Hi LunaMuna
LynR posted this lovely reply to your post in the Ask Our Nurses area of the Forum. I have moved it here for you so that you will be able to see it,
Best wishes
Anna
Digital Community Officer
Hi LunaMuna
So sorry to hear you are having to face this, its a very worrying time. I was recalled following a regular mammogram and like you had to have ultrasound and more in depth mammograms followed by multiple biopsies which were very unpleasant. I was in a complete state of shock as must you be, it came like a bolt from the blue, I too had to wait about 10 days for the results of the biopsies - it is a very worrying time and I can understand how anxious you are everything is a blur, during this time you have discomfort from the biopsy site and this in turn because it is sore reminds you of the very thing you are trying hard not to worry about.
When I returned for my results one of the breast care nurses was with me whilst the doctor gave us the results, for me it meant an area within the milk duct that had a high concentration of microcalcifications which in tself is not necessarily cancerous, however if left untreated and it changed or became invasive it could turn cancerous, therefore the best option is to remove it whilst it is still quite small this I was told is called DCIS (Ductal Carninoma In Situ) I was advised the best thing to do is have surgery to remove this area so that it did not have the opportunity to spread/change/become invasive, things moved very quickly from there and I was booked to see a surgeon who advised us what he woud do and that the surgery would be day surgery and depending on what they found I would probably be home by tea time - all very matter or fact for those that deal with it every day but a huge shock to the system for someone facing it for the very first time like us.
Your Breast Care Nurses will stay with you during your consultations and they make notes of what is said, what questions are asked (Ithink this is because it is all too much to take in at the time - you can always ask to speak to them and they can check back in the notes and confirm what has been said which is reassuring - I remember coming out of that consultation and my head was spinning I felt like a zombie sitting next to my husband on the way home) It took a couple of days to get my head around what had been said and what was to come. My op was called a Wire Guided Wide Excision and took around 2 hours although it was a long day waiting for my turn. The surgery went well and recovery took about 10-15 days and I was lucky I had a holiday already booked to look forward to afterwards which gave me something to aim for. Try not to worry too much until you have to - easier said than done I know because I did exactly that. I am now on annual mammograms for the next 5 years and my first one since the surgery is in January - I admit I am a little anxious about it as things are still a little tender but the ladies who post on here have reassured me that the discomfort can be managed with regular painkillers, the anxiety I feel about what might show up this time is bubbling away under the surface for now and it may come to the fore nearer my appointment but what will be will be, there are no guarantees with this thing and we just have to go with it and hope and pray for a good outcome.
I hope you have a good result and dont have to have surgery but if you do know that the team looking after you have your back and will do everything to make it as bearable as possible. They are experts in this and can answer all of your questions and hopefully help you cope with your worries by giving you the facts and explanations you need. Remember this is your body and you can ask as many questons as you need to to satisfy your fears. I wanted to know everything and pushed for "worst case scenario what am I looking at?" they were honest with their answers and therefore I was prepared to deal with "worst case" if I had to.
I would suggest - be kind to yourself, try and have something good to look forward to so that you have a focus for the future - take care of yourself before and after and maybe let yourself be spoiled by those around you. There is a lot of information on here and I have to admit to asking some pretty stupid questions but everyone has been very helpful and supportive with their answers. I have my fingers crossed for you and hope all goes well when you get your results, good luck xx
They may want to do further tests if your biopsy is negative because the imaging is suggesting it's likely to be cancer but it's important for you to know that they don't always get it right. It's wise to prepare yourself of course but please don't feel this is a foregone conclusion.
If you Google inflamed breast or breast lump it will always come back with cancer but there are many other reasons too, I had a lump that was benign and breast cancer that wasn't a lump. This limbo stage is awful and it's impossible not to worry but it will only make things worse than they need to be if you spend your time in a state of panic Xx Jo
Many thanks for your response. I am glad your daughter in law was okay and managed to have a happy wedding day.
I overheard the radiologist saying that the calcifications are in a straight line. Also, I was told by the breast nurse that even if the biopsy results come back negative that they will ignore this.
I am absolutely terrified right now, especially since the skin on my breast is still red and i have been googling (not anymore) and loads of stuff comes up about inflammatory breast cancer.
So horrible being in limbo right now.I
Xx
Morning, welcome to the forum.
Calcifications are always investigated but they certainly are not always cancer. Many ladies come through the forum in your situation yet some of those those who have been told it's most likely to be breast cancer do come back to report that all was well after a biopsy.
The most important thing is you are getting it checked out, it would be all to easy to blame breast feeding and pass it off so good on you for pursuing it, it's not an easy thing to do even though we know it's the best thing in the long run.
Nobody wants to be facing this but we all here have and you cope if you have to, things are often not as bad or frightening as you may be imagining. Try and stay off google, it can't help you and will only fill your mind with horror stories, it's all speculation at this point so try not to let it get the better of you.
Its awful having this hanging over you especially with a little one at Christmas but what will be will be and no amount of worry will change things. My daughter in law found a lump in the weeks leading up to the wedding and didnt get results until after their honeymoon but she chose to not let it ruin her day and held her head high in spite of being sore and bruised from her biopsy on her wedding day, all was well thankfully.
Dig deep and keep busy Xx Jo