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found a lump - crappy update on p 14


hornblower

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I'm back, because I forgot to offer advice.

 

If possible, you might try to find a dedicated breast radiologist, which is a radiologist who specializes in breast imaging. I am fortunate enough to have one in my city, and have been her patient since my first lump.

 

She has the very best mammogram machines and technicians, and she does her own ultrasounds. She also monitors the mammograms via screen, has stepped in to request another image or angle when she needs more information or does not have an ideal view of the area she is assessing.

 

Wait times are also minimized with a dedicated breast radiologist. When I needed breast surgery; the surgeon needed a diagnostic mammogram the day before the surgery; the dedicated breast radiologist fit me in, read my images, and called the surgeon within an hour of the mammogram.

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Last night dh and I were watching the World Series and I was reading all the replies...he was dozing. So it's just us here and I started feeling my breasts to see if I could find any lumps. Dh wakes up and looks over at what I'm doing. Yeah that was a weird 30 seconds. 

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I'm back from doctor. 

So, I wasn't hallucinating and imagining things - it really is there, plain as day.  Got a referral for ultrasound and a mammogram;  she told me she always flags these asap so hopefully it will be done soon and we'll know more. trulycrabby,  I don't think I get that choice right now - but Vancouver has some top notch doctors so I'm feeling good about it. 

Got a flu shot as a bonus. 

Only thing is I have to tell my mom and I know this will worry her. But my mom's sister died of breast cancer and I don't have all the details about her age etc and they need to know all that so I have to ask her..... 

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I'm back from doctor.

 

So, I wasn't hallucinating and imagining things - it really is there, plain as day. Got a referral for ultrasound and a mammogram; she told me she always flags these asap so hopefully it will be done soon and we'll know more. trulycrabby, I don't think I get that choice right now - but Vancouver has some top notch doctors so I'm feeling good about it.

 

Got a flu shot as a bonus.

 

Only thing is I have to tell my mom and I know this will worry her. But my mom's sister died of breast cancer and I don't have all the details about her age etc and they need to know all that so I have to ask her.....

It's right to be proactive. I'm sorry your mom will worry. I'm glad things are hopefully going to move quickly for you.

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I'm back from doctor.

 

So, I wasn't hallucinating and imagining things - it really is there, plain as day. Got a referral for ultrasound and a mammogram; she told me she always flags these asap so hopefully it will be done soon and we'll know more. trulycrabby, I don't think I get that choice right now - but Vancouver has some top notch doctors so I'm feeling good about it.

 

Got a flu shot as a bonus.

 

Only thing is I have to tell my mom and I know this will worry her. But my mom's sister died of breast cancer and I don't have all the details about her age etc and they need to know all that so I have to ask her.....

It sounds like you are getting top notch care! Vancouver does indeed have fine doctors; I lived there in my teens and so part of my heart and soul is Canadienne forever.

 

Thank you for keeping us updated. If it's okay with you, we (the hive) would like to follow you through this and hold your hand throughout the process.

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It sounds like you are getting top notch care! Vancouver does indeed have fine doctors; I lived there in my teens and so part of my heart and soul is Canadienne forever.

 

Thank you for keeping us updated. If it's okay with you, we (the hive) would like to follow you through this and hold your hand throughout the process.

 

:001_wub:

 

 

thank you all for the support! 

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Smooth and movable is highly likely to be a cyst. Hard and not movable is still likely to be benign. 80% of lumps are benign if you want the odds. 

 

I have a small benign tumor in my right breast that is smooth and movable. Just fyi. I really thought it was going to be a cyst. I've had 3 different types of breast tumors over the years--along with one cyst that had to be drained. Only one type had to be removed, and even it was benign. They removed it because that type had a "high association with malignancy". So the surgeon recommended lumpectomy. 

 

Another tip: a cyst will show up as solid black on ultrasound. 

 

So yes, odds are in your favor that it's benign.

Edited by stephensgirls
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Thanks for the update, I've been looking for it all day. Hopefully you will get in soon. Good luck with the conversation with your mom, I know talking about medical stuff with family can be tough when you are trying you're hardest not to worry.

 

I'm back from doctor.

 

So, I wasn't hallucinating and imagining things - it really is there, plain as day. Got a referral for ultrasound and a mammogram; she told me she always flags these asap so hopefully it will be done soon and we'll know more. trulycrabby, I don't think I get that choice right now - but Vancouver has some top notch doctors so I'm feeling good about it.

 

Got a flu shot as a bonus.

 

Only thing is I have to tell my mom and I know this will worry her. But my mom's sister died of breast cancer and I don't have all the details about her age etc and they need to know all that so I have to ask her.....

