At my last doctor appointment he recommended I go for an ultrasound and a mammagram. I have ultrasounds every few years since I was 25 as I have a number of fluid filled cysts then like to keep an eye on… so I assumed it would be a breeze - last ultrasound was 3 years ago.
Anyway this was my first mammagram (I am 50 next month) and afterward they did an ultrasound but the tech had issues with my right breast. She said “i can feel something there, maybe dense tissue, but i cant find it” and she struggled to get an image as she said it was shifting moving around. Eventually she seemed satisfied though that she had an image.
Anyway next day, yesterday, I get a call back that the radiologist wants another mammagram and another ultrasound on that breast. and I start to worry. Appointment isnt till Jan 3, “earliest available.”
Then today I get a call from my doctor’s office to see him Jan 4, and says its not urgent, and it sounds like they didn’t even know i had a second mammagram and ultrasound booked?
So what’s going on? It sounds like they found something on the first test thats was enough for the doctor to know he would want to see me non urgently, but at the same time the radiologist wants another look? How could the doctor know its not urgent given the second tests havent been done yet? Something the first report said made him think it wasnt urgent even though the radiologist wanted more tests - why?? Or maybe he has a weird idea of what isnt urgent…
So confused and worried. And there goes my relaxing Christmas. Any idea whats going on here and what this could be?
@gm_thomson - Mmmm, yeh, bad enough that something suspicious has been found by the Oncology Dept, and good that they’re checking further into it, without the confusion with it that your GP has added. If I were you, I’d cancel the GP appointment on the 4th, and just concentrate on/see what your further tests on the 3rd reveal. Definitely sounds like some miscommunication by your GP, which you really don’t want confusing things right now, hey.
Am sooo hoping all’s okay for you. Please DO keep us posted.
Fingers crossed and Lots of love to you, dear lady, Delly xx
I’m sorry you find yourself in this confusion. Radiologists need to be really certain and, if something comes back unclear, they must follow it through. That doesn’t mean you have breast cancer though. That is not conclusive until you hear from a specialist, as Shi always points out. Quite rightly: 60-90% of breast referrals turn out to be benign. As for the long delay, my hospital has a waiting time of 13 weeks for scans. Unfortunately they’ve put on extra clinics so my quarterly scan is on Bank Holiday Monday! So the delay does sound par for the course. If they strongly suspected something malignant, you’d be in there tomorrow!
GPs usually take no further action once you’re in the hands of the hospital so I’d say i) might it be about something else? ii) you are LUCKY you have a GP maintaining contact with you. I’ve just plucked up he courage to email my practice to say they’ve left me feeling invisible as I learn to deal with my diagnosis with zero support or contact with them! Maybe you could just ring them and ask what it’s about?
You have a long wait now so maybe spend some time on your emotional wellbeing, making sure you get enough sleep, doing things that make you feel good, whether it’s running or baking, family or outdoor walks, meditation or mindfulness… There’s some good stuff out there to help. There are the NHS-endorsed apps, Calm and Headspace. I found my comfort and strength through some videos on YouTube by Progressive Hypnosis, but there’s a massive pool of resources on YouTube if you search and try things out.
I hope things turn out to be ‘something and nothing’. Xx