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How embarrassing is that? My mind is always jumbled the past few years and if I don't write things down on my calendar I forget them. When I made the apptn with the MRI dept. I was in my bdrm and wrote the date down on a small piece of paper and told myself to write it down on the calendar which I never wound up doing.

My older brother who can die at anytime because of a bad heart needed me to come and help him put up his bamboo roller shades. Try puttting in a screw into a piece of wood w/ a regular manual screwdriver with a fibromalgia...... I was in AGONY for 3 days after the 1st attempt. WE decided to leave the shades till he purchased an electric screwdriver. So we waited as the months went by to finish putting up the rest of them. It's just my luck that the day I go there to help him is the day I'm supposed to be at the hospt. getting my MRI performed.

You could imagine my dissapointment upon finding a msg. on my answering machine from the MRI dept. when I returned home.

what led me to the reason for having the MRI to begin with was because a couple of years ago, I found a change in my right breast. I found 3 tiny marble shapped lumps, which feels like lymphnodes, not irregular masses, on the very edge of my right breast where a mammogram can't pick up on vision because where they're sitting is ontop of the ribs, edge of breast. I even pointed it out the mammo technician but no one ever decided to come and speak to me about these lumps.

I did wind up having my general surgeon who specializes in the breast to ck it out. I was referred to him years ago to watch a cyst that formed and for some reason he just had me continue coming back to him to perform my breast exams. He said because of my family history of both sisters having bc that I should always get my breasts ck'd by him.  He said they were part of the breast makeup and not to worry. I eventually didn't have to go back to him anymore.

fast forward.... 3 yrs go by. I had made an apptn. w/my gyno so I can get my RX script for my estrogen patches that I've been on since 2005 due to my total hysterectomy I needed due to chronic ovarian cysts plus adenomyosis. She also gave me a pelvic exam and ck'd my breasts. That's when I decided to tell her my right breast felt funny. It felt thicker and both of my breasts are painful when pressed on. I never had this type of pain in my breasts before.  being I'm on estrogen, straight estrogen, plus family history, she decided it would be wise of me to get an ultra-sound performed on my r/breast.

I finally had a chance now to get those lumps ck'd out. The technician is not allowed to tell you what she see's but mine did. she said they were lymph nodes and even ck'd the other breast in the same region to make sure it wasn't just part of the breast makeup. She said it was only in the right breast and that my gyno would have the results in 2 days. My dr. usually sends a letter to my house stating the results came out fine. Instead, one day when my phone rang, it was my gyno on the other end telling me that she recommends me to see a breast surgeon just to be on the safe side and have the breast surgeon decide what to do. I went to the new dr., she examined me, told me it was part of the breast tissue and I got dressed and went home. An hour later I recieve a phone call and it's the breast surgeon. She told me she needs to talk to me and that she went over the four page history sheet that she has people fill out before they go see her. Mine was so much history on it that she didn't take the time to read it all before she examined me. She also went on to explain to me that she enters the data into something to get a percentage of the patients risk and that 20% is considered high risk and that mine was 30 or 35%. She told me she wanted me to get an MRI of both breasts and went into detail what the exam entails. I told her I felt safer with the idea of her wanting me to get this performed. I liked her right away upon meeting her and feel she really knows her stuff.

There might not be anything wrong with me, which I hope there's not, but it sure makes me feel good to know that this dr. is going through every attempt to make sure there's nothing wrong. She also told me that by looking at my two past mammo's and reading the report that I had to bring that there's also an enlarged lymphnode inside the breast, which I can't even feel, because it all feels lumpy to me anyway.  I'm 48 yrs old. She also told me that just being a WOMAN puts us at risk for breast cancer and not only to go by the fact that both my sisters had it. she told me they dont' know WHY woman get breast cancer and feels it's enviromental.

My former breast surgeon who I had been seeing for years not once ever suggested I get an ultra sound, OR an MRI for that matter, so you could imagine my concern as to why they were doing it now.

I have to admit that I'm a little nervous but I shouldn't be because it's not like they found calcifications or a mass. they're just lymph nodes, right?

I read alot of the ladies posts here and not one person mentioned that they're breast cancer was found in a swollen lymphnode. I guess they call it a intrammory node? or something close to that name?