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So, I wasn't hallucinating and imagining things - it really is there, plain as day.  Got a referral for ultrasound and a mammogram;  she told me she always flags these asap so hopefully it will be done soon and we'll know more. trulycrabby,  I don't think I get that choice right now - but Vancouver has some top notch doctors so I'm feeling good about it. 

 

Got a flu shot as a bonus. 

 

 

Glad you're in Canada and don't have to worry about haggling with insurance companies, fighting for coverage, and high copays. And good job getting that flu shot! Hope this all turns out to be no big deal.

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I'm glad your doctor is on it, and I'm glad you didn't put it off.

 

Odds are it's nothing but you want to get moving on it quickly if it is something, so be comforted that you have done everything right. 💚

 

It was something for my sister, and she had surgery within a fortnight and started chemo shortly after, she is peefectly happy and healthy now.

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Odds are about 85% benign and will not require treatment except to be "watched" on followup mammograms.  Radiologist may attach tiny metal clip to any area that they need to follow.

 

Depending upon type of lump, it may need to be surgically removed even if not malignant.  Lumpectomies are typically easier to recover from than mastectomies.

 

Of course, radiologist will have much better idea when he/she reviews diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound.  I went to a cancer center's women's imaging center.  They had all-female radiologists on staff who do nothing all day except evaluate imaging and do biopsies and related procedures. [ If you have to have a core needle biopsy, push them to go ahead and do it same day. ]  The radiologist reviewed the images there with me in office.  I left her office knowing that my lumps, and probably lymph nodes, had very high chance of being cancerous.  The pathology report after needle biopsy confirmed known malignancy. 

 

By the way, the mammogram and ultrasound reports often use word "suspicious" which sounds scarier for most women than it actually turns out to be.

 

The waiting for diagnosis is the hardest part.  It may be comforting to remind yourself that you found it early.  Depending upon circumstances, you may also have to have dye contrast MRI and PET scan before getting final diagnosis.  Diagnosis is not necessarily final until all the pathology results are in on all tissue samples removed during surgery.  :(

 

By the way, my palpable lump was pliable but likely cancerous when viewed on mammogram.  If possible, go in expecting good news.  If you get bad news, know that odds are great that it is treatable.  Only about 5% of breast cancers have metastasized to stage 4 at initial diagnosis.

 

I have maternal aunt who had breast cancer, and other cancers, particularly blood and bone marrow, run in may family.  Per doctor's advice, I had the genetic testing, which can affect the course of treatment.  I was diagnosed in May after finding lump.  My sister who is 15 years younger was diagnosed in August after finding lump.  She, too, is undergoing genetic testing.

 

Feel free to private message me if you wish.

Edited by annandatje
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I was just looking at my calendar and realized a year ago this time I was recovering from my thyroid surgery.  I've already been through the "lumps, imaging, repeat biopsies, surgery" merry go round, just in a different organ  - so I guess I sort of know what to do. 

 

Chatted with my mom. Her sister had ovarian cancer which spread to liver, bone and breast and died at 66. 

Kind of weird thing tho - my mom is doing the Polish Catholic visiting the graves thing today so she's actually out there lighting candles on my aunt's grave atm. 

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It sounds like your doctor is on it, so that's great.  I've had many friends by now who have had breast cancer, and they're all good now and clear of it.  There is so much that can be done nowadays!

 

But of course, the highest probability is that it's nothing.  I've had breast lumps for years.  My mother had breast cancer at age 42, and her mother had it, and her mother's mother had it.  So yeah, it definitely runs in the family!  But although my sister and I have both had lots of lumps and cysts, none of it has ever been cancer.  We've had biopsies and both have mammograms and breast MRI's yearly since we're high-risk.   (Also, I went through the thyroid biopsy and surgery some years ago.)

 

My mother and I finally went through genetic testing for the breast cancer gene -- the main one, plus several others that have been discovered.  Turns out we don't have any of those, but obviously we have some gene -- one of the undiscovered ones, I guess!

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So, Hornblower.   Something to think about.  You might look into family history, and if there is a high incidence of familiar cancer, get genetic testing. 

 

I was surprised to learn that breast, prostate, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers all go hand-in-hand and seem to be connected in families.  (I didn't know that pancreatic was at all related.)

 

We have very few women in my family, literally 1 per generation on my mother's side, yet a pretty high incidence of cancers, including a young lady dying of breast cancer.  I got genetic testing and paid for it out of pocket because there were not a high-enough number of cases for insurance to pick up the tab.  (Duh, not enough people.)  The wonderful thing is that I got an all clear, and that means that my children are also not at risk.  The test results also helped us make treatment decisions. Had I been BRAC positive, we would have pursued a once-and-done surgery.

