Hi all - I found your forum about a week ago now when I got my first ever abnormal mammogram. I’ll be turning 46 in about a week. I had went for my annual screening, not having any issues and thinking all was going to be normal like my last two have been. My screening mammogram found focal asymmetry in the left breast and calcifications in the right, and my breasts are Heterogeneously dense, so I was sent back for a diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound if needed. Reading your forums, I learned that recalls are pretty common so that helped me not panic too badly.
The diagnostic ended up ruling out any issues with the right breast, but the left side needed the ultrasound too. Ended up being told that while they couldn’t see anything on the ultrasound, the mammogram was showing a 1.3 cm density spiculated mass, and they recommended a stereotactic biopsy. The lymph nodes looked normal. I go in for that on May 9th. Rated birads 4, suspicious for malignancy.
So now, the anxiety has ramped up high. Difficulty eating, sleeping, all of it. Trying to stick to reputable sites for research, but the word “spiculated” has me convinced it’s going to be cancer so that’s what I’m trying to prepare for. Been reading your forums and it does seem to help some with the anxiety. But I have massive health anxiety and some OCD tendencies surrounding medical issues so I’m trying to keep a handle on it. We’ll see what happens with the biopsy. Thanks for reading and for any advice/reassurance you can give.
Welcoming to the forum, we are all here to support you. Firstly take one day at a time at the moment, this is so hard for you, waiting for appointments and results.
Taking a notepad is a good option, making notes at home before you attend your appointment as we intend to forget the most important questions on the day. Maybe take someone along to the appointment for extra support.
Please let us know how you are getting on, wishing you health and happiness going forward.
You are in the worst anxiety-inducing part of the pathway. We’ve all been there, I do empathise. How I dealt with it at the time was by looking at the positives. I didn’t need to google too much as I already knew a bit about breast cancer from all the googing I did when my mother had it.
So I focused on, having been told it’s suspicious, that it was a thing of about 1cm, so not so big. Your ‘thing’ so far, is less than 2cm, this is an important size. Below this, chances are, if the thing is a cancer, its a stage 1, with hopefully less chance of spread at the moment and very treatable. So worst case scenario- which we all consider- is not that bad.
Other strategies of dealing, was distraction from pondering on it. I happened to have been half way through C25K when I found the lump, so got very serious and determined to finish it - I managed the last half hour run the night before surgery.
I carried on throughout treatment doing what exercise I could ( it was a lot less during and after radiotherapy, so I upped the frequency to compensate).
No harm in prepping, but that doesn’t mean its all doom and gloom. I ended up with a not so bad situation, if I was going to get a cancer, then a rare type of slow growing one, is not so bad. I suppose I found out that I am more of a glass half full person, though realistic. This situation teaches a lot about yourself.
I too am new to this forum since finding a lump, having a mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy. And like so many others am struggling with the wait for results. I was wondering whether ‘good’ results are still given in an appointment? I am trying to visualise the worse case scenario so it won’t be such a shock and trying to look at any clues for an indication of the results.
I found my lump 3 weeks ago and everything moved so fast I didn’t have time to think. The doctor said it was suspicious and he would be surprised if it wasn’t something but that was it…. I was like - what does that mean??? Anyway I found this forum shortly after and it has given me a lot of comfort and strength. It has also given me lots of new terms and names that I had never heard of but also a way of finding out what these all mean. Thank you for the forum. It has already been so useful and I know whatever the result, next Wednesday!, I will be able to rely on the forum for support.
So sorry to read you post, we are here for you with love and support.
Unfortunately, this is the worst time for you, all the waiting and worrying not knowing what way this is going to go. There are lots of our lovely ladies who have a lot of knowledge, also a breast cancer nurses on this site are always around to answer any questions.
At the moment, be kind to yourself, take one day at a time I know this is easy for me to say when your feeling so anxious, have a notepad to scribble down anything that you might need to discuss at your next appointment.
Wishing you well, health and happiness going forward, please come back and let us know how you are doing.
Had my biopsy today, really wasn’t bad at all. No pain, nurses and doctor were fantastic. I was in and out in about an hour. Now we wait for results, they said 3-5 days but sometimes faster depending on how fast their pathology dept is running. Still preparing for the worst, but surprisingly enough feeling much calmer about it overall. This forum has helped dramatically. I’m sure once the results are uploaded to MyChart there will be anxiety again, but I will handle it and move forward with whatever needs doing!!!
Results are in, and no one is more shocked than me that it was benign. I have PASH in that area. Apparently nothing to worry about and going back to normal annual screenings (I’m in the US).
