Sorry, another one about waiting

I had an appointment at the breast clinic on the 20th July because a few weeks earlier I had fallen off a horse and a subsequent CT scan revealed as well as breaking several ribs, the radiography had spotted what he thought was a fibroadema but recommended further investigation.

My lump is not palpable and did not show on the mammogram but did show on the ultrasound and measured 12mm and didn’t present as a fibroadema. I then had a core needle biopsy at the same appointment.

On Thursday I spoke to one of the breast care nurses at our hospital and she said my results still were not on the system but my name was provisionally down for the MDT meeting the following day. If they didn’t come in on time for that meeting, the next meeting doesn’t take place until next Wednesday which will mean I will probably get a call from the hospital on Thursday for an appointment if they need to see me again, otherwise I will receive a letter.

Next Thursday will mean I have been waiting for results for 4 weeks which seems like an extortionate amount of time where most people get their results between a week and 2 weeks. I was told at the time of the biopsy that results might take 2-3 weeks but this is getting so hard now.

I am not quite sure why I am typing this because there isn’t actually anything anyone can do about the wait. I liken it to be stuck on a tube train in the middle of a tunnel with just emergency lighting and not knowing when the train will start again. Its extremely frustrating and although I have been quite positive, trying to be proactive (as much as possible) and getting on with life, I am now really struggling with the wait.

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Hello @nettietoo
I’m so sorry you find yourself in this situation, there is no two ways about it, it’s horrible! I know this doesn’t sound much like comfort but most people diagnosed with cancer of any kind will tell you that the wait and the not knowing is probably the worst part of the process as your imagination runs riot.
The only advice I can offer you at this point is keep doing what you are doing, as you say worrying about it isn’t going to change the outcome. What I will say however is that IF you are diagnosed with breast cancer, please don’t assume the worst: breast cancer world looks very different from the inside compared to the outside. It is unfortunately one of the most common cancers but that means it’s one of the most treatable, there are far more people than you might realise who have had breast cancer treatment and are living happy healthy lives.
I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you that you get some answers soon and that the news is positive.
Please don’t hesitate to pop back onto the Forum at anytime, and ask any questions, it is a lovely online community (as is the real life breast cancer community) should you need us
AM xxx

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Hi Nettietoo, I recently had a 5 week wait for results, the hospital admitted they were breeching cancer targets due to mammograms being stopped during covid causing big backlogs. It was the hardest 5 weeks and I was provisionally put on the mdt list like yourself only to have to wait another week. I can understand your anxiety totally. Once I had my diagnosis and a treatment plan I felt so much better and more in control. I hope your results are good news. Stay in touch with the med sec and call Thursday after the mdt. Wishing you all the very best x

Sorry I haven’t come back to update but the good news is that its a benign mass which was fantastic news. I called last Tuesday after being told that I would be phoned on Monday if I needed a face to face appointment and there was no call, the breast nurse told me a letter was being sent to me and it was benign. I don’t know what kind of mass, the letter doesn’t mention it and I would like to know but of course, the bottom line is its great news and a huge relief.

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Thats great news @nettietoo. Thanks for coming back with an update, as it does help others who are waiting in a similar situation.

Wishing you well xx…