I rescheduled my new MRI for this coming monday in the morning. so this way I can finally get it over with so I don't have to worry. I"m a worry wart by nature most would say.

The Dr. also told me that I didn't have to get the MRI performed that quickly so I thought she meant I could take months to do it, but she ended the sentance by saying, don't wait longer than four weeks and that she wants me to make an apptnt to come in a see her.  That's probaby why I got a little nervous. meanwhile, this is probably all precautionary exams.

I finally found a good doctor. which is hard to come by for me.

 Lintek44:

As I read through your post I was happy to see at the conclusion that you have rescheduled your MRI for Monday morning.  You have had problems in the past and you also have a family history of breast cancer.  You GYN made the right decision referring you to a breast specialist. 

I was not diagnosed and have not read of swollen lymph nodes in the breast.  I'm sorry I can't offer you any information about this.  But the women on this site are very helpful and I am hoping that somebody will be able to help you.

Make yourself a big note and place it on your refrigerator.  It is important that you remember to go.  You need this appointment to make sure that there are no additional abnormalities. 

On the positive side your most recent mammogram did not show any calcification or masses.  That is terrific news.

I wish you the best of luck with the MRI and please keep us posted so we know how you are doing. 

Thinking of you.

sheri lee

Lintek44,

I'm so glad you are finally getting your MRI so you can find out what's going on. I'll be praying for you this weekend that its nothing, but if it is, we are here for you. Please let us know how things turn out.

Robin 

thank you for your kind replies Sheri lee and Robin.

I did wind up having the MRI and then another ultra sound performed in a different facility which is a breast imaging facility by the radiologist herself. after she read the MRI, she said that she wanted me to have the 2nd ultra sound to see if it matched up with the MRI.

The technician couldn't see the spot, but as soon as the radiologist came in and performed it, she found it. she said that if I hadn't had the MRI that someone would've had a hard time detecting it in the right breast. she also found something in the left breast as well but feels it may just be a fibroadoma because of the shape of it but want's to be on the safe side.

So I'm set up to have a core biopsy ultra sound guided by my breast surgeon, not the radiologist who I thought was going to perform it, which the breast surgeon agree's I need to have the bilateral and she explained in detail to me what will take place and how she's going to put in  titanium markers and that only a small incision will be made in each breast. The good thing Is I won't be getting any type of sedative so I can drive myself home when the procedure is done.

the breast sugeon also told me on the phone she's happy that we didn't have to do the MRI guided biopsy because not only would it be difficult for me, but for her as well. she mentioned to me in the last office visist I had with her after the MRI that if I needed to have a biopsy, she wasn't sure yet which way it was going to be guided.

I guess if it wasnt' shown on the ultra sound we would've had to do it MRI guided. I had NO idea it was difficult for the doctor to perform. This is all new stuff to me. I never thought I'd wind up ever having to have a biopsy of my breasts.  This is my very first time. I'm really not nervous about it either, which surprises me. I was more nervous wondering wether I'd need the biopsy when I was waiting for the date of the ultra sound to arrive.  Now that I know, I feel more at ease. it's either it is or it isn't now. I find that worrying about something that hasn't happened yet does not help in the least. It only makes me tense which I wind up being grouchy and then take it out on my loved ones.

My date for the bilaterall biopsy is June 4th at 9:00 a.m.

The day I was there for the ultra sound, the doctor had mentioned to the technician to make sure the other patient wasn't in compression while she was waiting for the radiologist to finish up with me. so when the technician was out of the room, I had stated something about what she said,  and she told me that some patients get extremely nervous about a biopsy and some can't be left alone.

Just wanted to give an update of what's going on.

I'll let you know what the results are when I get them.

bye for now.

Linda

 Linda, the best of luck with your biopsy. Yes, the not knowing is the hardest part. Once you know, you can come up with a plan of attack and begin your fight. It will give you something to focus on. Please let us know how it goes.

 Dear Linda, it's the fear of the unknown that is so hard. I hope everything goes well for you, I will keep you in my prayers. We will wait for your results. Please let us know, and know we are always here for you.

Cajun Lady

thank you ladies for your wonderful support.

