Member of the "6 Month Watchful Waiting Club", Unite!
Comments
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wow Melissa. I am sorry you have that to deal with on top of the high risk stuff. Best of luck with your biopsy..0 -
Cinvee, in a way it is GOOD, because you can't maintain such a high level of anxiety over long stretches of time, and again, with the possible exception of inflammatory cancer, the wait doesn't make any difference. They were going to do the biopsy 11/7 but I asked them to reschedule it because I'm going out of town that day.
On the other thing, when I went in for my preop two days before my scheduled surgery they decided I was too sick to send home so they did decide to admit me then instead of waiting. I feel pretty sure that if it is a true emergency they treat it as such.0 -
Melissa, I am sending you good thoughts for November 21 - you always come across so level headed about all of this and I have appreciated the calm that brings. I am enjoying the first 6 month check since all of this began in 8/2012 for which I did not have to have another biopsy. Trying to appreciate every moment between now and February when I will have my second MRI. I admit to even allowing myself a break from such frequent checking of the threads....but still keeping everyone in thoughts/prayers. Love to all.0 -
Thank you so much ED. I admit I'll probably stress a little when it gets closer, but I'm really relieved it will be ultrasound guided instead of stereotactic. Kinda wish another radiologist had looked at it instead of the one who did. My guess is it was just luck of the draw and another's opinion might have been to leave me alone for another six months0 -
Hi everyone. Going for my annual MRI on Monday. I've been on the revolving 6 month treadmill for a few years now, mammograms alternating with MRIs. I postponed this MRI since August -- just couldn't deal. The radiologist will read the MRI Monday night, so I'll get a callback right away if I need one. I've never had anything show up on MRI or mammogram for that matter -- I have very dense breasts. The only time anything has shown up is when I feel a lump and get an ultrasound in addition to a mammogram. I've had 11 biopsies all in all. Or maybe 12. I'm losing count.
Anyway, I'm not super nervous since nothing has ever shown up on MRI. But there is always that small worry, right?0 -
good to hear everything thus far has turned out benign. Praying you get more benign results this time.
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Melissa - have been thinking of you and hoping that all went well on 11/7. I hope that even though you are in that slow moving system that you have received path results by now? You remain in my thoughts and prayers.0 -
Hello all! I am new here and I am also in the 6 month watch club. Ive had 2 biopsies so far, finding from mammo in late 2011 led to stereotactic biopsy in Jan 2012 found LCIS ...then a mammo six months later came back clean...then six months later - MRI ...and something lite up. Biopsy on Nov. 4 found ALH which according to my BS has been diagnosed previously. I think when they found the LCIS that ALH was found as well. I am going to get my reports from the diagnostic center for 2011-2013 and see what they read so that I know first hand what Im dealing with and when.
I just found out that the radiologist dr. that has been reading my imaging has left the diagnostic center where I have been going for the past 7-8 years. I am wondering if I should find him and follow him. He is the one who found the microcalcification in my left breast at 1 cm. I thought that the fact that he found something that small was remarkable. Ive always felt safe in his care. Now he's gone from the diagnostic center and Im not sure what to do. Any thoughts, ideas?
Love peace and light to all and wishing everyone a good day!
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Eileenj, if you have LCIS it is pretty much a given that you have ALH because it is the precursor of LCIS. The cells are just a little less mutated.0 -
Hi Ed, and thanks. I could't do the 11/7 date because I was going out of town, si the biopsy is next Thursday the 21st.0 -
Thanks Melissa! My biopsy on the 4th showed ALH. I thought that was the first finding of it and I did freak out a bit. Now I understand that LCIS and ALH are close cousins and have calmed myself down some what. My BS told me at the post op appt that ALH was diagnosed a while ago. So Im thinking it mustve been diagnosed at the same time as LCIS as that was the first biopsy I ever had in my life aside from needle aspirations.
