More imaging...more waiting....
Just got back from my appointment at SCCA. Loved the dr. I was given. She took the time to listen to my concerns, understood my frustrations with the last mammo/ultrasound, and didnt once say "you are too young for cancer".
My story in short:
Found a lump way up high on my pectoral muscle a few months ago. Primary care Dr never felt it, but ordered a mammo/ultrasound. I was due for another one anyways to follow up on 3 other areas of concern from pre-covid. The mammo imaging could not reach as high as my lump was, so it was noted that nothing could be seen, because it was not in view. Then the ultrasound.... the tech did her thing, and then the radiologist came in to scan. He quickly went over the area and said he didn't see anything there, and it was probably just a "tiny fat nodule under the skin" (though he never felt it either). I told him it didn't feel right under the skin, it felt deep, closer to the chest wall. But he laughed it off and told me I was too young to worry about breast cancer.
At my follow up with my primary he also laughed it off, and told me to trust the imaging. But how can I trust the imaging when I can FEEL a large mass...but the imaging shows nothing? So I made an appointment for a second opinion over at SCCA. In the mean time, I had an appointment with an Ortho. For shoulder pain (same side) I was having. He got me in for a shoulder mri, and a chest mri to see what the lump was. Thanks to him...the MRI DID show the mass way up high and deep...close to my chest wall. It showed high t2 enhancement and is VERY clearly there. Even my untrained eye cant miss it on the imaging. But, they recommended a "closer breast imaging" to be done to determine what exactly it is.
On to my appointment today at SCCA, she agreed that this wasn't something to just sweep under the rug because one ultrasound didn't see it, when clearly there is something there. She said based in a few red flags, she is glad I didn't just "trust the imaging".
So, now we wait...again. everyone is booking soooo far out, I feel like each appointment is another 2-3 week wait. Then 2 more for test results. Then 2 more for follow up. Next up...another mammo, ultrasound, and FINALLY a biopsy.
Comments
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All the waiting sucks! I hope you can figure out what it is soon and I'm glad you found people who are taking it seriously. Try to distract yourself with fun stuff in the meantime!0
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Hi. I get lipomas - fatty growths - and they are exactly what you describe. I have one right now on my breastbone, and although it can be felt, it doesn't quite show up on ultrasound, because it's too similar in composition to the surrounding tissue. There's just a very slight area on the ultrasound that shows, but more like a very slight elevation, no difference in texture or density. It looks nothing like a cancerous tumor would.
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alice- that would be great if that's all it is. Though I'm not sure that aligns with the mri imaging. Because the mass doesn't show up as a fatty mass, it shows up as a mass with more fluid to it. (Low t1, high t2 signal.... so opposite of fatty tissue) But.... not solid fluid like a cyst. It's like he wants to be a middle man and can't decide what's he wants to be made of. Lol.
Parakeet- I think I spent all my "fun distractions" on the last 3 weeks of waiting. We went to South Dakota and got to visit all the amazing landmarks out there, and yellowstone. ...then got covid on the end of the trip, and spent the following 10 days watching movies in bed and napping the days away. So much for fun!
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I've never had an MRI on a lipoma so I don't know how they look on that.
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