Having my first mammogram and then a recall letter. I just presumed they needed clearer pics r cyst or something To having ultrasound / mammogram .. radiographer saying straight out. Ya. It’s looking suspicious. Like I thought on first mammogram To 2 biopsy’s and pin inserted on a Tue ( that recall day ) … nurse say. Ya it’s Proberly cancer. I nearly got a heart attack. I feel more info on recall needed as to what it can mean to a little bit more understanding that I was not expecting this 3 days later just b 4 Xmas surgery. X mas ruined & the agonizing wait for pathology results which have now been put out a week more. I know this is their job but I found it all a little blunt and overwhelming as I honestly thought the recall was nothing. .. anyone else have this experience
Hi Mai
I am so sorry to hear how you have been treated. I can totally relate to what you are saying. I found a lump and went in for an Ultrasound. I hoped it could be a cyst but the Ultrasound report reported it as being of concern. When I turned up for my biopsy a young girl of around 23 came in (not my Surgeon) and told me point blank I would be having a mastectomy!! This was before I had even met my surgeon or even had a biopsy!! I kind of went into shock. The Surgeon turned up later, came into the room and said “oh, I didn’t expect you to be here - i have not brought my notes” and then she did not bother to go and get them!! She then proceeded to tell me I would need a biopsy. The 23 year old was a Registrar and she had never done a biopsy before. She did not put the anaesthetic in properly and the punch biopsy was excruciating! They did not seem to get enough out so proceeded to try again. By this stage i was holding my arms up saying “No, No, it is too painful!” The Surgeon pushed me down and did a final punch biopsy. In my partner’s words “it was Medical Rape” Long story short, I felt very traumatised by the whole thing and have opted to go for my surgery in a different region with a different general surgeon. The first surgeon apologised to me before she left the room and said “that was very unprofessional telling you that you needed a mastectomy before doing a biopsy. When I came in for my results a week later there was another young registrar (maybe 25??), a male and he gave me the results. I considered putting in a complaint about the original surgeon but I felt it might jeopardise my surgery because I am in the Public System. So just know that you are not alone. Many of us have been through a very dehumanising experience. If you get a kind and compassionate surgeon you are lucky.
I am absolutely horrified at reading these two stories! I would most definitely lodge a serious complaint @cleolotus. This particular breast team need some serious investigation.
These individuals need to be brought to order, as they are getting terrible training in their early careers, and the surgeon they are under ought to be brought to order too.
Good luck with the rest of your journey, and I hope you are not subjected to any more horrific experiences moving forward.
Thank you for your kind words Jaygo. I can’t tell you the relief I felt when they said I was being offered a reconstruction which would mean two different surgeons in another area. I met both of them and straight away felt immense relief because they were both so kind and professional. The second general surgeon did a proper exam of my breast, took the time to explain everything and also brought in a box of “props” to show me what a prothesis looks like. I know that I am in very experienced hands and feel confident they will do their best for me.
@cleolotus I am so glad to read this. You are now experiencing the level of care you deserve. I hope your journey continues smoothly from here. x
@cleolotus that’s sounds like an horrific experience. Awful u had to go thru that. It’s bad enuf Anyway it’s behind me now tg. but ppl need to remember. Even thou they r doing it everyday. It’s all new to us Anyway. Surgery behind me now and treatment plan on Monday. Nervous is not the word I hope u r doin ok too x
I’m really sorry you went through this. I had a recall too and honestly thought it was just for clearer images, so the sudden change in tone was a complete shock. The way things were said to you sounds very blunt and overwhelming, especially with Christmas right there and then the extra wait for results. That waiting and not knowing is torture.
You’re definitely not alone in feeling this way. A lot of us go in expecting reassurance and instead get hit with scary words far too soon. I really hope you get clear answers and some kindness from here on in. Thinking of you and hoping the next steps feel a bit more supported.
Oh its bad enough dealing with this, without having this happen to you.
i had my biopsy done, and i said “i know you arent supposed to say anything but what you think” he just said “it doesn’t look nice” so BAM knew he meant cancer
My Dr friend said he shouldnt of said anything but ill be honest i think it was best as it made me better prepared when i was told it was cancer, that was 2023 and all clear
So glad you are all clear now. This journey has been a massive learning curve about the Medical Industry and how it operates. I have learnt from this that if someone is not right for you then make a change - don’t put up with it. I have also learnt it is not holistic…. everyone in their own departments - it all feels very disjointed somehow. I will be glad when the whole thing is in my rear view mirror!
@mai3, I had a similar experience in how I found out I had cancer. I had a suspicious area on my right breast following my first mammogram which wasn’t cancer but could turn in to cancer so was put on a five year annual mammogram surveillance. Two years later I had a mammogram that revealed a suspicious are on y left breast and went through biopsies and ultrasounds etc with the staff at the time saying they thought it might be a similar situation to two years earlier. I then got asked to come back to the hospital for results and was totally unprepared as I walked in and the consultant said to me that he thought he had seen me before and when I replied yes and the circumstances he blurted out “That’s right you didn’t have cancer then you do now”. I felt total shock at how the news had been broken, I know it is their job and probably normal for them but it isn’t for someone going through it. I hope everything works out for you and you make sure they understand how you feel and that you have everything from them that you need to make any informed decisions and get the care and understanding you deserve.
Omg. That’s shocking behaviour and so unprofessional Did u do anything about it and how are u now
Thank you for asking, I have just had my five year review and as I haven’t had any further issues have now been discharged back to my GP and routine mammograms. At the time I was told I had cancer I made the decision to change to a different hospital for treatment, one where I knew they would treat me with respect and not just a statistic.
Hi there
I had a bad experience with my mammogram recall. Having been told I had breast cancer then proceeded to do a biopsy. I felt like a piece of meat! No compassion shown at all. After a very stressful time eventually saw the surgeon who after various scans booked me for a mastectomy. I have had this plus chemo which I couldn’t finish as it made me so unwell.I have now completed 15 rounds of Radiotherapy and am waiting to see my oncologist. All I can say is it is a long and difficult road to go down but we can do this! Stay positive.So wishing you well with further treatment we can beat this.