BREAST CANCER & ME *BIOPSY & DX* Part 2

[poohb3ar]

**2nd SECTION OF BREAST CANCER & ME *THE BEGINNING*
When we got home, reality hit!
In a few days I was at the hospital for a needle biopsy.
I'd already discussed with surgeon the procedure.
Here's how it went from my point of view.

It didn't sound as bad as the surgical biopsy I had 21 years before.
After putting on the lovely gowns (FYI they are top only so wearing comfy, stretchy pants and button down or loose tops feel better afterwards)

I had to giggle at the 'booby table'. The surgery table where you lie flat on belly with booby hanging through the hole in the center of it is funny looking!!
The nurses, one who done my mammo, got me comfortable (as comfortable as one can be on such a table) and machines calibrated. Then surgeon came in, explained that he'd numb area, but i'd still feel some tugging (no knock out for this!). My MS was an advantage here, my skin is numb all over!
Instructed me to just stay still and relax, right !

Two nurses assisted doctor. They use mammography imagery, etc. to show the doctor exactly where to insert the needle for the biopsy, so you're not a pincushion!

One nurse was under the table with the doctor (yes, they raised the table up!) She did most of the manipulation of my booby.

When the exact spot was determined, the machine squeezed me tight like the mammograms do so as not to move during biopsy.

Removing the sample is not a suction from a single needle. More like a sewing machine. Once started on an area, it moved up and down closely together in a tight circle. I had three such circles. Whole incision was less than 1/4 inch big.

The nurse cleaned and dressed the incision area. I was helped up and given some juice before continuing.

Back to mammogram room and another was performed to insure they got a good sample biopsy. Thank the Lord they did!

I was given round ice gel packs and a list of instructions, including not do any housework or such for a day or two. Woohoo!!!
FYI if you are not given gel ice packs, you can get them at Walmart or drug store. I also saw in baby dept., 'boo boo 'round animal face gel packs. I highly recommend round & gel, feel most comfortable! We also make our own gel packs with rubbing alcohol, water and freezer bags. (will list 'recipe' at bottom)

I had very little bleeding at the site on top near underarm. BUT the next morning the lower part of my booby was all bruised!!! I called dr.(always do if you're not sure if it's normal) It was normal, the blood had pooled down there instead of bleeding out. After 3 days half my booby, including nipple, looked like a tie dyed mess!!!

I was sore, but not unbearably so. I did keep a cushion under affected arm to protect the area from getting bumped.

Within two days, my surgeon called to tell me it was DCIS. Ductal Carcinoma In Sutu.
Basically, precancer or stage 0 or 1 cancer(depends on who you ask) inside the milk ducts of the breast, still contained in breast lining. Had appointment with surgeon within the week to discuss my options.

I started researching on internet and asking others I knew who had breast cancer recently if they would share their stories.

Before researching anywhere online, I strongly urge you to get on your surgeons/ hospital/ medical group website.
ie. I searched http://www.lincolnsurgicalbelleville.com/
Also googled my surgeon and found outside information and his 'rating' and reviews. They were excellent, so I relaxed.

Excellent medical sites:
www.mayoclinic.com
http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/default.htm
just found this one, looks quite reputable & informative
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/breast

Any sites not connected with a reputable hospital, cancer center, etc. I didn't read. If you do, please realize these are not medical experts and can scare you more than help you.

NEXT SEGMENT: *DECISIONS*
I never knew there were so many options to decide on. I'll try to explain and give more places to research when you get to surgery / radiation / chemotherapy options.

If you are going through this right now and need more info immediately, feel free to contact me- www.poohb3ar@msworld.org
Also if you just have questions, don't worry, i don't embarrass too easy. Just contact me and I'll do my best to help.

God bless ya'll!

*DYI GEL PACKS*
Ingredients
3 parts water
1 part rubbing alcohol
Directions
Mix, then seal in a freezer bag, then encase in a second bag. Place in the freezer. The more alcohol you use, the softer the pack will be, making it gentler on injuries than an ice pack.*Wrap*loosely in a towel and apply to injuries.*

Note that rubbing alcohol has different strengths/ percentages of Isopropyl alcohol. The higher the number the better the packs come out. ie. 97% works better than 70%. The packs will be more solid.
Also the freezer bags that DON'T have the little plastic zipper pull, just the ones you press together seem not to leak, especially if double bag them.
We mix them straight into the bag themselves, saves a step!