Anyhoo, Im going to collect my imaging reports for 2011-2013 so I can read for myself what happened and when. Just want to know for my own knowledge. Before the first biopsy I was having trouble with cysts and numerous aspirations, but as I think back, I recall I always had cystic breasts but never aspirations of any kind. The first aspiration I had was when I found a lump on my left side by the armpit ...it was pretty big and I immediately ran to the radiologist. They did an US and determined it was "just a cyst." So I went to a surgeon anyway and he aspirated it in the office. That was the largest cysts I ever found. Before then there was a mammo that found 3 tiny cysts together. I went to a surgeon and he determined that each were the size of 1/2 a pea and nothing to worry about....
Now, no more cysts and just suspicious sightings...go figure
Eileen xoxoxo
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when I had my stereotactic biopsy it came back ALH, suspicious for LCIS. The excisional confirmed the LCIS.0 -
MelissaDallas - are you ok? I keep watching for how your biopsy went on 11/21 and have not seen a post. Just know that many good thoughts and wishes have been sent your way and I hope you are doing well.
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Hi ED,
It was fine. Just a cyst.
Thanks for thinking of me.
Merry Christmas to all of you here in our little "club".
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Hey ladies, I am back on the thread I started in 2011, how crazy - yes, this is a true revolving door thread!! Well it's that time again but I live in the Middle East now, in a very modern country with loads of doctors, etc. There's is one lady here who just went through her mammo, etc and I was going to ask her to go with me, but then she told me how stressful those appts are for her because she had BC and did 30 rads, etc. Ugh. So I will go it alone, again! When my husband got orders over here, I was able to get the all clear from the military to follow so here I am. Frankly, I didn't give much thoughts to "what ifs" - I just packed up our teenager and dog and we came over for our big adventure. Now my brain is starting to fire up again about what it this, and what if that... I was being seen at a really great place in DC before we moved over here. I will be home in the summer so thought about kicking the can til then instead of starting all of this over here. I haven't even done a good self exam because I don't want to feel the standard lumps and bumps that I have since it might start me down that crazy worry path. Ugh! Well I know you all understand. And special hi to my friend Melissa, you really went through it in the fall, holy crap. I hope 2014 is a year without biopsies for all of us!!
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Hi Carpediem! Miss seeing you around on the boards, but what an adventure to be over there! How is the care where you are? I hope they start doing 3D mammograms at my clinic soon, but it is through a county hospital, so my guess is it will be a while before they get the money. I'm really hoping they could take the place of the MRIs and I could go back to once a year checks.
I never had any lumps, so I guess I'd notice if anything "arose". My breasts always just felt kind of "ropy" to me and I just assumed it was fibrocystic, but surprisingly they have not been, aside from the hiccup in November and they had been watching that spot (although not telling me that, which irks me).
Good luck. "No biopsies" is a great toast for the New Year.
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Hello,
I just had my 6 month diagnostic mammogram yesterday. Abnormal left breast since 2008. I was scheduled for both diagnostic mammo & ultrasound After they read my mammo yesterday, I was told to get dressed and go home. That my doctor will get my results. Am I suppose to take that as a good sign? I did take a peep at my film on my way out the door. Seen a small white round mass. Should I assume they thought it was a cyst?
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usually if they see anything on my diagnostic ones they take me right in for an ultrasound if needed or tell me I'm going to need a biopsy.
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Hi Melissa,
That is what I thought too. I have had that done several times but one of the places I used to get my tests done lost all my films. So, I went back to original location where my first one was done.
So you think that means good new? Sounds good to me.
thanks
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My radiology center always sends me home after the scheduled procedure(s) for the day, and they'll call my doctor's office the next day if I need to make an appointment for a follow-up. Sigh. It's just the way they operate; it keeps things on schedule for them. I plan to keep going there because it's a nice facility, they always run appointments on time, and they're not too far away. It is a pain, though, and more stressful to get a call back. I do kind of wish they would just take care of everything in one day.
