Hi am new here and worrying more than a little … Three weeks ago I mentioned to my doctor that I had had a sore left Bresat for 3 months, thought I would get some antibiotics. Instead he looked at my maternal family history of breast cancer … Not good only one survivor in 4 generations… He then did an exam couldn’t find anything but sent me to breast clinic . Got an appt just over a week later doctor there couldn’t find anything but sent me for a mammogram upstairs … Had that then was taken into ultrasound room had that then went back to doctor… He said surprising … Right breast is fine left breast has a suspicious cluster of microcalcifications 14mm In size, and now a week later I am going for a stereotactic biopsy in 4 hours. Have been back to my gp inbetween and discussed it with my husband and am prepared for the worst butobviously hoping for the best… And I hate needles so much… Last time they took blood I fainted… Guess I am gonna have to toughen up… Cos I don’t have time for cancer … I have a husband with an incurable lung disease and an autistic son. Ah well it may all turn out ok… Sorry for throwing all this at you in my first post thanks for reading.
Hi Madhelen,
Welcome to the BCC discussion forums, you’ve come to the right place for some good, honest support from the many informed users of this site, who I am sure will be along sortly to give you that support.
In the meantime, if you need to talk to someone in confidence then please do give our helpline team here a ring, nothing is too trivial, calls are free, 0808 800 6000 lines open at 9am today until 5pm (Mon to Fri) and Sat 10-2. I hope your biopsy today goes well.
Take care,
Jo, Facilitator
Hi Helen,
So sorry that you are now facing all this anxiety and a fairly prolonged diagnostic process. This will sound ridiculous, but for many people the phase you are in now is the worst - the not-knowing-but-suspecting. Once you have the results of the biopsy and know what you are faced with it does actually get more copable - whatever the result. As far as I can ascertain most microcalcifications are benign and hopefully yours will be.
This is a good place for support, advice and general dumping. The BCC helpline are there for you, whether you want advice or just someone to shout/cry/whinge at and on the main website are lots of helpful leaflets which may be worth a look see. Way back, when I joined the site we used to have a ‘mantra’ for newbies… “There is no such thing as a silly question” and a golden rule “Don’t google” because so much information out there is out of date or just plain wrong.
Big hug and hope you have somehting nice planned for after that biopsy… chocolate? wine? retail therapy? All of the above?!
Hi Helen, I’m sorry that you’ve got a seat in the ‘waiting room’. It is the worst time whatever the outcome.
The only way to confirm that the calcifications are benign is by biopsy, so hopefully that’s exactly what it will do for you.
Try not to worry (easy to say, I know)… I too have an autistic son (Aspergers) and my biggest fear was how he’d cope with my unexpected news. He is prone to anxiety and apart from a couple of ‘blips’ hes dealing with it well. I find the additional responsibility I have is a bit of a distraction in lots of ways, especially whilst i was waiting for results !
Fingers crossed you receive good news, let us know how you get on.
S xx
Hi Helen,
Keeping everything crossed for you as you prepare to have your biopsy. Whatever the outcome I can tell that you will be strong and overcome your fears, as you know your husband and son depend on you. Use this waiting time to plan and think of something great to do together before the summer ends. I pray that the results are good and for strength to face the road ahead.
Hi Helen
I hope all goes well this afternoon. As the others say the wait for results is the worst, once you know what you are facing you can deal with it. What ifs are so tricky.
Keep us posted and come here and dump as much as you need.
Jacquix
Thank you so much all of you for your much welcomed support and replies… Luvvie66 my son also has aspergers … Went for biopsy …lovely nurses… They explained i was to have magnified mammogram of affected breast then the radiographer would look at those and If they looked normal I could go home without a biopsy… Of course she had a look then told me I had to have the biopsy … Was very painless had 5 samples taken and will hear back from a cancer nurse in about a week. I feel so much better just getting the biopsy done …Whether it’s good or bad news things are being sorted. Thank you all again
Helen x
Hi Helen - glad the biopsy is out of the way for you. I was warned the biopsy wouldn’t be very nice and I was surprised it was painless; the mammogram was .worse. I do hope it will be good news in a week’s time. Please, though, if you do need further treatment, put yourself first for a change. My son is 14, autistic and brimming with insecurities and testosterone at the moment. My OH is slightly on the spectrum too. Things have been quite grim as I needed surgery, chemo and rads and all my son wants now is his ‘real mom’ (the one with hair) back. His behaviour has been challenging to say the least and unfortunately I haven’t any family who can provide support. All I get from social workers, the school and the psychologist are rather patronising explanations as to why he is behaving the way he is, and I already know why. We’re struggling along and things are getting better but I wish I’d been a bit more forthright from the start and asked for more practical help.
Anyway, fingers crossed it’s good news and if it isn’t then you’ll be surprised how well you manage to get through everything. xx
Hya Helen, I have just been through all this myself, they took six samples from my right breast for clustered calcifications, I have regular mammos every year at the family history clinic, I lost my twin sister to breast cancer nearly three years ago just after our 39th birthday, that’s why I have yearly mammos, I am still awaiting my results as they were not ready for last weeks meeting, I hope that they will contact me after tomorrows meeting,mi hope you get the resaults you want, good luck, xxxx
Oh mardijane I can’t even begin to comprehend How bad that must be for you added to the stress of yearly mammos … That,s why in the short time I have been here I am so amazed by everyone’s positive approach and cheerfulness in the face ofsomething the first reaction is … Cancer oh that’s life threatening… I have fibromyalgia ibs and chostochomdrits and arthritis I joined a fibro website… Oh my I stuck it for 2 weeks they were all so miserable and complaining … I got really depressed by it all and fibro isn’t life threatening just a bloomin nucience. I love the positively on here. I am really hoping both our results come back negative … Fingers crossed for you
Helen xx
Thank you Helen, breast care nurse just rang me, the biopsy has been looked at three times and each one said still indeterminate, got to go back to see surgeon for a diagnostic biopsy, still in limbo, xxxxx
Thank you Helen, breast care nurse just rang me, the biopsy has been looked at three times and each one said still indeterminate, got to go back to see surgeon for a diagnostic biopsy, still in limbo, xxxxx