recently had a mammogram and it was quickly followed up with a second appointment. The night before my second appointment I checked my breasts, and was horrified to find quite a large lump in my left breast. Prior to that I had not had any pain, dimpling or suspicion of an abnormality. I went to the radiologist the following day, who explained that they were ruling out cysts, and that it was a solid mass 4.5cm. She took needle biopsies from my breast and lymph nodes under my arm. The next appointment is with the doctor on Thursday. I spoke to the cancer care nurses at the hospital who said that they were treating it as cancer unit if has been tested. I have so many scenarios running through my head at the moment.

[jackearls1000]

Hello ..Im so sorry your having to go through this ....but ....my advice to you is try not to panic ...It could be nothing to worry about ...and if it is a tumour ...it can be taken out and dealt with ....I had a lump ...and had a biopsy on the same day as my mammogram and was told it was likely to be cancer ....I ended up having an operation and chemo and radiotherapy ...I was so shocked , thought I was going to die ...( id just lost my mum and best friend to cancer ) thought it was the end of me .I wasn't going to have chemo ...I was petrified of it ......but ...when I settled down and spoke to the lovely ladies on here I decided to take one bridge at a time ..got loads of support each step of the way ...and I had all my holidays with my tumour ...and carried on throughout treatment ...treatment is doable ...and I really wish I didnt spend all those sleepless nights crying ....and I took one day at a time ....hopefully you wont have to go through all that ....my breast cancer nurse said ...of all th cancers to get ...this was thee easiest to get rid of ....the hardest thing is the waiting ....and not knowing ....so this will be the worst time ....I hope this helps ....by the way all that happened to me 5 years ago ...this month and I'm here smiling and living my best life ..if you need a buddy to help along the way im here .....just send a message ill look out for you ...but remember at this moment in time you dont know what it is so try to relax ...not long to wait ....good luck ...I will be thinking of you tomorrow .. .........take care Jane xxx

[Hidden in reply to jackearls1000]

and 13cats-lives--I had a mammogram and ultrasound of right breast which they took a biopsy from 2 weeks ago.I first told my Gp that my left breast was enlarged with pain and discomfort last November which he said was "probably from my joints and muscles" and did not make a referral to the breast clinic,In February I said I wanted to attend the breast clinic which he did refer me to.The lump in my right breast which was only found by the clinic consultant,I had no symptoms in my right breast-only left breast.I received a phone call yesterday from the clinic offering me an appointment on thursday (tomorrow)and am so concerned I have cancer.I have done a lot of crying and do not know how I will cope with it if it is and that I may not be here for my dogs-who sense things are not right.

[T-Writer]

Hello there, I can really relate to your post. I just went thru the same thing myself, starting with finding a lump in my right breast last September and ending with removing my right breast last month. All those feelings and experiences are still fresh in my mind.

It sounded like you've jumped ahead to the worst possible end and are already trying to think of good homes for your 'fur family.' I wish I could sit down and hold your hand and say Slow down, gal. You're not there now, and you may not EVER be there. You can 't know that right now.

For me, and I magiine for others too, one of the hardest parts of dealing with breast cancer is all the 'not-knowing,' I found myself standing in my kitchen, just leaning against the sink, and my mind had nothing but a hundred questions in it -- is this going to kill me? was at the top of my list, along with a lo t of others that may be on your list too. Those questions kept going around and around, and I just stood there paralyzed, not knowing what to do.

What helped me then, and a lot of times later on, was realizing that all those questions had the same answer: I don't know. And that was okay. "I don't know' let me off the hook, and I could breathe again. I realized 'I don't know' could be my anchor.

Maybe you're like me: if I don't know what's true about something big or that scares me, I start guessing, and making up what COULD be true. My imagination is TOO good and I start worrying what I'll do if those things BECOME true. Trust me, it's not pretty.

But this time I took another look at 'I DON'T know' and it struck me that all the things I'm imagining, guessing, could be true could just as easily NOT be true. Productive thinking (not just worrying) MUST HAVE FACTS and right at that moment, in my kitchen, I LITERALLY HAD NO FACTS.

Well, I wasn't going to waste my time and energy on (more) useless guessing and imagining, and I couldn't do any productive THINKING because I had no facts to think ABOUT. So I turned around and started making dinner.

After that, formerly panicky "OMG! I don't know!!" became shaky (at first) but assured "I refuse to worry about that right now; when I have some FACTS, then I'll THINK about them, and work out an answer. But right now, I don't know, and there's no point in guessing." And I'd get on with my life.

I must have said that a hundred times a day, but it helped me stay calm and in the present moment and able to focus on what was real and right in front of me. I hope it helps you a bit too. Inch by inch and minute by minute is how we get thru things. I bet you can too.

(BTW, I got off lucky -- 2.5 cm mass in a very small breast, with the whole breast gone I didn't need chemo or radiation, and I've healed well about 7 weeks after surgery. I imagined much worse. Don't you, eh? Hugs! )

[Hidden in reply to T-Writer]

I am not large breasted and my lump mesasured 22 mm when first scanned and that has grown to 30mm.I was told with a lumpectomy I will need a week of radiotherapy.If i have the whole breast removed -what is the likely hood I won't need radiotherapy.I am not concerned about radiotherapy but the long trips to the hospital( near on 2 hours each way) for five consecutive days does.

since my last post,I saw a consultant again and spoke with a nurse who explained the options and what was my option.I at first thought reconstruction either taking the flap from the abdomen or back.I was referred to another clinic where the procedures were explained in more indepth detail..I told the clinic nurse I did not want any implants yet they will use implants as part of the reconstruction even though temporary.SO now I have said I will not have reconstruction because of the implant and the long recovery period and what is involved-radiotherapy ,physiotherapy ,a second surgery.AT the moment I have opted for Lumpectomy .If that is too evasive then i will justahve my breats removed and nothing else.

I have swelling,pain and discomfort in my left side-above,around and below my left breast and am so scared this is cancer too.My left breast increased in size and I still do not know why.I have another appointment on wednesday with the surgeon who will do my operation and one booked onthe 17th with plastic surgeons but I dont know if i need this one as I have decided not to go for reconstruction.I have costochondritis too but do not htink this is related to costochondritis.

I am so concerned and do not have a greatly supportive GP who said to me "are you not glad that you pushed me to refer you to the breast clinic?"I should not have to "push him to get a referral" -he should make that referral.The "lump" has increased from 22mm to 30mm and was described a s " a fast growing cancer".I could have had the operation on the 4th April but i had not seen the people I needed to see before the op.

[Bananas2007]

Hugs