Topic: Crying from Dr.

Apr 10, 2012 04:11 PM marie5890 wrote:

Luvhummingbirds,

Can you post exactly, word for word, what your reports say? Im thinking the confusion you are having may be due to not understanding the medical-ese of the reports.

Having a BIRADS 4A is a very good thing.  

Apr 10, 2012 06:16 PM changes wrote:

Luvhummingbirds,

BIRADs 4a is pretty good news - most of those are benign. Joint degeneration is normal as we age - most people past 40 have some degeneration of joints - nothing really to worry about. As far as the pain in your shoulder, there are LOTS of things that can be. A responsible doctor would NOT order a CT scan for every ache and pain we have - that would expose us to way too much radiation. You may want to ask him what he DOES recommend for checking that pain out.

Apr 10, 2012 06:37 PM debbie6122 wrote:

Luvhummingbirds- Since your pain in your shoulder is VERY Painful as you stated then i would still ask for a dr to approve a catscan or mri. A good dr is one who will take you serious and try to rule out any thing serious.

Apr 10, 2012 06:47 PM kayb wrote:

Can you see an orthopedist for your shoulder? I think your current doctor wants to see what your biopsy report says. Since you have a good chance of being benign with a Birads 4a, if you don't have cancer in your breast it's unlikely you have it in your shoulder. If the biopsy comes back positive, a CT would probably be part of your diagnostic testing and might be fully covered by your insurance.

Apr 10, 2012 08:00 PM CoolBreeze wrote:

Every single person has joint degeneration as they age, my doctor told me.  It's normal.

As for your shoulder, is it possible you are getting frozen shoulder?  I got frozen shoulder in my right shoulder right after my exchange surgery.  It has been one of the most painful things I've dealt with.  That was 18 months ago and the pain is gone and most of my arm moves again but my functioning is back to only 80%.  Now, it has started up in the left shoulder too, I can't believe it.

Google frozen shoulder and see if that's what it sounds like.  It does go away on its own but a cortisone shot can help it so you might want an orthopedic consult.

An MRI is not a first choice test.  When I saw the orthopedist about my shoulder they did a simple x-ray.  Then they did a CT with flouroscope because I'm Stage IV and they wanted to rule out bone mets.  Then they FINALLY treated me with cortisone.    If your biopsy comes back cancer, then they'll do bone scan on you to see if you have it in your bones but you have to take it step-by-step.  Like everybody else told you, birads 4 is a good thing.  I have seen many thousands of woman on this forum post their birads 4 score and end up with negative results.

The birads system isn't diagnostic anyway, it is just a system to tell a doctor when to biopsy or not.  You barely made it into the biopsy category.

Good luck! 

Apr 10, 2012 08:51 PM luvhummingbirds wrote:

Also several times I have told him about the nipple discharge. He ignores it. Never asks the color or if there is blood. He is sending me for blood work to see if I am lactating.  I'm 47 and my girls are 22 & 23......

Apr 12, 2012 07:55 AM marie5890 wrote:

When did you have your biopsy?

Apr 12, 2012 05:45 PM sweetbean wrote:

Wow, I am really sorry it is taking you so long to find out.  That is awful.  Hoping that it is nothing!

Apr 12, 2012 06:16 PM marie5890 wrote:

It is my understanding that the Canadian way of dealing with this is different then here. 

A week from today. Try you best to hang in there. I know that is kind of a weak comment after so much waiting already.

Waiting really is the hardest part.... 

Apr 12, 2012 06:58 PM luvhummingbirds wrote:

I think what scares me is when I asked the results over the phone to the clerk she told me she could not deceiver them. I've been told this is a standard answer when the news is not good. Oh well here I go again with this awesome waiting game. 

Im scared now... 

Apr 12, 2012 07:20 PM LittleMelons wrote:

luvhummingbirds - I really feel for you having to wait so long for the biopsy results and think that it is just not right that you should be kept waiting over 2 weeks.  I would get on the phone and start badgering both the surgeon and GPs office about the results.  If your GP doesn't have them, he/she should be able to get them faxed over to them quickly.  Here in Ontario, the College of Physicians and Surgeons has a stated policy that doctors are required to give results to patients in a timely fashion and to take into consideration the anxiety of the patient.  I would think that BC College of Physicians has a similar policy.   

I had a few scares along the way requiring scans and I have had to call numerous times to get the results each time.  In the end, I've always gotten them from the GP.  This may be a case of the secretary not getting to the paperwork, but will find them if you pressure them. Our GP is our primary care provider and should be willing to give out timely results in consideration of the patients' level of anxiety.  Say you are too anxious to wait over the weeknd. Two weeks from the biopsy and still no results is just not acceptable.  Results are done within a week or earlier.

All the best to you.     

Apr 15, 2012 11:21 AM bdavis wrote:

I had shoulder pain a couple fo years ago... couldn't raise my arm etc.. I went to an orthopedic who said it was inpingement (sloppy shoulder rolling around in the socket, comes with age) so he gave me a cortisone shot and I went to PT.. The two did the trick... It took a couple of months of therapy, but in the end, all is good.

I think it is really really easy to let your mind play tricks on you and let you imagine the worst... I am sure your shoulder and degen. bone issues are just aging issues (sorry) and your birad 4 is just a crap shoot... another way to look at this is, if it were bad, they would probably have moved your appt up to get you in sooner... Even some benign things need to come out, so don't assume that just cause you are having surgery that it is cancer.

Apr 15, 2012 12:40 PM Shayne wrote:

Im a massage therapist.....and i too suffered with frozen shoulder, most likely brought on by an injury i incurred at the gym that resulted in a bulging disc in my neck.  I did a lot of physical therapy......and then when my therapist moved away after about 2 mos - I just did the exercises on my own at home.  Every day.  I also got a small 3 lb hand weight and would swing my arm with it while going on walks or just standing around, letting the weight of it pull my arm at the shoulder.  There are a myriad of exercises.....I can pm you if you cant find them on google.  Anyway, within a few months of me doing these on my own, one day it was gone.  Total time was about 2 1/2 yrs since the onset - but I bet if I had started with the exercises it would have gone quicker. Good luck..

Apr 17, 2012 06:17 PM marie5890 wrote:

We will be waiting with you, LuvHummingbirds. It has been a long wait. It's the worse part

Apr 18, 2012 12:16 PM Sommer43 wrote:

Good luck luvhummingbirds, haven't got much to offer in the way of support, have been following your story and sending you hugs and some kind wishes.