Friday, December 9, 2011
Biopsy Fiasco
Today was a very trying day. I did not sleep much last night in anticipation of today's biopsy so this morning I was very tired and scared. We ran a few errands this morning and then dropped Nora and Naomi at a friends house and headed off to the doctor. They took us back to a room and dressed me in a very stylish paper smock and left us there so I could get nice and cold. They moved us to a procedure room and got ready to do the biopsy. The ultrasound tech started looking for the lump and could not find it. They tried for less than 5 minutes and told me that they would have to reschedule me in radiology at the hospital another day. I just started to cry. I told the surgeon that I wanted him to try to get me in today and although he wasn't happy about it he made the call. Radiology agreed and so off we went to the hospital where they found the lump almost immediately. They checked the other armpit and SURPRISE there were two more lumps there that looked suspicious. The biggest lump or lymph node in the left armpit had blood vessels surrounding it and so the radiologist did not want to biopsy it. He was afraid to nick a vessel. Not to mention his shift was over and he wanted to go home. He was not any nicer today than he was a week ago. We "debated" over his plan of action which was send me home and deal with it next week. I fought back. After an hour and 4 different calls to the surgeon they got him over there to do the biopsy's. So finally 4 hours after my scheduled appointment the biopsy's were done. The radiologist just kept saying if it's cancer, a week won't make a difference. I was beyond myself and could not stop crying. It wasn't until I told him I felt like I was being given the run around and I had no say in my own care and it was my body that he pulled his head out. I couldn't believe I was having to fight for a procedure that was already scheduled! I won't lie, it hurt and I sang hymns in my mind the whole time to distract myself. Now we will wait until next Thursday or Friday for the results. Needless to say they made a bad situation worse and I will be finding another surgeon. I am home now and pretty sore but glad to have it over.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Update
Well today I had my first ever mammogram. NOT FUN! I did find it funny that they put a chocolate on the folded gown! It was even dark chocolate :)
They found only one lump in my right breast which they confirmed with ultrasound. During the ultrasound they also found an abnormal lymph node in my left armpit.
The hospital sent the results to my primary care doctor and told me that I need to see a surgeon. They said that the lump was very small and that we could just leave it and take the lymph node. Then in a while they would do a followup ultrasound and see if it has grown.
I was not too thrilled with leaving the lump alone to get bigger and neither was my primary care doctor. She called this evening after she had seen the scans and said that they did not look good and that both the lump and the lymph node need to be removed as soon as possible. So tomorrow I call the surgeon and get the ball rolling faster.
They found only one lump in my right breast which they confirmed with ultrasound. During the ultrasound they also found an abnormal lymph node in my left armpit.
The hospital sent the results to my primary care doctor and told me that I need to see a surgeon. They said that the lump was very small and that we could just leave it and take the lymph node. Then in a while they would do a followup ultrasound and see if it has grown.
I was not too thrilled with leaving the lump alone to get bigger and neither was my primary care doctor. She called this evening after she had seen the scans and said that they did not look good and that both the lump and the lymph node need to be removed as soon as possible. So tomorrow I call the surgeon and get the ball rolling faster.
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