On Monday I went for my first routine mammogram (I’m 50 in August). Everything went fine with the left breast. When they were doing the right breast it was very painful. When the radiographer said “you can breath again” I happened to look over and the radiographer and the nurse were both looking at the screen, then the radiographer muttered something and a look went between them that sent shivers down my spine and is etched into my brain. I’ve barely slept since. Then on Friday afternoon I received a call from the hospital asking me to go there tomorrow morning for more tests.
There is a lot of breast cancer on my mothers side. My mother and great grandma are the only ones who didn’t have breast cancer (my mother had kidney cancer). I’m terrified they’re going to tell me I have cancer, I just can’t get that look out of my mind. I knew I was going to be called back because of that look. My husband says it was completely unprofessional and I should complain. I know it isn’t cancer until I’m told it’s cancer and normally, with call backs (smear tests etc) I’m usually quite calm but that look has me convinced it’s bad.
Even IF it turns out to be bc, then the mammo has done it’s job in picking it up so that it can be sorted out. Although of course, it doesn’t feel like it ?
Especially for first mammos, recalls are quite common & mostly it’s not bc.
My bc was picked up by screening & now I’m so glad it was, as it’s usually early & easily treatable when detected this way. So even IF you are diagnosed, it’s certainly not the end of the world & outcomes are excellent now.
Try not to read anything into it, they will get to the bottom of it at the recall appointment, the important thing is, it will be dealt with, whatever the outcome.
I am really sorry that you’ve had a week of worry . . . . please ask questions when you go again, or take someone with you if you can to support you? It can be difficult to get straight answers from anyone other than the consultant, and I too have misinterpreted body language from a lovely BC Nurse - but that wasn’t anything she did wrong, I asked her a question that she was not in a professional position to answer, and it is easy to read ‘evasiveness’ as ‘bad news’. Good luck, and let’s hope it’s a recall that is ensuring all is well for you.
I totally agree with the other posts about not reading too much into expressions of the radiographer. They are always anxious to make sure they get a sharp image and enough of the breast and chest wall in the frame. So they do tend to huddle and exchange serious glances between one another. Well, that has been my experience with mammogram since finding a lump 5 years ago, well under the age screening starts.
I appreciate that with there being some history of BC in you family you it is perfectly natural to worry. Do try not to stress out too much since there are many non harmful causes of lumps and one type, fatty necrosis can look extremely similar to a cancerous lump during mammo or ultrasound, which is why a needle biopsy is often carried out in such situations.
I do hope you don’t need to become a member of this club, but if you do there is always plenty of support on the forum.
Hi everyone and thanks for your support. I went to my appointment and they redid the mammogram and did an ultrasound. Then they told me I needed to have a biopsy done. I went for the biopsy yesterday. They actually did two biopsy’s, as there are two lumps close to each other. So now I’m waiting for those results.
Over this past week, I’ve cried, I’ve shouted and then my closest friend came back from America. Two years ago she lost both her parents to cancer within six months of each other. I wasn’t going to tell her, but we’ve known each other most of our lives and she knew there was something wrong. She wouldn’t let it go until I told her. She’s been wonderful and, thanks to her, I’m now at a calm stage where if it is cancer, it will be dealt with and if it isn’t, brilliant. We’re all still worried but at least I’m sleeping now ? I’ll let you know what happens at my results appointment