[lusciousleaves]

Thank you for this, poohbar. This is very timely for me. I found a lump in June and have been waiting for it to go away. It started with pain and swelling, which has since gone away. The lump got smaller but never disappeared. It is rather large, overall. Had a breast exam this week with my annual female check. She ordered a diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound, which has been scheduled for next week. I look forward to hearing the rest of the story.

[poohb3ar]

lusciousleaves, sorry to hear that you had a bad mammo.

the diagnostic ones are actually better, i thought, than regular 'booby squeezes'.
take heart , i've had more of those than i can count over the years.

Lord willing, it'll be normal. If not and things start happening faster than i'm posting about, please contact me and i'll do my best to help. i can always listen. Venting always helps me!

take care & God bless ya!

[Justsayyes]

I haven't been on the boards much lately, no time! Just recently finished my 6 weeks of radiation therapy after a lumpectomy in June. I have been very lucky, first that my diagnosis was DCIS Ductal Carcinoma In Situ, second that my lumpectomy had good margins, third that my radiation therapy was tolerable and I did not become more fatigued than usual.

I'll be checking in on this thread from time to time, right now I am taking a break from spending endless time researching and making decisions. I'm done making decisions for now (I hope). Having a follow up MRI in November.

I do want to lend any support to others undergoing a breast cancer diagnosis. It's been quite a journey!

[poohb3ar]

I haven't been on the boards much lately, no time! Just recently finished my 6 weeks of radiation therapy after a lumpectomy in June. I have been very lucky, first that my diagnosis was DCIS Ductal Carcinoma In Situ, second that my lumpectomy had good margins, third that my radiation therapy was tolerable and I did not become more fatigued than usual.

I'll be checking in on this thread from time to time, right now I am taking a break from spending endless time researching and making decisions. I'm done making decisions for now (I hope). Having a follow up MRI in November.

I do want to lend any support to others undergoing a breast cancer diagnosis. It's been quite a journey!

ouch! wow, don't know how you managed radiation. so glad that's behind you.
if you need help with research sites i'll be glad to give you the ones i found.
reconstruction, prosthesis and just going breast free are all very difficult decisions to make! email me if you want & i'll share the non medical places that had pics of what different procedures look like.

take care and may God bless you with good health!

[Mermaid Susan]

Breast Cancer AND ME TOO - Biopsy & Diagnosis

Well, I went for a follow-up mammogram that confirmed I had a mass and then got an ultra-sound needle biopsy for my right breast. I'm glad the needle biopsy was in a chair rather than face-down (that sort of thing came later), but the pain and sight of that needle was definitely in the realm of science fiction. I was told to make an appointment with a cancer surgeon.

Oh no, I wasn't about to do that. I made an appointment with an oncologist instead. I wanted to hear about every possibility that wasn't surgery, because I had no intention of having surgery. Ever. I had never had surgery of any sort in 64 years; I had seen what became of my beautiful mother. I was not going to my grave with a mutilated body. I was not.

Pooh, you have a better memory of your sequence of things than I do. All of these appointments and procedures happened in what felt like a landslide of horrible events throughout the month of November.

The oncologist said that my pathology report meant that I needed surgery, but maybe only a lumpectomy. The mass was small. For sure, I needed another ultra-sound needle biopsy. There was something unusual about my tumor. So I selected a surgeon (at my husband's insistence) and had two more biopsies which included the left breast too. The surgeon was an impressive doctor, an older man once the head of surgery at the hospital. He had offices at the Breast Center where all my biopsies were done.

Meanwhile, the pathology reports were being sent out for further and further review. My medical group is associated with a university medical school, and my case was presented - week after week - at the Monday breast conference by both the surgeon and the oncologist. By the beginning of December it was clear it should be a double mastectomy, no possibility of any sort of lumpectomy. I had an invasive form of breast cancer, and each of the myriad of little tumors I had in each breast was a separate cancer.

