Hi everyone, I feel a bit of a fraud at the moment and I don’t know why but just writing on this forum is making me very emotional. Anyway, I went to my doctor 2 weeks ago after finding a lump in my right breast. She referred me immediately to my local breast clinic where she said I would be examined and given a mammogram. I went for my appointment today and after waiting well over an hour I was taken into a small room where I was asked to undress and wait for the doctor. I had to sit there for another 20 minutes undressed to the waist until the doctor came in. When he did come in he didn’t introduce himself he actually turned his back on me and started reading my notes. He continued to ask me the necessary questions with his back to me then started to examine me. While he was doing this he was talking to the nurse about a thickening and about how my right breast was larger than the left. Eventually he said I would need to return to the clinic for a mammogram as they were short staffed and in his words “I have seen over 20 women today and can’t give you a mommogram as we only have one machine”. He then asked the nurse to arrange for me to come back for one within the week. I then asked what he thought and should I be worried and he told me I should not worry until I get the results from the mammogram. I don’t know if his uncaring manner was just part of his cultural background but I haven’t slept and have lost weight worrying about all of this and instead of having answers tonight I have been left feeling numb and lost a bit.
Hi Speedy
It is alright for him to say dont worry - what are you expected to do with no news and no answers! What a horrible experience. He should move into another area of medicine!
Many lumps, and I have had a couple, will be found to be cysts or non cancerous growths and so he may be right. Unfortunately, there is nothing to do but to keep busy until you have your mammogram. Until you have the tests no one will know the outcome but the statistics are on your side.
I will hope that you do not join us here on the site and that all is OK but please let us know.
Thinking of you
Janette xx
Thanks for the quick reply I really appreciate it. My husband has been very supportive over the last couple of weeks and as I haven’t spoken to anyone else about this its good to know that I can get things off my chest here. I have two sons aged 17 and 14 and they both attend the school that I work in so I don’t want to risk them finding anything out as hopefully it will turn out to be nothing to worry about.
x
Hi Speedy,
Sorry to hear you have had a lousy time, try not to worry, I know that is easier said than done.
We all know what it is like to attend the breast clinic and that emotionally it is frought. Your doctor may have been trying to be discrete by not looking while you were undressed, wear a cardigan you can put on when undressed that you can take off quickly when exam is to be done. The doctors move from room to room seeing women in a busy clinic and I would think he was just rereading your notes and asking things he needed to know, it is a pain that you have to come back, at least it is very quickly.
Try not to take this to heart and when you are back at clinic talk to the Breast Care Nurse about this weeks visit.
We all feel very vulnerable at times like this and very stressed try to keep calm and take someone with you to keep you company and take notes for you as it’s hard to remember what you have been toldas its all such a whirl.
Best wishes and good luck, hope your appointment next week goes well and you get good news,
Regards Bev.