Mammogram Call-back

[stenickar]

This has happened to me twice. I had a breast reduction in Feb,2005. June 2005 I have my yearly mam. Come back they say, they do another mam and a sonogram. Go see surgeon. I have a bioposy (I call it the roter rooter) done. It seems that a stitch from the surgery did not dissolve properly and gathered fat around it. I am left with a small piece of titanium(so next year they will know why there is a spot there). Fast forward June 2006. Have mam, call back need to have sonogram.Both times have been the same breast. Leaving for Hawaii Aug 4. Call me Aug 2nd to say that there is an area, probably a cyst. Except that cyst usually send ultrasound waves back and the spot in ? does not send ultrasound waves back. Make appt. with surgeon, his office calls day before appt to say he is on call, have to reschedule(appt. was supposed to be Sept 14) for October 11. Hopefully it is nothing serious as I have waited 2 months for an appointment!!! I should have some more information on Tuesday evening, I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[DisneyfeverTN]

This has happened to me twice. I had a breast reduction in Feb,2005. June 2005 I have my yearly mam. Come back they say, they do another mam and a sonogram. Go see surgeon. I have a bioposy (I call it the roter rooter) done. It seems that a stitch from the surgery did not dissolve properly and gathered fat around it. I am left with a small piece of titanium(so next year they will know why there is a spot there). Fast forward June 2006. Have mam, call back need to have sonogram.Both times have been the same breast. Leaving for Hawaii Aug 4. Call me Aug 2nd to say that there is an area, probably a cyst. Except that cyst usually send ultrasound waves back and the spot in ? does not send ultrasound waves back. Make appt. with surgeon, his office calls day before appt to say he is on call, have to reschedule(appt. was supposed to be Sept 14) for October 11. Hopefully it is nothing serious as I have waited 2 months for an appointment!!! I should have some more information on Tuesday evening, I'll let you know how it goes.

I think it is wrong to make a person wait that long. Don't people know that every day a person waits is a day they are stressing big time! I just called to make my appointment and told them I could come in anytime. They told me they were booked and I could come in next Monday. I told them to put me on their cancellation list in case something comes up. I thought waiting until Monday was bad, but waiting two months is just not right!

 

[HOGFAN]

I have had the post-mammogram "Could you wait out in the hall please, while I consult with the head radiologist?" Then had to go in for a needle biopsy. I was pregnant at the time, and scared out of my mind. As soon as the doctor pushed the needle into the lump, it disappeared from the monitor! There were several other lumps, and he just poked them one by one, pop-pop-pop! Fortunately for me, they were just fluid-filled cysts and nothing to worry about, at least so far.

My mom, however, has been diagnosed with her 2nd occurrence of breast cancer and had her breast removed.

There is so much research going on right now as far as how to detect breast cancer, and how to treat it once it occurs. And a family friend used to work for a company that developed software to 'read' mammogram films. I think I read that the software flags a lot more mammograms as suspicious (and detects cancer earlier), so they have a radiologist read the ones that are flagged for follow-up to make sure.

This software(really just a big scanning computer) is called an ICAD. Honestly,
mostly it is a thorn in our side. Most of our radiologists hate it as it 'flags' alot of stuff that is obviously benign and can totally miss something obvious. No offense to your friend.

 

[Miss Park Avenue]

I just went through all this. I got my routine 40 year old mammos "just to get it out of the way" before my move from northern WV/Pittsburgh area to Portland, Oregon. Two weeks before the move, I get a form letter from the place I had them done saying they found something "suspicous" and that I need to come in for an ultrasound. The very next letter I opened was from my insurance company telling me my insurance ended a month earlier than it was supposed to.

That was when I had my meltdown.

But after scrambling to get cobra coverage and emergency ultrasounds, it was found that, even though they were 99.9% sure it was nothing, I had to have a needle biopsy to leave no stone unturned. At that point there was no time to have it done in PA. I had to wait until I got to Oregon. Not that the move wasn't stressful enough.

Anyway, I get here to Oregon and I find a breast surgeon and get the needle biopsy. They laid me on my stomach, on this table with a hole in it for your "girl" to go through. Then they raise the table up so they can work underneeth. If I can remember from the video they showed me beforehand, they squeezed you for a mammogram that guides the needle to the area in question to remove some cells for the biopsy. You can't see any of this because you are above on the table.

It wasn't fun. But later that week, I got the call that it was officially "nothing". I have to go back in six months for another mammo.

When I was going through the whole mess, people kept telling me that it's usually nothing. It's what kept me going. I know this is really a stressful time for you. But try to keep upbeat, many times it really IS benign.

 

[stenickar]

Just back from the surgeon's office. He said that the area is a cyst and is very small . Will do another mammogram in six months to keep an eye on the area. I am so relieved I am celebrating with New York Super Fudge Chunk

 

[DisneyfeverTN]

Just back from the surgeon's office. He said that the area is a cyst and is very small . Will do another mammogram in six months to keep an eye on the area. I am so relieved I am celebrating with New York Super Fudge Chunk

That's wonderful!! I know you must feel much better!

 

[PaulaSue]

I did a few months ago. In the end (after the biospy) it turned out alright.

GREAT NEWS FOR YOU!

 

[stenickar]

Thank you both for your support .I do feel 100% better , well maybe 99% better, that New York Super Fudge Chunk is sitting heavy in my belly . I am so glad that I got it looked at before my Disney trip. I can go and really enjoy myself completely

 

[Alex2kMommy]

Just back from the surgeon's office. He said that the area is a cyst and is very small . Will do another mammogram in six months to keep an eye on the area. I am so relieved I am celebrating with New York Super Fudge Chunk

Congratulations!

 

[Miss Park Avenue]

Just back from the surgeon's office. He said that the area is a cyst and is very small . Will do another mammogram in six months to keep an eye on the area. I am so relieved I am celebrating with New York Super Fudge Chunk

You sooooo deserve it! Glad you good such good news!

 

[Mickey527]

I have been getting mammograms since I was 35. No family history, my Dr thinks 35 is the age to start and because she ordered it my insurance paid.
I never missed a year, and I did monthly self tests.
In 2004 at the age of 50 I had some breast pain and went to the Dr. She ordered a mamo even though I had just had one 2 months before. Nothing was found so she ordered a sonogram.
I had a 3.5 cm tumor. After the biopsy I was diagnosed as stage 3 grade 3. Not what you would expect with yearly mamos.
I had a total mastectomy a few days later. I had the other reduced just to even everything out.
I still wonder if the tumor was there and the radiologist just didn't see it or decided on his own that since my breasts were large and I was overweight that what he saw was dense tissue and he never questioned it.
I used to be a 40C, now I am a 32A.
DawnCT, if you would could you let me know via PM where in CT you live and who is the radiologist you use. If he is close I would love someone who gives such personal care and close examination. I have to go for a mamo every 6 months now and I am not very trusting. If they didn't find the one I had before how can I feel safe that they will find another before it is too late. Peggie

 

[DawnCt1]

DawnCT, if you would could you let me know via PM where in CT you live and who is the radiologist you use. If he is close I would love someone who gives such personal care and close examination. I have to go for a mamo every 6 months now and I am not very trusting. If they didn't find the one I had before how can I feel safe that they will find another before it is too late. Peggie

Hi Peggie, I just saw your real name, but I PM'd you. Have you talked to your doctor about at least annual MRI's? Its seems that your insurance company could be persuaded to approve that. That's the best detection.