A good while back I had a pulling sensation in my left breast and tenderness. My doc referred me to the hospital and two weeks later i saw the specialist. He had a feel around and said there was nothing untoward but they would call me in for a mammogram in three months time. I went for this three weeks ago and today I received a recall letter. My appointment is in four weeks time. I am petrified and extremely worried. Not sure how I’m going to get through the next few weeks. My mind is racing. Why did they make me wait three months for a mammogram? By the time I go back for the recall appointment it’ll be another 7 weeks since the mammogram. I don’t know what to think. I’m such a worrier
Hi Dizmoo,
Well it’s good you are being properly checked out. It sounds like you were not referred under the 2 week rule, but had a non urgent or 'standard referral, hence the longer wait.
It’s not unusual to get a recall letter after mammogram, especially if it’s your first one, as they don’t have a comparison, it just means something needs a closer look & mostly, it is Not bc.
Easier said than done, but just try to carry on as normal, avoid google & try to distract yourself.
take care
ann x
Hi Diz,
oh, I see what you mean I missed the 2 week reference in your original post.
Is it worth going back to your gp or ringing them to see if the appointment can be brought forward?
Also it might be an idea to post in the ‘ask our nurses’ section.
If you want to, let us know how you get on.
ann x
Thanks Ann
Its a thought to see if I could get the appointment moved forward but things are a bit upside down here as yesterday my mum in law passed away. Needless to say I didn’t sleep much last night.
I’m already fed up of prodding my boobs checking them! The wait is just horrendous
The annoying thing about recall letters, so I was told, is that the recall could be for anything…the images were no good, they want to compare another set of images from a second mammogram, there is something benign they can see (remember it is a breast clinic, not a breast cancer clinic, so they deal with all sorts of problems), there is something they’d like to biopsy ‘just to be sure’. My Mum was recalled and it was a ‘shadow’ on the image, so they re-did the mamo to be sure. I can entirely see why you are very anxious, being recalled is a horrible place to be…you’d rather just have written in black and white why they are recalling you, otherwise your brain naturally goes into overdrive.
What numbers have you been given on the letter? A consultant’s secretary ? The clinic? The reason I ask is that I its perfectly valid to ring someone for clarification on this matter, because, lets be honest you’d just rather know what is going on even if there is something suspect?!
It does seen like your local breast clinic is struggling with timescales, they must be quite busy to get a recall letter after 3 weeks, it usually should be within the first 14 days for a recall for something suspect. The fact that your appointment (for another mammogram?) is in 4 weeks, I reckon either means they are really busy with patients or they don’t think it’s urgent. I think you should find someone to call, explain you are so incredibly worried and 4 weeks is a long time to wait after recall.
Well I can’t quite believe what’s happened this morning. After receiving a recall after my last mammogram on weds I received another letter this morning saying my mammogram was normal!! I didn’t know which letter to believe so I phoned the hospital to find out what’s going on. Yes my mammogram is normal but the doc had put in his notes that he still wants to see me two months after my mammogram anyway!! All that worry!!
Thanks for all of your replies and help but looks like I’m ok ?
If I’d only got that letter first!!