How can I get through waiting for breast biopsy results ? I had the biopsy done 2 days ago and will probably have to wait a week for the results. I have a hard mass with disorganized margins. I have read that these types of masses have a 90% malignancy rate. Even though I can’t confirm that statistic, it is stuck in my head. For 2 days I have tried to remain positive and keep myself distracted, however nothing is working. I am scared. It is all I can think about. Can someone please help me?
Hi shely
First of all, I’m sorry your in this position. It’s a very scary time because our heads are full of old tropes about breast cancer, most of which no longer hold water. There’s been so much progress, so many different treatments and new drugs, that almost all the old ideas about breast cancer have been proved no longer valid.
Speaking of old, how reliable was your source? The one thing we all say on here is avoid Dr Google. It’s outdated, it may not be relevant to your specific situation and it pays no heed to our emotions, which can be sent into overdrive, as you have found. Just to give you an example, I (by accident) saw the prognosis for my own situation - it was 9-13 months between diagnosis and death. That was 18 months ago and I am still on the same first-line treatment, with a menu of others after that. It’s not a great situation but it shows that we are NOT statistics, we are people, each with our specific diagnosis and our specific responses to different treatments.
So, how do you get through the next week or so? First, you stay off Google and any other health-related sites! Whatever you read will scare you. In fact up to 90% of first time referrals turn out to be benign and, as Shi, one of the community champions, always says, you do not have breast cancer until your consultant has told you. You have a hard mass with disorganised margins - but I’m guessing no one has said they suspect you have breast cancer, just that it needs to be investigated further. Yes, you may be in the unlucky 10% but the odds are against that - until you get the facts from a reliable source ie your consultant.
Second, you be realistic. There is a chance you may get a bad diagnosis, but that diagnosis will save your life. There may be shitty treatments ahead and you may be fearful of losing a breast or going bald but, in the grand scheme of things (ie Life) they are so unimportant. One thing you need above all is resilience. There is a lot you can do now to build up your resilience, in case you do need treatment. Mindfulness, meditation, yoga, running, baking - do what helps you feel yourself, not a bundle of terror with possible mistaken assumptions. There are NHS-endorsed apps like Calm! and Headspace. I swear by YouTube videos by Progressive Hypnosis. I’ve used them daily since my first diagnosis . I’ve learnt to breathe through my diaphragm, I’ve learn how to take my head to a safe place, and I’m managing way better than a lot of people. But you do it with commitment - it’s a good investment for whatever the future holds. There is nothing you can do to shorten the wait so you do what you can to make your life bearable and control those powerful emotions like fear.
I sincerely hope you get good results from the biopsy but, if you don’t, I promise it’s all manageable, if not quite what you envisaged for your life. You will get through it. Wishing you all the best
Jan x