I only found the lump last Saturday!
I only found the lump last Saturday! I should be pleased that I have been seen so quickly, but the speed and way things have happened has worried me.
I only found the lump last Saturday and left it until Monday thinking that is may be due to hormonal imbalance and time of the month. I am on the Mirena coil which prevents monthly bleeds and am not aware of when my period is. Unfortunately the lump and the pain were still there so I promptly rang for an appointment on Tuesday at 2.30pm.
I attended and the doctor examined me and gave me antibiotics and antideflamitories to clear up any infection but suggested that I should also go and have a mammogram ( my grandmother had breast cancer). He asked me to sit in the waiting room and said he would try and book me an appointment within the week, which he duly did for Thursday.
Thursday came and my husband had taken the day off to come with me, he doesn’t know how much I appreciated him offering to come. My mum is out of the country at the moment.
The specialist examined me first then sent me for a mammogram. We were then sent for a scan. This is when I became quite frightened. I watched the scan and was aware that she had not only found the one lump but several. The ones that worried me the most were under my arm (it was almost perfectly circular and very dark.)and the one I was aware of which was lighter in colour but larger. She then said that she felt she should take a scan of the other breast also. By this point my brain wasn’t functioning and I can’t remember whether she found any more. She didn’t talk to me much and when I asked her questions she didn’t really answer them fully. It felt like I was in there for a lifetime and was aware that I was crying without a sound.
From here we had to go back to the clinic and a few moments later I was asked to come into the Doctors office. He told me that they were going to take a biopsi of the lump. He gave me general anaesthetic but initially it still hurt and made a loud click as he took it. The following ones didn’t hurt but I lost count of he times he reinserted it.
Whilst I was getting dressed he called my husband out of the room and apparently told him that I will be required to attend next Thursday and possibly the one after for and MRI scan. I as so cold and shivering when I came out and they asked me if I had any questions but I just couldn’t think what to ask. They said that they would discuss it with me on Thursday when the biopsi results will be back.
All I need to know is that this is normal proceedure. Am I just being silly. I know that there are so many women out there who are still waiting for their first appointment who must think I’m so lucky to have been dealt with so quickly!
Please someone bring me down to earth! I am trying to stay positive and have not told anyone except two close friends at my work and my husband. It will just save anyone else worrying for nothing when it all turns out fine!
Thanks Spirit!
I also found a lump on a Saturday, phoned doctors on Monday, and was seen the following Monday at the hospital. My doctor had said that because of my age, 42 that I would been seen quite quickly. I had a mamogram, scan, and then biopsie. Whilst waiting for the anaesthetic to kick in I was told that it was cancer. This was all confirmed the following Monday. The waiting bit is far more nerve racking than the actual treatment. I hope you get good results xx
Sarah
I do feel for you it is a terrifying position to be in I know and your imagination goes into overdrive. It is standard practice to do triple assessment ie examination, mammo & ultrasound so I wouldn’t get too panicky about that.There are a couple of fairly positive signs that you describe though as we are all too painfully aware,BC can take many and varied forms. USUALLY, cancerous lumps are not painful and the lump you described-being perfectly round-suggests an innocent lump. Celebrate your GP who has had you seen swiftly -I was not so lucky, and I was also told before they did the biopsy that the radilogist thought “this is a cancer”. So hang in there and hopefully all will be well. Let us know how you get on on Thursday.
Good Luck
Cherry
Your support is really appreciated. Dear Cherryred and Sedge.
I have calmed down a bit since I left my message. Not having anyone to talk to makes me feel desperate. I truly had verbal diorhea didn’t I! You are both so brave and I hope that you are both reacting to your treatment positively. I will let you know how I got on on Thursday.
Thank you
Hi spirit
You don’t say how old you are.
If you are over 35 chances are you were referred quickly because guidelines say you should be. (Over 35 + palpable lump = urgent referral. It doesn’t mean you have cancer.)
If you are younger, a mammogram isn’t the best diagnostic test (breast tissue is dense and therefore harder to interpret changes in.) So they will automatically want to do further tests if any lump at all is identified. (Remember most lumps are benign.)
What you saw on screen doesn’t mean anything. All sorts of lumps - benign or otherwise - will show up on a scan. The radiologist will know which ones to be concerned about or not.
If the results are inconclusive - which they often are - they will order further scans.
Please, please bear in mind that no test - apart from a biopsy - can determine whether cell changes are malignant or benign. If one test doesn’t tell them what they need to know they will move on to the next.
Breathe in, breathe out and hope for the best. I’m sure all will be well but, if not, we are here for you.
Love
Lola
Hi Spirit
Try not too worry, I know it’s easier said then done, but they do those tests on most people… I was lucky enough that the person who did my scan told me good and bad about my lumps, I have cysts that I didnt even now were there as you cant feel them…I think you are lucky that they are doing the tests from what some people say on here there health authority seem reluctant with some things…
hope everything goes ok
love Lucy
just wanted to wish you well.I was treated quickly and whilst at the time it was totally scaring and numbing its good to get things sorted either way. good luck sharon x
The treatment and tests you have received so far are perfectly normal and what all women should get. Your referral was quick and again 2 wks maximum is now standard practice (or should be).
The waiting is the worst part and it is a shame not all authorities tell patients on the day of their first app, I was lucky, I was told on the day I had cancer so that was 1 less wait but there were many to follow as further tests are done. I had a mammogram, then an ultrasound scan. The radiographer warned me that it didn’t look good so when I got to the surgeon I was sort of prepared.
He told me that from the results so far he was sure it was cancer so then went ahead and took 2 dif types of biopsy. 1 to say if it was cancer, the other to say what type, grade etc, this was the 1st lot of waiting as it took 1 wk to come back.
At that 1st app I was given a date for surgery and I managed to squeeze in a wk away before the op.
The waiting is awful and nothing we say will help with that one other than try and keep busy, active and tire yourself out so you sleep better.
There is a chance that you will be fine as no one has rushed to say yay or nay. I hope that it is nay. Take care
Irene
Spirit
As Irene and the other girls have already said, what you have experienced is the way that all women should be treated (Macmillan & NICE standards of care) and I would have been very thankful if that was the way I had been treated! I was 41 when I was diagnosed last year and was told by my GP that I did not warrant urgent referral and it was therefore a month before I even saw a consultant! It was then another 2 months before a firm diagnois of cancer was given to me and at no time during this period was the possible diagnosis intimated to me, admittedly my treatment did start a week later.
Good luck with your results.
Lynn x
Things are Sounding Much more Positive. Hello everyone,
I just wanted to let you know that today things seemed a lot more positive. The doctor said that although the scan and mammogram had shown up areas of concern none of the biopsies taken had revealed cancerous cells.
They want to take a biopsi with the use of an ultra sound scan just to make 100./’ sure on Monday and have promised to be able to give me the results by Thursday.
They have done everything they could to make the investigation as efficient as possible. I only wish you could all have the same treatment and think it terrible that you don’t.
Thank you for helping me keep it together!