Just after Christmas, I noticed a swelling in my left breast. After going to my GP, she referred me to the breast clinic for further investigation. After having an examination, the consultant sent me for a mammogram (my first one as I am 44) and when it was done, I went back to the waiting room. 10 minutes later, I was told that more images were needed of my left side and once completed was called in for an ultrasound. A lump had been found and I needed a biopsy.
I’m sure I heard the nurse talk about a spike but I was too nervous to ask what that meant, unfortunately, I’ve since turned to Google for an explanation and wish I hadn’t. If there is anyone who knows what that could mean, please let me know.
I knew that it would take 2 weeks for the results and I received a call yesterday to attend clinic on Tuesday. If all was well and the lump benign, wouldn’t I have been told over the phone?
The waiting is just awful, I just want to know now.
My Mom had breast cancer at 58 and her sister at 50.
Thank you for reading my story, any advice is appreciated.
This period of waiting is very hard and very painful, particularly if you have a family history of breast cancer. I agree with your inference that calling you in on Tuesday means you don’t yet have the all-clear BUT it may be that they need to conduct further investigation, so please don’t jump to conclusions. Also, those who ring you for appointments are not in a position to give you any kind of information so you can’t deduce much from that.
My mother had breast cancer twice (two different types), one of her 6 sisters died from breast cancer (aged 86) and two others recovered from breast cancer. That’s quite a family history. Yet my own breast cancer showed no genetic link! So I guess I’m saying try not to second-guess at this stage and, as you have now learned, keep away from Google. We don’t advise against it for nothing!! It would be better to ring the nurses’ helpline (number top right). The service is exceptionally good and the information honest, accurate and in context, unlike Dr Google.
In the meantime, use the time to build up your resilience in case you need it. Mindfulness, meditation, yoga, anything that will get you into a healthier place than endless fear. Calm and Headspace are two NHS-endorsed apps. You might find something there to help. I use Progressive Hypnosis’ s videos on YouTube. Cure Anxiety is a good one to start with or Heal Your Body (long or short version) which is based around diaphragmatic breathing. Certainly it’s a good investment in any case but, with daily practice, this kind of thing really does help.