Waiting paintently to progress through the steps #yyc

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hello, 

I just turned 22 less than a month ago. 

I found four big lumps less than a week after my 22nd birthday. 

I went to the doctor cause they didn’t go away. She seen them portraying the skin, and barely had her hands on my chest when she told me she would be referring me. 

Two days later, I went for an ultrasound. Of course they couldn’t disclose anything to me, but what they had found was over 10 lumps, or spots, or balls, or whatever, in just one breast. I even had some going up into my arm pit. 

They wanted me to get a mammogram done immediately, but the radiologist was far too busy to take on any more patients that day. 

The next day my breasts have almost doubled in size and so much as gravity hurt my entire chest. There is also one lump that has swollen so much it has started to disconfigure my breast and actually feels like there was something stuck to my shirt or something. 

I am in Alberta, not from here, have Alberta health, but no family doctor. Who will be getting my results to tell me? The referring doctor? My doctor from the maritimes? Do I have to search for the results? 

What are the next steps from there? Mammogram, biopsy? How bad is a biopsy? Will it disconfigure my body? Will it hurt? What’s the proceedure? 

Then what? I’m so extremely extraordinarily terrified. And I have absolutely no support team near, close by to hug and hold me. I feel like I am alone in all of this. 

I really honestly truly hope that these lumps are just swollen glans or maybe cystic, but what’s the difference? Between cystic and cancer I mean? Wouldn’t they still want to remove cysts? Or do they go away on their own? What caused them? 

 

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Oh darling what an awful time you’re having, I’m in the uk so can’t answer any questions about your healthcare system.

You are certainly going through the mill, and alone too.

I don’t know what next for you mammogram,ultrasound maybe, cysts can be drained, biopsies are not too bad, a little bruised and sore after.

The worst bit is the waiting and worrying my thoughts are with you.

Patty

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Hi scurd.  That’s a lot to be coping with at 22 and without family/friends nearby for support, so sending a hug across the pond to you (((22-scurd))).  

I have no knowledge of Canada’s healthcare system, but I would get in touch with the doctor who referred you.  Hopefully she will be able to explain the most likely tests that will be used and the process for getting results to you; it’s hard to focus enough to ask those kinds of questions when you first find something unusual in your breast, so I am hopeful she will be understanding.  Writing down all your questions is a great help and writing down the answers is useful too - we don’t always remember everything that’s said and then what we remember often gets twisted and amplified when we are on our own and scared.

 

In the meantime, there is a lot of factual, balanced and downloadable information on this website breastcancercare.org.uk/information-support/publications/browse-order.  Some of your questions re cysts etc will be answered in the pdf files.  I am not medically trained, but have had a lot of ultrasounds, mammograms and biopsies and for me, how I felt about the procedure depended a lot on the person doing it.  In my experience, most are kind and respectful and I wish you a fabulous team of compassionate professionals.  Please let us know how you get on.  We may be thousands of miles apart, but you are not alone xx