Hi my name is Jenny
I am back again for my third biopsy. Had a strange dream a couple of months ago that i had breast cancer in my left breast. One week later i developed an abscess in my left axilla, then found lump. I have been told that a local hardens the breast area which makes it harder to find the lump (surgeon told me this). i am so dreading having to have this done with no pain relief. Any one else had abiospy with no local. I imagine it will be a fine needle aspiration. BTW can they tell from ultrasound what it might be and if so do they ever suggest a lumpectomy without doing biospy?
Thanx ladies x
That’s a lot of questions Jenny; I’ll do my best to respond.
As far as I know they don’t do a lumpectomy without at biopsy. I’ve never heard of anyone having a local for a biopsy - I certainly didn’t. It hurts a bit and feels a bit bruised afterwards, but is not something to worry overly about - easier said than done.
Good luck
Kinden
x
I had FNA of lump amd nodes and core biopsy of lump and def had a local for the procedures. They found where they wanted to take sample from via the ultrasound, I’m a bit rubbish with needles but don’t know what I would have been like if they tried to do this without a local,wouldve been peeling me off the ceiling.
My ultrasound man was able to say he was pretty sure that it was a cancer as he had 20 years experience of looking at them,however the FNA came back inconclusive but the core biopsy confirmed the cancer,I appreciated him preparing me for the bad news,so it wasn’t so much of a shock.
Good luck Jenny.
Sandra x
i had a local it only affects the skin so if they are doing a biopsy near the surface then they may not want to use local… however if you want a local you can ask for one even if your doc doesnt usually use it… iv had BC twice and 3 biopsies under local and it hasnt made finding lumps more difficult… think i would be asking where to find the research on this.
you are entitled to have local if you want it… if they arent willing to give you an injection you could ask them for a script for emla cream which numbs you from the skin inwards and takes about a n hour to work.
dont be fobbed off if your not happy… you are the one that has to consent to treatment they dont just have the authority to do as they please.
best of luck
Lulu x
I think I had 2 biopsies in one day. The 1st one is the fine needle biopsy, with NO local. I think I was just too scared to the point of numb. I’m usually very scared of needles, but didn’t feel very much. They did a few other tests for me while waiting for the result to come back. When it was confirmed as cancerous, they wanted to do another biopsy to check the kind of cancer, this time with local.
When they mentioned local, I chickened out and had to go out and called one of my friends to be with me. (silly I went on my own in the first place) Never thought it could be me. Do take some one with you!
All the best x
hi ladies
thankyou for your responses. Last two biopsies were done on cysts and i kind of knew they were at the time as doc was pretty sure. Unfortunately on this occasion thats not the case. I went in for minor surgery consultation for the cysts i keep getting under my arms, thought that maybe the lump i had in my breast was related but told it wasn’t and have been fast tracked. Everything seems a little different on this occasion even my attitude, i just feel like its not me who is going in there tomorrow. Its all a bit surreal. I cant bare the thought of you ladies who have already been diagnosed sitting there and getting your results, it must have been terrible. I spose i kind of feel that life at the moment is still so called “normal” and by next week everything could change. I have already constructed lists of what i need to buy, arrange and so on. Did anyone else feel like this? A strange kind of calm. Weird. But this lump feels very different, hard and there seems to be some swelling in the surrounding tissue, lymph nodes i think.
xxxx
Hi Jennalee,
I think many of us can associate that ‘spaced-out’ feeling that comes with the uncertainty. You are perfectly normal! Hope it all works out okay.
Good luck,
AlexG
My FNA aspiration was done without local, the core biopsies were done with locals, I had to wait two days for the Core biopsies results to come back but I already knew that it was cancer from seeing the tumours on the ultrasound scans the week before. Also, the mood in the room changed and you could feel everyone knew they were dealing with BC. Once I saw the surgeon and he confirmed ILC it was like watching someone else, it felt weird, surreal, and as the mx was scheduled for 10 days later, I went into organisational overdrive to make sure school runs, meals, shopping was organised in advance. It takes a while to sink in and still just over six weeks later I can almost not believe this is all happening, this “spaced out feeling” is quite normal, I think! xxxxhugs, Tina.