Hi Alison
Just picked up your thread, and wanted to say hope you are as OK as you can be! - the endless waiting for tests and results is awful - and you have had the added uncertainty around your results. I have found these forums fantastic - for support and information - keep in touch, and I really hope you get some answers soon. I had a couple of MRI scans - fun, aren’t they?!!
If you DO have to have further tests or procedures, at least once you KNOW - you feel as if things are moving forwards.
Take care
Lizzy
Hi Alison,
Hope you are okay and that the MRI scan went as well as it could do.Hopefully you are over the ‘fireworks’ stage and a clearer way forward will start to emerge for you.
I had my results yesterday after a two and a half hour wait at the hospital.Realistically they are the best I could have hoped for .I have DCIS which is a pre invasive cacner- my cells haven’t learnt the skill of getting out of the duct yet! This is good news as it is effectively a Stage 0 cancer my breast nurse informs me.
However, with all of this there are always twists and turns. Apparantly they didn’t get it all out so I have to have another WLE on 1st May. If they can’t get it all then I may still need a masectomy.
So now I’ve got a new set of things to get my head round. The clarity definitely makes it easier.
Fingers crossed for Monday xxxx
Love Freddie xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi Freddie,
Sorry, I nearly posted again last night to say I saw your news in the other thread, and for you not to bother having to post again to this thread. It can be quite a time-consuming job updating friends and family etc with all the latest news can’t it?
Isn’t it funny how what one considers to be ‘good news’ can change so quickly after being (only probably in my case at the moment) diagnosed with BC? Having now gained a tiny smattering of knowledge, I feel as if I would welcome a diagnosis of DCIS gratefully, but if someone had told me a month ago that I would think a diagnosis of non-invasive cancer was a ‘good result’, I would have thought they were barking mad!!
I am disappointed for you, but glad it is not worse news. You sound upbeat and it sounds like you still have your sense of humour and that is great to hear. I do think you’re being very brave Freddie. I am glad that at very long last you have a definitive diagnosis and that this is making you feel a bit better/clearer about things.
I’m sorry to hear they didn’t get the whole lump out and that you have to have another WLE. Perhaps this one may be a tiny bit easier for you as you will be an ‘old hand’ and know what to expect. And if any dental patients on the ward start complaining, I would give them a good smack - and one from me! 
!!!
Alison
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Hi Alison
just wondering if you are ok?
Have you had your MRI scan. Are you any further forward- hope things have got a bit clearer for you,
Thinking of you
Freddie xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi Freddie,
Thanks for asking. The MRI was not especially conclusive (I don’t think anyone thought that it would be entirely, more that it would help one way or another). The results look ‘suspicious’, I am told!
So, I am having another kind of biopsy (mammotome) on Thursday. The hope is that this will prove definitive, but given I seem to be confounding the hospital with my results(!), they are already making the next plan for me in case it’s not (an ‘open’ biopsy under general anaesthetic)!!
I am finding it very frustrating not knowing!
How are you doing? How are you feeling about your second WLE? Is it Friday you go in and will you be in and out same day?
Alison
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Hi Alison
I am glad that your MRI went ok but sorry that you are no further forward. Oh the frustration of not knowing is just awful isn’t it?
Ive never heard of a mammotome?? Is it a biopsy under mammogram??? The other op that they may be planning sounds like another way of describing what mine was. It’s only that which diagnosed it for me too. Thing is, you have to wait for the op, then wait for the results after that too- oh the waiting!!!
Well I’m kind of looking forward to my next op. I think the olnly reason look forward to it is because I know I’ll be getting a little further into getting sorted out.I’m in Fri morning and out the same afternoon so won’t be too bad.If you do end up having that it really isn’t so bad so try not too get stressed about that.
My virus has returned as I tried to go back to work last week. Silly, too much too soon I think so I’m on strict doctor’s orders to stay off!
Thinking of you and keep positive.
Love Freddie xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi Freddie,
I didn’t hold out much hope of the MRI being definitive! I’d never heard of a mammotome either so made the mistake of googling it - not a good idea - and scared myself to bits!! It doesn’t sound like a barrel of laughs, but then what is do with BC? I think it is a biopsy under x-ray (mammogram).
Do you feel better mentally having a definite diagnosis? Everyone is saying to me I will feel better when I know what is happening but I am struggling to get my head around the concept that being told you definitely have cancer is ‘better’ than where I am now which is being told I very probably have cancer. It is such a enormous help to have you guys on this forum to talk to about this as I am not doing well with talking to my close friends and family about how I really feel as I seem to always be either putting a brave face on things/laughing it off or else consoling people close to me who are finding all this very upsetting.
I really hope Friday goes well for you Freddie, I will be thinking of you. So sorry to hear you have a virus on top of this as well! You have the next three days to try and shake that off before your WLE, so I hope you are able (as much as possible) to try and rest and recover until then.
Take care and I hope you are feeling a lot better soon. And please let us know how you get on.
Alison
XXX
alison, if thats what a mammotome is then I had one! And honestly it was fine and the xray staff were lovely! Freddie - hope you’re ok…mary x
Alison, the waiting is the worst thing ever! I did feel better once I knew definately and what is now to happen, like freddie I am back in for 2nd WLE. Obviously you don’t feel better in other ways but at least you know where its all going!
I’m also a bit like you with friends and relatives, but inside fell so different, all very stressful!