Did any of you have the core needle biopsy? and if so, did any of you experience pain afterwards?

what level of pain would you say it is?

I don't tolerate pain too well and this is why I ask before hand.

To me, I'd imagine any time the flesh is cut, there's going to be pain in that area afterwards.

I don't know exactly how large the incision is and how deep it is, plus, how large are the titanium markers? Do they leave them in after the biopsy? or are they put in just for the ultra sound biopsy?

I ask this last question because not too long ago, when I went to a different MRI facility to have my hip examined, on the questionare sheet they give you to fill out before the exam, one of the questions happened to be that. " are there any titanium markers in the body? Which I remember this well because I'd never heard of these before. I didn't know what they were used for.

I'm just curious is all.

I'd appreciate any input.

Thank you for your help.

sincerely,

Linda

Linda,

I had a core needle biopsy on April 27th.  It was done by my surgeon.  I was numbed so i didn't feel anything at the time and in fact I watched what he was doing on the ultrasound.  I did have pain later that day and had vicadin for the pain;  I only had to use it once.  Then I just used tylenol.

Also in response to your question about swollen nodes;  I had one node that was swollen when i went to my Gyno for yearly.  Since I was schedualed for a mamo already she said we would just check it out then.  Well it did turn out the mamo showed two masses in the right breast with a group of linier smaller spots nearby.  I never felt the larger masses and still do not.  Thank God for the swollen node!

 I had the core bx done in April....if I hadn't know I had it doe, I would have never known!!!!  No discomfort during, very little bleeding , swelling or pain after.......never took the tylenol and felt fine the next day!

susied

 Hi Linda,

I had a core needle biopsy and I never even used Tylenol.  I think they numbed up the area really well, and I really had very little discomfort.

The incision was very small, maybe 1/2 inch?

Following that, I had a lumpectomy and sentinal node biopsy on May 6th.  They gave me Vicadin, and although I did not really have pain that night, I decided to take the Vicadin as a preventative measure.

Unfortunately I found out that I am of a very small percentage of the population that Vicadin wakes me up instead of relaxes me.  I was wide awake all night (but with no pain, LOL).  So I never took anything else after that -- not even Tylenol.

I only feel twinges of pain on my incision sites, but really all went so smoothly.

With the needle core biopsy you do need to make sure you have some ice packs at home -- frozen peas (encased in a clean zip lock baggie) work beautifully.

Hope all goes well,

Let us know how it all goes.

Betsy

Thank you ladies for all your tips and what you personally experienced from the biopsy.

Aeisele2, I'm sorry to see that you wound up having B.C. but you're right, thank God they saw the lymphnodes.  Do you mean if the lymph nodes weren't see on the mammo, they wouldn't have been made aware of the breast cancer? Did you feel the enlarged lymph nodes? and were they malignant or benign?

Some breast cancers can't been picked up by mammograms OR ultra sounds either. I'm learning alot the past month or so. I do know that MRI's are great, but they too have their problems, like alot of false positives for instance. But I'd rather wind up having a breast biopsy to find out it was negative. so what for the false positive. I"d rather thay catch the problem even if it meant having to go through the stressfull event of having to go through the biopsy and the waiting period.

You're just newly diagnosed then? How are you feeling? and what is your course of treatment now that you've had the chemo?  I read a little about you. IF I wind up becoming a member here in the cancer forum, which I hope i"m not, I will write something about myself to share with others also.

susied and Betsy, I don't see anywhere what your results wound up being?  I pray they came out negative.

I thank you all again for the helpful tips.

It's very much appreciated.

Good luck to you all,

Sincerely,

Linda

  First I encourage anyone reading this to pass the word along that if you have had lumps for a while and the mammogram and ultrasounds DX them as such, DEMAND an MRI!  My good friend did and she has been diagnosed 2-3 eyars too late.  She is in stage 3.  She begged me to do the same.  She saved my life.  I have been misdiagnosed for awhile and the MRI caught it early.  My Dr. was shocked.  I have a good outcome, my friend-not so much. 2nd  I had a horrible radiologist do my 6 core biopsies.  I am still bruised over a week later  and was very sore.  He was a bad Dr. in other ways too.   I requsted that he NOT be a part of my surgical team.  Don't forget to speak up!  it's your life!!