I told my friend, a hospice nurse, that I wasn't going through with it and she described pallotive care. I also told someone in chat here on MSWorld. Enough was enough. I couldn't handle even the thought of having cancer along with MS.

The turning point was my dear husband's insistence that we speak with the surgeon one more time, when he noticed that the doctor was there one afternoon that we were at the breast center for yet another test. He got us in, even without an appointment. My heart and mind turned. (And the calm and thoughtful words of my MSWorld chat friend echoed in my mind too.) I saw this wise, capable, confident surgeon as someone who could bring me out the other side to a good outcome. He also told me about the plastic surgeon to whom he was referring me.

It was just a week or so before Christmas.

Next, the surgery ...

Stay lifted,
Mermaid Susan

[poohb3ar]

thanks for sharing

mermaid, thank you for sharing, too. i remember mine so much better is because my 'landslide' begin just end of May 2012 and had surgery July 22. so it's been a lot sooner.

not sure if i could remember as much from a year ago!

wow! no surgeries before this? i can't imagine the shock you had when you woke up. i thought i was well prepared for it.
the double mastectomy was my 14th surgery!
surgery #12 was removing a brain tumor along with part of my skull. after that, i never thought anything would phase me.

but i'm getting ahead. the next segment will be how & what i decided to do. then the surgery, recoup, etc.

may God bless all of you who have or are facing this, and those who are caring for you!

[poohb3ar]

oops!

cog fog struck!!!

i forgot to put the recipe for DYI ice gel packs.
i'll tack it on now to original post if you're interested in making them. they're cheap and come in handy!

[lusciousleaves]

Thank you for the encouragement and support, poohbar. So I gather this ultrasound following the mammo might also be a biopsy? This I was not aware of. I thought it was just a mammo and ultrasound. Hmm.

[poohb3ar]

oh ll,
sorry if i misled you!!!
no, i've had several ultrasound diagnostics that SAVED me from having a biopsy because it showed that it was only fibroid or scar tissue!!!

i'm so sorry that it wasn't clear!!!

i just read where you've decided to wait for more tests. please don't let this misunderstanding scare you. no dr. would do a biopsy on you prior to your consent and knowledge.
it's surgery! even if it is just a needle biopsy.

don't be afraid to ask drs. what's going on. it's your body, YOU control what THEY do to it. not the other way around. it is all your decision.

hope that's clearer, if not, please let me know!!!

God bless ya!

[poohb3ar]

I haven't been on the boards much lately, no time!

I'll be checking in on this thread from time to time, right now I am taking a break from spending endless time researching and making decisions. I'm done making decisions for now (I hope). Having a follow up MRI in November.

I do want to lend any support to others undergoing a breast cancer diagnosis. It's been quite a journey!

wow, my last post to you must have sounded dumb!
sorry about that. i'm sure you understand the cog fog involved with all this.
i totally understand about wanting to take a break from researching, decisions, and even being on the computer.
i was away from MSW for over a mo. while going through all this. just didnt have physical, emotional or mental energy to get on computer.

i'm sharing my story, so others who'd rather not, don't have to share.
i was surprised that others (thank you tho) have shared their stories. it is hard to do. actually harder than i thought it would be when i started out.

i pray all is going well for you.
come back & visit when you feel like it!

take care & God bless ya!

[Justsayyes]

Oh yes, I sure do understand the cog fog situation! I had a bit of a hard time recovering from general anesthesia this time around. I really felt out of it mentally much longer than any other surgery.

When I say no more decisions, that is because I am finished deciding on treatments for this incident of cancer. I had the surgery that seemed the right thing to do for me, a lumpectomy, and because that went well, no more surgery is necessary.

I opted for the radiation therapy, and that went well too.

I am starting a preventative medication, Evista, which is similar to Tamoxafin.

Many of the things I feared are behind me now. I realize that I could hear many stories, but my story would be unique. I don't have the same results or side effects of anyone else. I really came out of this in far better shape than I ever expected.

