SweetMissMagnolia Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 had to go back this morning for the follow-up mammogram...took forever-really hurt this time compared to the other times I've had it done--took forever to get it reviewed by the doc--he came in and said that I have small calcifications in my left breast-basicly it can be the start of breast cancer or it can be nothing at all--right now they are small (he said as small as a grain of salt)--and said that if they went in and tried to biopsy them that they might not even be able to see them--they might get bigger or might not--so it's a wait and see-watch and wait kinda thing---said to come back for another mammogram in 6months....My sister is an xray tech and says not to worry till we have something to worry about but that's easier said than done....LOL :glare: not sure how I feel at the moment--just need to relax and destress a little... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lulubelle Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I've had one mammogram and it was awful. Sorry you've had a couple and need another. It is scary to wait and see. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 :grouphug: I'm such a worrier, I would have a hard time waiting 6 months too. I don't know anything about your fitness level or diet, but maybe you could start some of the steps Negin posted about in her Cancer/Nutrition post. Doing something positive could help you feel in charge of your health, and will improve your health regardless of what the little calcifications are. BTW, this is not me judging you. I need to make many changes for my health. I'm assuming most people can do a little better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: I hate waiting. It's so easy for doctors to say you should watch and wait, because they're not the ones losing sleep over it at night. :glare: Is there any other way to get a definitive diagnosis? Would an MRI be helpful? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Are you open to getting a thermogram? They detect heat, which would be blood supply to a tumor, and also claim to be able to predict conditions favorable to a tumor before a tumor forms. Best thing, no squishing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccm Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 :grouphug: I think your sister is right and not to worry. I've had yearly mammograms for years now. A few years ago, I started having mammograms every six months for the same reason as you have stated. After a couple of years of every six months, I'm back to yearly. I think they just wanted to be on the safe side and keep a close eye on any changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I would push for more information. My understanding is that calcifications are not a cause for concern. When I went for my first mammo, my dr told me ahead of time that "they almost always find something" and to not freak out. The important thing was to get 2-3 over 12-18 months to measure any changes. Having that comparison then provides a good baseline for understanding future mammos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I would push for more information. My understanding is that calcifications are not a cause for concern. When I went for my first mammo, my dr told me ahead of time that "they almost always find something" and to not freak out. The important thing was to get 2-3 over 12-18 months to measure any changes. Having that comparison then provides a good baseline for understanding future mammos. There has been some real questioning about the efficacy of mammograms lately - i believe there was a big study that came out suggesting that they don't help to the degree that was thought and can result in unnecessary interventions. I'm not sure how widely it's been discussed though, I haven't tended to hear a lot about it except from people involved in the medical field. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi3129 Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 :grouphug:I think your sister is right and not to worry. I've had yearly mammograms for years now. A few years ago, I started having mammograms every six months for the same reason as you have stated. After a couple of years of every six months, I'm back to yearly. I think they just wanted to be on the safe side and keep a close eye on any changes. Same thing here. They showed up on what was supposed to be my baseline, so I had to have mammograms every 6 months for 2 years so they could keep an eye on them. Now I'm back to yearly mammograms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TranquilMind Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 had to go back this morning for the follow-up mammogram...took forever-really hurt this time compared to the other times I've had it done--took forever to get it reviewed by the doc--he came in and said that I have small calcifications in my left breast-basicly it can be the start of breast cancer or it can be nothing at all--right now they are small (he said as small as a grain of salt)--and said that if they went in and tried to biopsy them that they might not even be able to see them--they might get bigger or might not--so it's a wait and see-watch and wait kinda thing---said to come back for another mammogram in 6months....My sister is an xray tech and says not to worry till we have something to worry about but that's easier said than done....LOL :glare: not sure how I feel at the moment--just need to relax and destress a little... I had those - 12 years ago! It was nothing. You will be fine, in Jesus' name! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetMissMagnolia Posted January 14, 2012 Author Share Posted January 14, 2012 (edited) :) thanks for all the info--support--:grouphug:--and for sharing your stories....I think I'm going to call my ob/gyn since she's the one who sends me for mammograms in the first place-maybe she can give me more info....and yeah I thought about looking into healthier diet too....seeing what supplements/foods might affect breast health or whatever-you girls know what I mean..... :D ** and I did find out that the family history is a little closer than I thought---a paternal aunt and 1st cousin on the same side had some kind of issues and had to have mastectomies--my sister couldn't remember the details.... Edited January 14, 2012 by SweetMissMagnolia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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