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Lab called to come for follow-up

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Posted 6/19/2012 1:52 PM (GMT 0)

I'm 64 and went for a routine mammogram last week. Yesterday the lab called and said I needed to come back because my mammogram was incomplete and they also want a sonogram. I have an appointment tomorrow morning. This morning at 8:30 my primary care doc (NOT my gyno, by the way) called to make sure I made an appointment and said the mammo showed a 6mm mass. Now I'm a nervous wreck.  shocked   I found this site. So here I am. Help!

Posted 6/19/2012 2:38 PM (GMT 0)
For me to say "relax a little and try not to panic" probably doesn't do much good, but please try to hang in there until you get into your follow up appt. A "mass" can mean lots of things, so the ultrasound will really help them figure out what it is. If you need a biopsy, even if it were to be a surgical excision, you'll get through it!

I do know that Dr.'s don't delay on any sort of abnormal things found in the breast. When I found a lump, they wanted me in the next day and THAT scared me. BUT, that's what they do.

There are several distinctions they look for in an ultrasound/sonogram. I wish I could remember them all (your radiologist will be able to tell you), one is if sound waves can penetrate the mass/lump.

Turned out my lump was benign, unfortunately at the same time they found a few different areas of microcalcifications (which turned out to be cancerous). So for me, my lump was my friend cause it got me the attention I needed.

Amazing how we DO get through these things. Not knowing is much much harder than knowing what you're dealing with. We as women, are pretty strong!

Please post after your follow up and let us know how things went.
You'll be in my thoughts and prayers!

Jacey
Posted 6/19/2012 9:28 PM (GMT 0)
Dear Jacey,
Thank you so much for your encouraging reply. I guess I can't do anything but wait until Thursday. Meanwhile I'll keep busy. I'll post when I know. Thanks again.
Posted 6/20/2012 1:09 AM (GMT 0)
Booklover, I know where you are coming from. I've had an "all's clear" mammogram that missed two invasive cancers in one breast. Then another mammogram that showed a mass in my remaining breast that turned out to be nothing, once they did compression views. So further tests are just that... they just want to look closer at the area that showed an anomaly. It may very well be nothing.

Let us know how it goes...
BEV
Posted 6/20/2012 7:23 PM (GMT 0)
If they still have questions and you want to know for sure, you should ask about BSGI. It's better than MRI and will tell you almost immediately. You can google it and see if you think it might work for you.

Just a thought.
Posted 6/21/2012 1:51 PM (GMT 0)
I just went for the second mammogram and an ultrasound. The radiologist said it looks like a hematoma from a bruise. I have to go back in 3 months. If it is a hematoma it will be gone, If not, it won't have had time to grow.So I guess this is good news. I'm actually a little nauseated from nerves.
I want to thank all of you who took the time to write. I'm sure you understand how much I appreciate it.
God bless you and take care.

Marsha
Posted 6/22/2012 2:51 AM (GMT 0)
It probably is a hematoma. And it won't necessarily be gone in three months, but should at least be decreasing in size. And in terms of breast cancer, 3 months is not a long time to wait. It takes years for a tumor to grow to the size where it can be seen on a mammogram, and about three more years to become palpable. So try not to worry that waiting is going to make things worse in the off chance that it is a tumor.

Glad you got some good news! Let us know how it goes.

Hugs...
BEV
Posted 6/22/2012 12:53 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks BEV. I'm feeling much better about this.
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