Knocking on my wooden head so I don't jinx it!

You are brave to tell your story, and it is surprising how hard it can be to do so..........best wishes to you!

[poohb3ar]

thank you

yes, everyone's story will be unique.
i'm composing the next section now.

i just want to openly talk about a 'taboo' or hard to hear subject. it is proving harder than i expected, but that's why i'm doing it. for those who want to listen or even ask, but can't bring themselves to doing it.
i understand those feelings.

please don't feel you have to post on here if it makes you uncomfortable. that isn't my purpose, to get people to 'open up'
my goal is to help you hear at least one person's experience and learn from my situation, mistakes, decisions, etc. if i help even relieve one person going through this, i will be happy.

thanks to all who are reading. forgive my verbousness and lack of writing style. just know this is from the

God bless ya'll!

[Mermaid Susan]

thank you

Thank you Pooh and Just and luscious.

I wanted to affirm that each one of us is different, and that each of our experiences with MS, with breast cancer, and with both together is going to be different too. I hope my story helps others. I do not want to scare anybody.

I remember how last November I went to a cancer website (can't remember which one now) and found an old thread of posts by women who had had both breast cancer and MS. These stories were full of bad outcomes. I had to remind myself of the internet truism that many of those who go to the trouble of posting on medical sites have had something go wrong. The many who thrived just moved on and were not motivated to participate in a web discussion.

Please, anyone reading my story who is at the stage of assessing her own possibilities, take courage and listen to your own heart.

Pooh, I'll add on to my account as you do to yours.

Stay lifted,
Mermaid Susan

[kelm10]

my biopsy and dx

Oh, the words that we here when we really don't want to.

This is my story of the biopsy and dx.

We see a spot, you need to see a surgeon for a biopsy. We can even skip the ultra sound. OH, you can. okay. Already had my surgeon picked out. She had done surgery for me about a year a half earlier for a major abcess. She did a wonderful job. Schedule a visit and oh we need to do a needle biopsy.

I too am 80% numb on the side that the spot was found. So, needle biopsy, done in a chair thankfully, was a breeze. Had a conversation with the radiologist about any concerns that I have. Radiologist said the easiest one she had ever done. I also practice guided imagry so that helped with the process. I too got the lovely gowns that is just the top and you can barely call it that. Who ever designed them had no modesty at all.

Okay, we have to wait. Every one gave me great encouragement. Most biopsies come back negative. Yeh, I know that, but I also have this issue with the monthy cycle, and oh yeh, the heart palpitations are increasing.

I, former employee of the institution, knew that the biopsy should be back by X day at the very latest. Knew the lab people by name, so called them and wanted to know why my biopsy was not back yet. Oh, one of the pathologist is on vacation and we had to send it off to Vanderbuilt Hospital, and this is standard protocal for when this happens. Ok, really? When is the latest day that it would be back from Vanderbuilt. Does having an in with the really help? Yes, I would have been nuts expecting the results to come back and it be delayed.

The next day after it was suppose to be back, I was on the phone with lab. I did wait until 10 AM. Oh, yeh your biopsy is back we are just faxing the results to your surgeons office. Ok, thank you very much.

I call the surgeons office. Oh, we don't have it back yet. Yes, you do go check your fax. Ok, we have it back but the surgeon has to review it and you know this. Ok, where is the surgeon today? Oh, she is in surgery. Thank you. I call surgery. It pays to have friends that are the secretary in surgery. Patched me through to the suite that the surgeon was in. Oh, okay, I will talk to the surgeon and call you back. Five minutes later, not only do I get a call back but it is the surgeon herself that is calling me. Do you have family with you. Yeh, you want me to send them to you, because I want my results back. Positive for inductal carcinoma. Hey, surgeon can you actually fax it to me please. Sure I am standing right next to a fax machine.

I am very blessed spiritually. I received this diagnosis on Good Friday. So, after I got this diagnosis it was time to go to church. OH!!! I got it, for me and my beliefs. God. You sent your Son to die on the cross. I can handle this diagnosis. Thank you so much for showing me this on this day. Lets go!