Topic: Painful core biopsy

Although I did not have a hemotoma, they had to do the stereotactic biopsy twice on me. I thought the whole thing was barbaric. Now, 2 years later they want to do another one and I said no thanks. After I have a RODEO MRI, which is the best for DCIS in my opinion, I might consider an MRI or ultrasound guided biopsy, depending what they find from the MRI.

You didn't say what the results of your biopsy were. Hope everything is ok for you.

Blessings,

Sandie 

sue50, glad to hear your assertive advice!  I feel the same way.  I plan to be assertive tomorrow morning when I call our breast center and ask the nurse practitioner, who told me of the mammo/us findings, why we can't just get a biopsy appt scheduled instead of waiting until we meet on Tue morning to go over the findings and everything first.  I just don't understand why we have to wait to schedule the biopsy, when she already went over a lot of the info on the phone with me.  I know sizes, locations, and that 80% of lumps are benign; so why not just go ahead and schedule the biopsy since I'm told one is needed to rule in or out cancer.  I tend to get a little impatient, as I'm an informational sponge; I feel so much better knowing.  Thanks for listening!  I am a little nervous now, though.  I want to know, but not sure if biopsy will be painful for me.  I hate painful perceedures, as I'm remembering my cervical biopsies done in my doctor's office years ago; very painful!!

Amain:  I also had a very painful sterotactic biopsy and I think they took like 10 passes-horrible.  I  had quite a bit of bleeding after and developed a hematoma that was very painful.  I don't remember timing but after this stero had an MRI and it showed nothing.  I had to wait to have lumpectomy until the hematoma had shrunk down a bit (no idea why) I think a month at least.  The good news is that the lumpectomy was way easier, they knocked me out and actually had less pain after than the biopsy.   My MRI didn't show the remainder of my dcis though.   This is just my experience everyone has a diffrent story.  Good luck  

Hey Deb50, hope your appointment goes well tomorrow and you get your appointment scheduled. It really does feel better to have a Plan in place, and questions answered. 

The biopsy, painful or not (hopefully not) could be saving your life. You can do it!!!! when you're done, please be sure to rant here! It helps!! ((praying for & and sending a gentle hug to you))

You know I should mention that later in my journey (a year ago) they did fine needle biopsies on breast area and also a lymph node in my armpit (ewwww!!). As expected the breast area was no big deal (since breasts and a lot of nerves were already removed) but even the armpit procedure was ok. Not fun but tolerable, much easier than the Core. I have to agree with Roseg, that for me the core was the worst part of the whole thing.  

NewBride,

I don't think anything forarm you enough for one of those painful biopsies.  I really do not think I could allow them to do that again.  And like you I even slept in a #@* bra for a couple of nights.  Now I have been waiting for 2 weeks for the doctors to get their schedule together.

ljperez TX,

Yea, I guess you're right.  Knowledge is power but that core biopsy beats all, huh?  If I have to do it again I'll definitely make them wait until I'm REALLY freeling the Valium before I even disrobe.  Looking back, It does seem like "their schedule be #@!%*!" would have been the proper attitude to take.  I wonder if there's a practical  way to for us to be sedated even more.

As for scheduling, I share your frustration.  In an effort to waste as little time as possible I am returning to my primary doc for a referral for a 2nd opinion even before I've had my 1st surgical consult.

YES! I was furious after mine. I had recently had my first colonoscopy, which other than drinking the nasty stuff, was entirely pleasant, and I'm not a feminist rabble-rouser, but I swear it's because men don't have to have breast biopsies. It should be treated just like a colonoscopy, where you're put in a happy place. I have to have another biopsy, and I am going to beg my BC surgeon (a woman I haven't even met yet) to do it in a more humane way.

 An earlier poster is right, it is barbaric, and there's no excuse for it in this day and age. I was not prepared for how painful it would be, and what a toll it would take, and I felt patronized by the whole thing.  

Girls, I'm so sorry to everyone who had crappy core biopsy experience! It should NOT be that way.

I have to have another biopsy, and I am going to beg my BC surgeon (a woman I haven't even met yet) to do it in a more humane way.

An earlier poster is right, it is barbaric, and there's no excuse for it in this day and age. I was not prepared for how painful it would be, and what a toll it would take, and I felt patronized by the whole thing.

So this is a different surgeon than the one who did your first one? Hopefully this one will go MUCH better.

I had my first stereotactic core biopsy on Tuesday, and it went the way I think most core biopsies should go. (I had at least a dozen cores removed, probably more than 15, throughout an area that covered probably 1/3 of my breast... a 4cm mass area plus a larger area of calcifications). 

Maybe my experience wasn't typical, but from what my doctor said, there shouldn't be any major pain during the procedure! The only pain I felt was mildly when the anesthetic was being inserted. I grimaced throughout most of the procedure, only because I was afraid it was going to hurt, and the doctor kept asking if I was feeling pain, but I really didn't.

I think bedside manner is half of it. My doctor was very kind and considerate, and explained what he was about to do every step of the way, and let me know what I might feel and/or hear. He let me listen to my iPod (though I ended up having it on low most of the time because we were chatting). We were talking and even joking (NOT recommended -- I was afraid I was going to laugh with that thing in me!). The assistant was sweet and actually held my hand near the beginning of it (when I was still somewhat terrified it was going to hurt).

I had met with two other doctors previously and didn't like how they brushed off my questions and tried to bully me into doing things a certain way. To me, that was a clue that they may not be the most caring during a procedure like a biopsy. (Maybe they are, but I needed a doctor I was comfortable with and who was very patient in answering my questions.)

If any of you need to have another core biopsy and weren't happy with how your doctor performed yours, PLEASE consider finding a different doctor. I think of it this way... the way a doctor performs a core biopsy is indicative of how skillfully they will perform a lumpectomy/mastectomy.

Granted, a core biopsy (especially when you have a rather sizable area to be sampled) isn't exactly a day at the spa. But, as I told someone afterward, "It was more painful than a massage, less painful than a brow wax!" If yours was done harshly to the point that it felt barbaric, PLEASE avoid going back to that doctor if you possibly can! 

Crunchy

The doctor that performed my biopsy did just fine on her bed side manner. The pain I experienced had nothing to do with how the doctor was treating me. In fact as I laid crying they were all very comforting to me and told me what a good job I was doing even though I felt like a big baby. I am glad that you have not had any pain and hope that continues in your journey.

NEWBRIDE

I had the exact same experience as you. I was almost in shock when the pain from the punch came. I was duped into believing there would be minimal pain and the shock of it all was a lot to bare so you are not the ONLY one.

As with any procedure or surgery or chemo, I think each one of us has their own experience. After having surgery and being through chemo and rads; for me the biopsy and then subsequent sentinel node blue dye injections were horrendous as I was awake for it.