Hi all
Been lurking for a while reading everybodies worries, inspiring stories. What a rock this site has been for knowledge.
I found my lump on the sunday before new years eve and after a battle with the receptionist for a drs appt got one on nye where gp found the lump also stated about 1.5cm and moveable so she thought was cyst. Referral to one stop shop at breast clinic where I had my appt on wednesday.
Was seen by a consultant who stated there was a lump and that i would need a mammogram and possible scan due to my age 39 and density of breast maybe not showing on mammogram. I had the mammogram on both breasts and was taken into the scanning room. i was then told the consultant radiologist wanted to rescan my right breast (no lumps on this one) which they did and was more happy with the results. She then proceeded to scan my left breast and i could see the lump clearly she stated it wasnt a cyst but that good sign was that it was movable she did fna and then told me she wanted biopsies that would take a week to come back. But that the results which would give me an indication would be back within the hour. I panicked a little but gritted my teeth and had the biopsies done. I then went back up to the consultant who called me back within the hour to tell me i had fibronadeoma and that the slides from the fna had been clear. He told me it was about 2.5 cm and that it was best left well alone. I was then told another area had been found just behind/below the original bump that also needed looking at and i would need to come back next week to have another biopsy and fna. I asked him why this wasnt biopsied at the same time and he stated it was palpable (couldnt feel it) and only showed up on mammogram and not on the scan so radiologist couldnt get to it and he would try again on Thursday next week. i am now worried that my original bump is masking something else. I asked him if he could not do the biopsy today and he said because my breast was swollen and bruised due to biopsy just taken he still could not feel the lump and it wasnt showing up on the scan. I am presuming that he will have to go in blind so to speak not guided by scan for fna or biopsy next week. I know you dont take all the info in when you are in the room but I am a bit worried and confused as to if she couldnt do it the first time how is he going to do it ?? Also after reading many stories on sight found that it is not that rare for fibrodemas to be masking something else or when taken out found out to be cancerous of some sort.
He has told me to leave it alone but i would feel better if it was removed, i dont care if im scared because i know i wont leave it alone and will be paranoid that it will change or mask other lumps tha i wont be able to feel. Am i being silly? Anybody else had experiences of this.
I am back on thursday with the results of original biopsy and for him to do fna and biopsy on other lump so looks like more waiting
I’m sorry to read that you are having a worrying, tough time at the moment. I’m sure the users of this site will be along to support you soon.
In the meantime if might help to talk things through with a member of our helpline staff who are there to offer emotional support as well as practical information. The free phone number is 0808 800 6000 and the lines are open Monday to Friday 9.00 to 5.00 and Saturday 10.00 to 2.00.
Hi sherrilou, I really feel for you and wanted you to know that your post is being read.
I don’t have any answers, and am going to try not to speculate as that’s probably not very helpful! As Sam has said, do give the helpline a call; they are brilliant and answered questions that I’ve had in the past couple of months, and provided a shoulder to cry on. I found a tiny lump (2-3 mm) in my left breast at the start of October, so small that my GP wasn’t convinced there was anything there and asked me to come back after my next period. I duly went back, and she still wasn’t convinced but referred me to the breast clinic, which I attended a week later. On going there the doctor who examined me found the lump to be about 1cm, said it was probably a cyst and sent me away as not urgent to return for a mammogram and ultrasound 2 weeks later. When I went for those they discovered that the lump was solid, said it was probably a fibroadenoma, and took 2 core biopsies from it. When I went back I was told it was an atypical apilloma, and needed to come out so had surgery just before Christmas. I went back yesterday for the results, absolutely bricking it because I was convinced that I had cancer, to be told that everything was fine and dandy and completely benign. By some million to one chance, I had 2 lumps; the smaller one that I found, and the bigger lump which appeared between my visiting my GP and the breast clinic, in exactly the same place. The ‘atypical’ papilloma was actually the entire (benign) papiloma and a tiny bit of a fibroadenoma, the rest of which they removed during surgery. I have spent the last 3 months convinced I had cancer, have been put on a stress management plan at work, and have lost half a stone as a result, when in actual fact everything was benign and could probably have safely been left where it was. I cannot tell you what is going on in your breast, but I know that until you are told otherwise you will imagine the worst, as I did.
I know that I was very bruised after the core biopsy, and the biopsy itself completely changed the fibroadenoma’s shape so that I thought it was growing. Of course you want it out, and in my case I’m pleased its gone, If the fibroadenoma had appeared first I would never have found the papilloma, or anything else behind it. I imagine that it is a sensible precaution to let your breast settle a bit before they remove anything else from it. It may be that when they go back in they will use something to guide them, or it might be that the person you saw previously wasn’t senior enough to take the biopsy and that is why they were unable to do it; the doctor I saw had to call a colleague in as the lump went under my nipple, and he wasn’t confident he would be able to do it. Good luck for Thursday and, if you can, take someone with you for support. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Doctors are very good at assuming that we have the IQ of a baked potato and not telling us what we need to know. Post back, and tell us how you got on.
SB xxx
Hi Sherrilou.
Wow all that happening in such a short space of time. I can’t imagine how you feel but know I found it all a bit surreal. There is so much information and terminology to get your head around. Ask them for a writen copy of all letters etc.
It would be lovely if they could do an ‘and sleep’ (hypnosis) and you wake up when it’s all over. In the meantime it’s a kind of nightmare.
I did find that this site helped me as it has so much information. I used the time to try and research as much as possible so that i’d be better prepared if they started talking in technical terms.
Walking also helped and I carried on working for the normality value it gave me.
Hope you can manage to get some support over the next few days as you wait.
Regards
V
Waiting is the pits and is definitely the worst bit - whatever the outcome. Don’t worry about them finding the bit they want to investigate - they will! I’m sure they have other tricks up their sleeve.
Certain things don’t show up on ultra sound scan, only on mammogram or MRI. I had my main ‘lump’ biopsied using ultrasound as a guide, but had to go back the next day because they also wanted to take samples of areas of calcification they’d found on the mammogam. They had to do this while I was squished in the mammogram machine to guide them (they took before and after pics to check they’s sampled the right area and got some) Not pleasant, but copable with - they do use a local anesthetic.
The lump was cancer - the calcifications were benign. All that was just over two years ago and I’ve just had my second clear mammogram since diagnosis.
I hope that it all goes well for you and (lovely as everyone is) you don’t find yourself needing this site on a long-term basis.
Good luck
Dx
Thank you for all your replies. I went back this afternoon and was told its not a fibrodeama (sp) and that the biopsy has shown it needs to come out its something in between, Even more confused now she said its not cancer nor is it normal its something in between and needs to come out. I also had a fna on the 2nd lump and due to get the results in two weeks as im off on my hols on Monday. Dont know what to think, Do you think its like a smear in that you can have abnormal cells that could turn to cancer so they take it out ?
Replies appreciated