technically, i suppose my beginning was when i got the call back from my gynecologist's office that i needed another mammogram. the message was that they had not gotten a "good look," and needed for me to go to a diagnostic center for a 3D mammogram. wow, my breast in 3D- pretty amazing. i have gotten two other call backs, over the years, for further studies, so i was not worried. i have dense breast tissue and calcifications, so i have to be sure to keep up with the testing. after my 3D experience, i was told i needed an ultrasound. uh-oh. i was getting worried now. the radiologist showed me the films- something looked suspicious to me, and i do not even read these for a living! irregular edges, dark shading,etc. the radiologist told me that the next step was a biopsy. i could tell that he was worried,though, and he stopped just short of telling me that it was cancer.
i had never had a breast biopsy before. when i had my thyroid cancer diagnosed, almost 5 years ago, i had a thyroid biopsy. it was one of the more painful things that i have had to have. instead of any numbing medication, my doctor just told me to "hold on." because of this, i guess, i was nervous and did not know what to expect. i am going to describe the breast biopsy process, as it was for me, so if anyone is about to have one done, they might know a little bit of what to expect.
first, the radiologist marked the place with a pen. everything was sterile, and he scrubbed and wore a mask and gown. there was an ultrasound technician in there and she helped guide the needles as he was doing the biopsy. the radiologist injected numbing medication, and when that took effect, he made a small incision over where he thought that my breast mass was. i was not prepared for the popping noise that the instrument used to collect the tissue made. my legs automatically jumped off of the table! although there was also a nurse in there to comfort me, and hand the radiologist his instruments, they called in another nurse to basically hold my legs down! he asked me if i needed more numbing medication and i accepted. it was mostly the noise that spooked me, but i decided pain is not my friend, and if he wanted to give me more numbing medication, bring it on. i managed to keep my legs on the table after that, and he got several samples. oh, and he also inserted a clip that will show the surgeon exactly where the cancer is. i told my son, who was rather freaked out about the whole thing, that the clip is like the micro-chip the vet inserts into your dog. if i get lost, well, they can scan me and call home! just kidding.
the area where the biopsy was taken is about the size of a nickle. o.k., maybe a quarter. it was closed up with a liquid bandage called durabond. i had durabond when i had my thyroid removed. it is a flexible bandage, way better than stitches, and it comes off in 5-7 days. if it does not come off on its own, you can remove it with vitamin e oil, or something like polysporin ointment. it will soften up and just sort of peel off. i was then given a cotton bra that fastens in the front. i had to wear it the rest of the day and night. i could shower the next day, but had to be careful not to get lotions or soaps on the biopsy site. the special bra that they gave me has been my friend. i ordered two more, similar to that one, on amazon. they are mostly cotton and snap in the front. i figure they will come in handy later. another friend of mine has been an ice pack. i had an instant ice pack for the ride home, and then i used one- 30 minutes on, 30 minutes off, for the next couple of days. the only pain medicine that i needed has been ibuprofen. some doctors only recommend tylenol. be sure to check with your doctor on which one is o.k. for you to take.
my biopsy was on this past monday. on wednesday, my husband and i met with the surgeon and he told me that i have breast cancer. i had already prepared myself for this news. i have invasive lobular breast cancer, and the mass is one centimeter in size. that is fairly small, as i understand it, for breast cancer. if the surgeon gets clear edges, and there are no lymph nodes involved ( he will biopsy those during my surgery), then i will have six weeks of five days per week radiation treatments. i will not need chemotherapy if all goes well. if i do need chemo, then i will just deal with it. lots of other people have, and i will do whatever i need to do in order to be healthy.
this is what i want women to know: I HAD NO RISK FACTORS!!. i have never smoked, breast fed both of my children, did not drink more that the occasional glass of wine, am not overweight, and have no history of breast cancer in my family ANYWHERE. my daughter told me she read that 76% of all cases have no known cause. so the important message here is that women get yearly mammograms, and keep up with the testing. do not skip a year or two and think that just because you have no risk factors you will be o.k. my surgery is going to be this coming thursday, april 16th. it is an all day adventure, but i will be going home that night. ( i told my husband that someday soon brain surgery will be same day surgery).
so i have begun my journey. i will write another blog just as soon as i am able, and relate my experiences. if you have read this, thank you for your interest. i hope i have not provided TMI, but i for one like to be informed. it like having a map when you are taking a journey. everyone needs to know where you are going. for me, that is forward.
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