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Hi Melissa! We do have some good modern medicine imported from the UK and the US over here, so thankful for that...may wait until June and my own clinic and people in the states, though. Having mixed feelings - first of all, I'm at the end of a long 4 year academic program and don't want any more obstacles than already stand between me and graduation in May - I know that sounds crazy, but for me, it's always extra tests. biopsies and whatever that all leads to nothing. I know those odds could change anytime - but I am not sure if I would beat myself up too badly if I go in to the clinic at home in June and find out that something was cooking. I feel like I am changing my tune based on the advice I've given to people out here, but now see how circumstances, life, psychological things, etc can make you feel different about things at different times. Hmmm.
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Carpe, I completely understand. I was pretty indignant about my last one because I felt relatively certain it was nothing and I was right. I told her I felt like if they'd looked at it on a different day or a different radiologist had looked at it they would have 3'd me instead of a 4.
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Ugh, I hear you! So dang frustrating!! I can also read my own films at this point! Thinking I will wait until June, the more I ponder it... I need to stay in la-la land a bit longer to get my dissertation done :-)
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Hello,
I got my report back from my 6 month diagnostic mammo last week.(They didn't do the usual diagnostic ultrasound). They didn';t ask me about symptoms.. I am confused to why I have breast pain. It has even increased in the last year. Only in the abnormal breast. Post menopause and had abnormal breast since 2008. The pain has only been there for about 2 years. Just pain in different parts of the breast. My underarm hurts in the opposite breast The report Benign bi-rads 2..good news I know. Report says..scattered fibroglandular elements Minor decrease in sensitivity. Prevoius round well circumscribed lesion at 12;00 found to represent a cluster of cysts on prior ultrasound is no longer seen on todays study. I can still feel a lump in that area...and what about the breast pain. Then the second letter stated the my mammogram appeared to be normal...HOWEVER, we would like you to return in 6 months for a routine screening mammogram to confirm nothing has changed. What?
What what would you all do. FYI..I have alot of mystery illness.
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Hello,
Joining the club now. After breast reduction, I have been told I have fibrocystic breasts mastosis and skin hyperplasia without atypia. Fatty lymph nodes left. (that's the simple version!)
I'm seeing my BS on 3 Feb. I would like to do MRIs only and I'm guessing that due to the breast reduction, the first exam is going to be a mess. I would be tempted to do tests every three months, but is that too much?
Im in Switzerland, so it's easy to get MRIs usually. Any advice is welcome!
Alicki
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Alicki, Interesting... I had a breast reduction almost 3 years ago and have since had an MRI, which was clear. I was expecting all kinds of problems due to scar tissue, but thankfully, none materialized. Fingers crossed that this continues...
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Hello,
How long after breast reduction did you get MRI? Was the radiologist a specialist?
And about the scar tissue, I have a sort of pipeline hard tissue under right breast (this is the good breast that never caused me any problems).
I would like everything checked at the end of February. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Alicki
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hi again,
I had the MRI almost exactly 2 years after the reduction. And yes, the radiologist was a specialist in reading breast MRI 's. How long ago did you have the reduction surgery? I think it can take a year or possibly even longer for the scar tissue to settle down. I did have a mammo 6 months after the reduction surgery and it was clear. No call backs. Ironically, this was the only time I remember not being called back-- ALWAYS called back for additional views, magnifications, spot compressions, etc. before the reduction.
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Saw this thread and decided to chime in.
Six months after my left mastectomy of stage 1 IDC and one month after chemo, I had a mammogram. A lump was found in my right breast. It was right before Christmas and I was leaving town for vacation. I was so stressed out, ready to give up vacation. Biopsy followed, and it was benign. From then I joined the six months club. I needed a break from all the stress after going through the chemo hell. I went straight for a right mastectomy. Nothing was found.
I admire the sisters here going on like this for years.
That's all.
Julie
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hello,
Thanks so much for your answer. I'm seeing the breast oncologist / specialist on Tuesday and will take it from there.
I ll see what she wants to do nothing, will seek other opinions. Switzerland is small so I have taken the habit of going to England for check ups
Cheers,
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