Had my long awaited clinic appointment today and it was was rubbish. For 3 hours (mostly waiting around) I got prodded (hmmmmmm no lump but ooohh it is a bit lumpier there…) squeezed & mammogrammed (Ouch !) then told when someone looked at it I would be contacted. I will get a letter in about 3 weeks (minimum). Might say I’m ok, might say they’re not sure so will I come back in for ultrsound & FNA, but we "can’t say " as we’re not allowed until the flunky looks at the results, then writes to the consultant, who then writes to my GP. They’re very busy at the moment. Now I feel so much better. Not.
I was referred as I have a painful area in my left breast obviously will be over the moon if they come back and say it’s not cancer, but if they discharge me is that it ? Or do I find out what the lumpy sore bits are ? Am more stressed now than I was before as I was counting on today giving me some information but in terms of speaking to people (as opposed sitting waiting for them) it was all a cursory look and no questions answered. I felt really rushed in and out of various rooms and all I got was a leaflet on what the clinic did and taking ibruprofen for the pain.
Is this all normal - I feel very fobbed off and miserable now !?
hi nicky - sorry you had a crap time - all I can say is it must be so different for different areas - not that that helps…we have a one-stop clinic where it is all done on one day - see cons, fna, mammo, u/sound etc but obviously not everywhere does - doesn’t seem fair how it varies - the waiting stinks and makes it all the harder, just wish I could say something to make you feel better…:0(
Thanks - I’ve just phoned the Consultants secretary who has made me feel slightly better in that if the radiographer was really worried they would have given me an ultrasound then - but she did add they were not doctors hence the vagueness. I saw the consultants clinical assistant apparantly (is that a qualified person ??) I would like to know what the lumpiness is though if it’s not BC !
It is horrible when you are herded around without any proper answers to your questions. A clinical assistant is a qualified doctor, usually a registrar which is one step below a consultant. I am surprised that they didn’t see you after the mammogram to discuss what happens now. I can understand that they possibly didn’t need to do further tests at the moment, but it would have been nice for you to hear that from the doctor themselves.
What will likely happen is that once the team have looked at your mammogram, they may make a diagnosis from that as to your lumpiness or they may recall you for more tests. I had an ultrasound at the end of January (follow up after my surgery) and didn’t get a letter explaining what they had found until this morning explaining that all was well. It is this bit that is by far the worst but I think if there was anything sinister you would be called in more quickly.
yea i must depend where you are. here their meant to do it all in one appointment and theyr meant to do a mammogram and an unltrasound generally, so thats abit silly if u might hav to go back for one. general lumpiness can be many things, hormones, infection, dunno.
Thanks…I did feel a bit thrown out and door slammed behind me !It was very rushed. I do appreciate it’s very busy and they see it all on a daily basis, and in most cases it’s not cancer but it’s new to me and my body and I think they forget that. It’s not that I really mind having to wait for results but nobody talked to me. As my dad would say, they treated me like a mushroom.
But never mind - If it had been a definite I expect something would have happened on the day so I’m going with the no news is good news theory…
Nx