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Just checking in to see how you're doing today. :grouphug:

I'm grumpy cause I only got a 90  on my bio midterm  & I thought I had a chance at 95 + (which is what's needed for an A+ at my school) :D 

 

I'm ok. Too busy to worry and I've only checked the lump is still there like 20 times this morning. 

 

Also I'm eating so many halloween lollipops that I've scraped the roof of my mouth raw. So I guess I should switch to a different carbohydrate coping mechanism lol.... 

 

 

I think I probably won't hear about the ultrasound & mammo appointment till next week.  

 

 

oh  & thank you! I'm feeling loved :) 

 

 

 

Edited by hornblower
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So, Hornblower.   Something to think about.  You might look into family history, and if there is a high incidence of familiar cancer, get genetic testing.

 

 

 

Yeah, this is definitely something I'll be asking about and considering.  I think under our public health, it isn't always covered but I will find out and consider paying out of pocket too. 

 

It's on both sides for me as my dad's mom died of cancer pretty young. Apparently when they opened up her abdomen it was 'everywhere' so nobody even knows what kind (that was in the 50s in Poland) and then I have the maternal aunt with it so yeah, it's got me thinking. I could be carrying some wonky genes....

 

 

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re: genetic testing...   there is a company called Color Genomics that offers genetic testing for a very reasonable cost.  MUCH cheaper then what you will pay through your doctor.  And if you have a first degree relative with a positive genetic result the testing is only $50.  

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Hi! I got my appointment booked; please put worrying on hold until the 20th which is when I'll have my mammo & ultrasound.  Plus a couple days I guess for the radiologist to get back to us because I don't think this place gives instant results. 

I'm feeling ok. A bit worried in the background kwim, but school is keeping me busy and my first final is 4 weeks from today ...that gave me a jump this morning when I looked at my calendar. 


btw, do you know that the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care says they don't recommend BSE? No evidence it reduce mortality and increases risk of harm from benign breast biopsy. It's an interesting thing.....
 

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I think in the USA, they also stopped recommending BSE.  At least I heard about it and finally stopped feeling guilty for barely ever doing it since I have zero memory of how my breasts feel and never thought I would be able to find anything anyway.  I do get mammograms and visit a gynecologist who also checks (I think- I try to forget the actual gyn exam as much as possible).  No breast cancer history that I know of but I probably wouldn't have known of it too with my aunts since they were younger than my mom and I had no contact with them since my mom died when she was 63.  All I know is that neither of my grandmother;s died from it and neither did my mom. As to prostate cancer, my grandfather died from that but I don't know if my one uncle who was my mom;s brother ever got it.  Never have needed a biopsy or even second mammogram or anything with breasts but I have had to go through the waiting several times with cervix or uterine scares that turned out to be nothing and even more times with skin where the last time, it did turn out to be cancer but Basal cell which was cured.  The waiting always s*cks though I had so many skin biopsies I was actually surprised when the last one turned out to be cancer.  

 

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Hi! I got my appointment booked; please put worrying on hold until the 20th which is when I'll have my mammo & ultrasound.  Plus a couple days I guess for the radiologist to get back to us because I don't think this place gives instant results. 

 

I'm feeling ok. A bit worried in the background kwim, but school is keeping me busy and my first final is 4 weeks from today ...that gave me a jump this morning when I looked at my calendar. 

 

 

btw, do you know that the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care says they don't recommend BSE? No evidence it reduce mortality and increases risk of harm from benign breast biopsy. It's an interesting thing.....

 

 

Will put worrying on hold until then. 

 

I actually had a doctor tell me not to bother with BSE's for that exact reason.  She said if you happen to find one incidentally, it's different than if you actually go looking. 

 

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I'm back from doctor. 

 

So, I wasn't hallucinating and imagining things - it really is there, plain as day.  Got a referral for ultrasound and a mammogram;  she told me she always flags these asap so hopefully it will be done soon and we'll know more. trulycrabby,  I don't think I get that choice right now - but Vancouver has some top notch doctors so I'm feeling good about it. 

 

Got a flu shot as a bonus. 

 

Only thing is I have to tell my mom and I know this will worry her. But my mom's sister died of breast cancer and I don't have all the details about her age etc and they need to know all that so I have to ask her..... 

 

I totally understand the reluctance to tell your mother. My mother is near 80 and it would worry her to no end if I had something serious going on, especially after my cousin died in her forties. I have glossed over some things in the past. However, if you need info, it sounds like you have to ask before you even know if it is something to worry about.

 

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