Mammogram abnormality

[knittingmomof3]

Hey Everyone. It’s been a long while since I posted but I still visit and read posts. My older two both graduated. Youngest is still homeschooling and is finishing his freshman year. 
 

I’m hoping for some insight from all the mammogram ladies. I had my fourth screening mammo last Wednesday. I’ve gone annually-ish since turning 41. Every year I get a letter in the mail 2 weeks later that says everything was fine and I should return in a year. 
 

This time I got an immediate call back. They got me back in the same day for more images of the right side. Then they wanted an ultrasound. Now they are ordering an MRI due to “Persistent architectural distortion in lower inner quadrant of right breast confirmed on compression images and ultrasound.” BI-RADS score is 0. Tissue is called “heterogenously dense.”
 

The MRI facility can’t get me in until 7/24/24. Is it ok to wait that long? Dr. Google is freaking me out. 
 

ETA: Does anyone else have experience with architectural distortion?
 

Hoping for your collective wisdom. 
 

💜

Edited June 3 by knittingmomof3

[Catwoman]

Is there another MRI place you can go to, even if you have to travel a little to get there?

I'm thinking of your peace of mind more than the actual risk of waiting until the 24th.

I'll pray that everything turns out fine for you! I'm glad to see you back here again, but I wish it was under happier circumstances. 😞 

[knittingmomof3]

8 minutes ago, Catwoman said:

Is there another MRI place you can go to, even if you have to travel a little to get there?

I'm thinking of your peace of mind more than the actual risk of waiting until the 24th.

I'll pray that everything turns out fine for you! I'm glad to see you back here again, but I wish it was under happier circumstances. 😞 

Thank you so much for replying. I can definitely call other places around here. I don’t mind traveling. However, it was recommended to stay within the same hospital system so the radiologist has immediate access to all my other images during the MRI study. I’m not sure what to do. I’m on a cancellation list. But I also learned the MRI has to be specifically timed during my menstrual cycle. We are closing on a house this week. I don’t have time for this 😩🫣.

[Catwoman]

31 minutes ago, knittingmomof3 said:

Thank you so much for replying. I can definitely call other places around here. I don’t mind traveling. However, it was recommended to stay within the same hospital system so the radiologist has immediate access to all my other images during the MRI study. I’m not sure what to do. I’m on a cancellation list. But I also learned the MRI has to be specifically timed during my menstrual cycle. We are closing on a house this week. I don’t have time for this 😩🫣.

You can get a CD with all of your images on it from the existing hospital, or they can transmit them electronically to the new MRI place. I would at least see if a different place could get you in significantly sooner. Don't hesitate to let them know how scared and worried you and your family are about this, because it could really help you get a quicker appointment (and you'd be telling the truth!) 

I'm so sorry this is happening to you, and it's even worse when you should be feeling happy and excited about your new house. 😢

Hopefully you will get the MRI very soon and you'll get great news so you can stop worrying and enjoy your new home.

[knittingmomof3]

57 minutes ago, Catwoman said:

You can get a CD with all of your images on it from the existing hospital, or they can transmit them electronically to the new MRI place. I would at least see if a different place could get you in significantly sooner. Don't hesitate to let them know how scared and worried you and your family are about this, because it could really help you get a quicker appointment (and you'd be telling the truth!) 

I'm so sorry this is happening to you, and it's even worse when you should be feeling happy and excited about your new house. 😢

Hopefully you will get the MRI very soon and you'll get great news so you can stop worrying and enjoy your new home.

I didn’t know about getting the CD of images. I will ask about that. Thanks for the tip! 

[Scarlett]

Please try not to worry. Our breast density changes as we age and it sometimes requires a second look . This is why we have regular mammograms… just in case. 
 

I would stay in the same system. It will be ok. Just try to breathe. 

[J-rap]

Yes, try not to worry.  I don't know the meaning of various terminology, but I've had extremely dense breasts all my life, even as a young woman.  My experience is that doctors are usually a little more aggressive with testing because of that.  I've had lots of callbacks and further testing, including biopsies.  Worst case scenario, I always tell myself that because I'm doing this regularly, chances are very high that any cancer would be caught very early and treatable.  

If it were me, for my own peace of mind, I think I'd call your clinic back and push for them to get you in sooner, or maybe they can recommend another facility that's in their network.  I see you're already on their cancellation list, but my experience is that clinics don't always follow up with that.  You might have more luck just calling them first thing every morning to see if something has opened up.

Best wishes to you!  It's probably nothing, but it's good that they're being very careful and following up with more testing.

 

 

[Scarlett]

3 hours ago, J-rap said:

Yes, try not to worry.  I don't know the meaning of various terminology, but I've had extremely dense breasts all my life, even as a young woman.  My experience is that doctors are usually a little more aggressive with testing because of that.  I've had lots of callbacks and further testing, including biopsies.  Worst case scenario, I always tell myself that because I'm doing this regularly, chances are very high that any cancer would be caught very early and treatable.  

If it were me, for my own peace of mind, I think I'd call your clinic back and push for them to get you in sooner, or maybe they can recommend another facility that's in their network.  I see you're already on their cancellation list, but my experience is that clinics don't always follow up with that.  You might have more luck just calling them first thing every morning to see if something has opened up.

Best wishes to you!  It's probably nothing, but it's good that they're being very careful and following up with more testing.

 

 

I agree with all of this. Making you wait almost 2 months is ridiculous but also probably means they aren’t super concerned….they are just following protocol.  
Calling every morning is a good idea.  Squeaky wheel gets greased and all of that.  

[Pawz4me]

If they were really concerned they would have ordered the MRI be done stat/asap. The imaging places keep openings for those type things. That they apparently ordered it as non-urgent means they don’t think timing is a factor as far as whatever they think may be there getting worse. But waiting is a huge stressor for most people. So I’d say whether or not you call around to see if you can get it done sooner somewhere else depends on how you think you can handle the wait. 

[Arcadia]

27 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

 

If they were really concerned they would have ordered the MRI be done stat/asap

I agree. Had to wait a week for insurance approval to go through but my MRI was scheduled within a week. My favorite MRI location did open from 7am to 10pm so we took the unfavored time slots.