Found what i thought was a small lump on my left side last saturday, doctors monday where she informed me i have a 7cmx4cm lump on one sideand a 4cmx2cm lump on the other side, urgent referral to hospital
on monday for ultra sound scan, mamogramme and possible biopsy I just need to run away
Hello,
You must be very worried by this course of events - but well done for going to your doctor and getting yourself checked out. Obviously only the medical professionals can answer your questions, and they will do the tests to find that our for you.
Just about this time last year, I found what I thought was a small lump, and which my GP thought was a ‘most probably’ cyst, and which turned out to be large and to be cancer. For a long time I thought it was my fault - that I should have found it earlier (I’m too young for mammagram screening) but actually even experienced professionals can’t always be sure what they are feeling, which is why they need mammgrams and ultrasound to help them. If it does turn out to be cancer, the lump size is only one factor, and they have many kinds of treatment, there will, if needed, be one for you.
It sounds as if your hospital has a ‘one stop clinic’ from what you’ve described and some of these will give you a diagnosis before you go (mine certainly did). If it turns out that these lumps are cysts, they may well be able to drain them straight away, if not they will probably do both a Fine Needle Biopsy (FNB) and a Core Biopsy CB). The FNB reuslts can be processed very quickly, and at my hospital I was asked to wait an hour for them - during which time they gave me a cup of tea. Core biopsy results take a bit longer (days) and, if it is cancer, they will also do tests to help them determine the best way to treat it. These procedures are more uncomfortable than painful, and they will explain everything as they go along.
I really hope that you are one of the many, many people for whom this turns out to be a benign condition, but if it doesn’t, you will find lots of kind, helpful folk on here who understand how you are feeling.
Take care and try not to worry too much betyween now and Monday.
Sending a cyber hug.
oh my goodness, what a shock it must have been to find them. I feel as if the moment I spilt tea on my breast and found a lump is a newsreal that still plays over in my head sometimes.
Its all happening so quickly isnt it? A week ago you did not know you had a lump and now in two days you will be a the breast clinic–it cannot be happening–right??
Its such a horrid time, not knowing if they are going to find a couple of cysts, drain them and send you home or if you should be giving in your notice and shopping for wigs. (dont laugh I had already started looking at wig and hat websites before I had my first apppointment)
Well lots of people will tell you not to worry, will say 9 out of 10 lumps are not cancer. But it is only natural to think—what if i am the unlucky 1 out of 10??
this weekend is going to be hard, just not knowing what is going to happen. Hopefully you will be back on here monday saying it was a false alarm. If they do have to take tests (very quick and painless) then you will have another wait for confirmation of what the lump is.
But there are lots of different cancers and lots of different treatmetns. I had a biggish lump out four weeks ago and am now back to my normal life, with full energy and movement. My treatment is radiotherapy for a few weeks, and then hormone tablets. so although it would have been better not to have cancer, and certainly not to have the emotional roller coster of worrying about results, I am one of the lucky ones that had a pussy cat of a tumor that can be dealt with very quickly.
Be good to yourself whilst you are waiting. Shouting at loved ones is common, hidding under the duvet, cracking open a bottle of wine, or just sat howling in a corner. Dont try and act as if nothing has happened, accept that this is a devestating blow, that might turn out to be nothing, but in the meantime is scaring the crap out of you.
i hope you are taking someone with you on monday. Unless you are a very calm, self reliant person it is good to have some company for the hours you will be there, a second pair of ears to remember what the doctor tells you, or someone to to go for a drink with to celebrate two drained harmless cysts.
Dear Stephand,
Finding a lump in your breast doesn’t necessarily mean you have breast cancer, but your doctor has done the right thing and got you a speedy appointment for all the tests. There are benign conditions it can be, but they need to check you out thoroughly. It is horrible waiting and everyone here knows what that feels like and sympathises.
The tests themselves are not bad, honest, it is the waiting in the dark that is toughest.
Do you have anyone in real life to talk to over the weekend?
Read the section headed “Worried?” on the information side to help you get used to the jargon.
Unfortunately we can’t just say “Phone up the Helpline” as it is the weekend, but keep posting on here. If your appointment is late on Monday, it might be helpful phoning up the helpline in the morning on Monday.
Most new patients at the Breast Clinic do not have breast cancer, so keep that in mind. We hope you don’t have to join us here but if you do we are all lovely- well, except when we have a rant or come in hear to scream about what is annoying us ;o)
And have just seen you have had really good replies from Revcat and Oldandlumpy-why am I so slow at typing? don’t answer that!
Best of luck and remember to come back and shout or whimper here if it helps
Lavender
Thank you all, i should also get results on monday ihave a 10.45 appt for the tests and a 2.15 appt to see a consultant. i just cant beleive i could have such large lumps and not know about them the gp did me no favours in telling me, also she said its not cysts can she know this just by feeling?
Personally, unless she’s a breast specialist I’d wait until you see the breast docs before you go bananas with worrying.
They might not be cysts, but as has been said before there are several other benign breast conditions that are NOT cancer, so you might find you have something called a fibroadenoma for example, which is often removed even though it’s not cancerous (and so doesn’t require further treatment) or one of the many other non-cancer, non-cyst conditions. But no, even the specialists can’t tell what it is until they do at the very least a mammogram and ultrasound, and then the fine needle biopsy and core biopsy if necessary.
Good luck for Monday. Some suggestions for you.
Don’t google. There’s lots of very scary nonsense out there that’s often designed to part us from our money.
Get a notebook and write down all your questions to ask here or at the clinic.
THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A SILLY QUESTION.
Try to be kind to yourself this weekend. Forgive yourself if you have any outbursts, but do feel free to apologise to those you blow up at if it wasn’t their fault.
Please come back and tell us how you get on. If you leave The Waiting Room by the All Clear exit we’ll be the ones cheering the loudest, but if you do have to join us, we’ll be with you every step of the way if you want us.
Good luck, and I hope you’re able to sleep
CM
x
Pub Quiz this aft, trying not to think about tomorrow too much,a couple of beers might help!
Pub Quiz a BRILLIANT way to fill in the time, got asked to make up a team by a good friend I hadn’t see for a long time, she sounded a bit unsure once she heard my news, I said would suit me fine not to talk about cancer rubbish for the evening-and I won the raffle too!
My thoughts are with you Stephand.
Angie
hi stephand. at the moment your in the worst possible place , the waiting room…we have all been there, but try to remember most lumps are NOT cancer, it sounds like you have a one stop appointment, so tomorrow you should have a very good idea whats wrong. i bet this weekend has been the longest you have ever had,no one on here can tell you if its cancer or not , hopefully tomorrow you can come on here and say all clear, please let us know how you get on xx angie