Take care and keep posting!
How are you Mary?
Freddie, Friday getting nearer!!!
Love Debs xxx
Alison, know exactly what you mean when you say you end up consoling others, and putting on a brave face so as not to upset people. But you have every right to be upset, confused, angry - whatever - this IS a tough time.
And, yes, it sounds strange to say you will feel better when / if you get a Dx of cancer, but, at least you then know what you are dealing with, and you can get some sort of time scale in place, and then crack on! At the moment - your mind will be racing - full of “what ifs” - the imagination is an incredible powerful tool, but in this situation, it doesn’t help!
Debs, Freddie - good luck with the 2nd WLEs, Freddie, hope the virus is held at bay. I’ve just had a phone call from hospital inviting me for my rads planning appt and CT scan on Friday - so busy day for all!
Take care, keep in touch
Lizzy XX
freddie and debs - will be thinking of you on friday xxxx I’m doing ok now debs, third lot of fec hit me harder but think I’m back now - day 13 today, due first lot of tax next week - the day my son (10) goes into hospt for his little op (circumcision bless him) so it’ll be a fun day…mary x
thanks Mary, hope your son is ok and not too sore!!!
I’ll be coming to you for advice when I start chemo!
Lizzy hope all goes well on friday for you!
love debs xxxx
Thank you everyone for your messages.
I am having the biopsy this Thursday, then the hospital left a message on my answerphone today making an appointment for me to discuss the biopsy results the following week (7th May). This surprised me a bit as I had been told the mammotome may not be conclusive (if so, there presumably would not be a lot to discuss!) and they were already potentially planning the next step of an ‘open’ biopsy under general anaesthetic. AAAAAAAGGGGHHH, I’m sure you’re all right and that I will feel better ONCE I KNOW!
I feel bad moaning on here as I am very aware that a lot of you wonderful supportive ladies have far more to contend with than I do at the moment. I just want to say how much I appreciate the support 
Alison
Dear Alison
You are not moaning, honey - we all know what you are going through, and it is tough.
Take each step at a time, ask as many questions as you need to. Let us know how it goes on Thursday, and take it as a positive that you have an appointment next week - it’s better when things move quickly, check out some posts from a lady called Sue, in Spain. Different set up over there, she has had an incredible 6 weeks (I think it is now!)wait for her results!
Good luck for Thursday, if we don’t catch up before,
Take care
Lizzy XX
Alison - don’t worry, it really helps us too to know we can in some little way help other people as we know from being there ourselves…just realised today is the day so sending you lots of positive thoughts and (((hugs))) keep in touch, mary x
Another HUGE thank you to all you guys for your support. I really don’t know where I’d be without this forum!!
Nothing health-wise is every straight forward with me! At the hosp today, they couldn’t do the mammotome. My understanding of the procedure is that it is taking biopsies (under x-ray) and I found out today that once they get the needle in place, you have to maintain that position for 20-30 mins and they ‘sweep’ the needle round, taking more cells than a core biopsy would. One of the nurses said it is like coring an apple! But they couldn’t perform this on me…I think I have mentioned I do not have a big chest to say the least (!), and it was deemed not possible to perform the mammotome as the needle is so long (eek!) that it would have ‘gone in one side and come out the other’, which apparently would not have worked! So, I had x-ray/ultrasound/more core biopsies, all of which I have had done before. I am in quite a lot of pain after the biopsies (which I wasn’t last time). So, it’s head down and go back for results on Thursday.
Alison
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Hi Alison
Oh dear. Sorry to hear about that. It does seem frustrating when nothing seems to go as planned doesn’t it? Surely they should have had an idea that they wouldn’t be able to do that before they planned it for you? Hopefully the pain will soon subside,make sure that you take some painkillers to help you out.
Still there is still the chance that the core biopsy will be more revealing. I wonder whether they’ll end up taking the lump out to define it?
The waiting is so frustrating isn’t it? Try and do something nice this week to take your mind off things.
Take care
Love Freddie xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi Alison
Poor you, those core biopsies aren’t fun. Hopefully, this time they will have enough tissue to give you some answers.
Rest up, look after yourself, I know right now it seems a age till results day - but we’re all here for you.
Love
Lizzie XX
oh no alison - then I didn’t have one, mine must have been a core biopsy as it def wasn’t kept in, just sounded like a gun/stapler…hope you feel a bit easier soon, mary x
Thank you everyone for your messages. You are all so kind, despite what you must be going through yourselves.
The hospital told me when I got there that they might not be able to perform the mammotome, but they had a couple of tricks up their sleeve to try and ‘fool’ the machine into thinking my chest is larger than it is. When these did not work, I must confess that the coward in me was mentally turning cartwheels to discover they were ‘only’ going to do core biopsies! :-)) I was not looking forward to the mammotome!!
I don’t know if there is an answer to this question, but can I ask, where does one find the strength to fight this? In the last few days, I just seem to be pushing everyone who is close to me away! I don’t seem able to talk to anybody about this, apart from posting on this forum. I keep searching within myself for my inner strength, but I can’t find it! I think it has got frightened so has run off and hid!! I am really hoping that when I get some definite answers I will be able to get myself together.
Freddie, how are you? I hope that your second WLE went as well as possible and that you have managed to shake off the virus.
And I really hope that everyone else is doing as well as can be.
Alison
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