Yes it's normal to be stressed. I had a baseline mammogram at 33 and had to come back for more views of calcifications. Those turned out to be benign, but now 5 years later I have indeterminate ones in a different area. Right now I'm waiting to have an MRI for a nodule on the other side and because I have dense breasts. If that MRI is okay, I'm still supposed to have short term followup in 6 months.
I feel for what you're going through. I've been wondering for 6 weeks what my final answers will be and I still have 10 days to the MRI. I haven't slept well for the past 6 weeks either and have probably lost 5 lbs. Waiting sucks.
I will keep you in my prayers and hope all turns out well!
Thanks for the info. My insurance pretty much limits where I can go to. But I don't have any issues with the surgeon. Yet anyway.
I'm still playing the waiting game and don't get the MRI until towards the end of March. I get more scared about it every day.
Thanks for the prayers.
Don't worry about using this thread. It can take days or weeks to post a questiong since they have a limit of how many are allowed.
I hope you get your MRI scheduled soon. Waiting is sooooo hard. You could ask the clinic if your doctor is a breast specialist. Sometimes you can find listings of specialists on the internet. You may have to travel quite a distance to find a breast specialist, though. I don't think it's essential to go to a breast specialist; there are many general surgeons who are very good with breast issues. However, if you feel you need more info or are uncomfortable with the recommendation you should be sure to get a second opinion, preferably with a specialist.
Thank you for the prayers.
I guess right now the calcifcations are second on the list of concerns. First I have to get through the MRI. My spot compression report said the calcifications could be followed in 6 months *if* the results of the MRI are benign. I haven't seen the surgeon yet but will ask her opinion about waiting 6 months if the MRI is okay. I'm so worried about the MRI right now I feel sick. And of course it's not even ordered yet. I have to see the doctor first.
I don't know if she's a breast specialist or not. I don't even know if we have any around here. But she's the one who did the biopsy 2 years ago and does handle a lot of breast issues. How do you find out if someone's a breast specialist?
I guess I probably should've started my own thread. I feel bad for derailing someone else's.
Thanks again for the prayers.
I've had 3 benign biopsies and continue to go every 6 months for mammos due to my calcifications and various lumps. I know how difficult it is to wait and wonder if you're making the right decision, afraid that sometime in the future they'll be using the "c" word. Only God can give us peace to get through this. I will pray for you. Are you seeing a breast specialist, or can you get a second opinion? Sometimes, just feeling confident about the decision to wait 6 months can make it easier.
Hi. I'm glad to hear that your followup was okay.
I noticed the offers of prayers in this thread so wanted to highjack it myself for a minute. I had spot compression and ultrasound last week and now have to have an MRI because they're still not sure if what they're seeing is benign or not. I had spot compression 5 years ago that was benign and a biopsy 2 years ago that turned out to be benign. I'm very worried that my luck will run out one of these times.
I have areas in both breasts they're looking at. Actually on one side it's calcifications, which I don't think show up on an MRI, and even if the MRI is okay I need 6 month follow up of that.
I don't think I can go on like this another 6 months. I believe in the power of prayer so if anyone wants to help me out there, it'd be *very much* appreciated.
Thanks.
I went for my spot compression and ultrasound a couple of days ago. I had my appointment at another facility other than the last one. I did take my films with me.
Anyway, the tech was so..............nice. She did a couple of digitals and showed me the spot. She said that it could be a cyst. Then she did the spot compression and told me to have a seat in the waitng room while she talked to the doctor.
Then she came back and said I could go. I did not have to have the ultrasound........and asked her if everything was all right....she said that the doctor would write up the report, but commented that she said everything was fine. The tissue just needed to be compressed to open up.
I don't have a copy of the report yet, but am confident that it's okay.
Long story short, I hadn't had a mammo in several years and I guess this is a hard lesson that I should get it done every year; no excuses.
LADIES, WE USUALLY PUT OTHER PEOPLE FIRST AND DON'T TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES. STOP PUTTING YOURSELVES LAST. IF YOU'RE DUE FOR A MAMMO, PLEASE MAKE AN APPOINTMENT. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR NOT HAVING ONE. BREAST CANCER IS TREATABLE AND THE SURVIVAL RATE IS HIGH IF CAUGHT EARLY ENOUGH.
THANK GOD WOMEN CAN VOICE THEIR CONCERNS ON THIS WEBSITE AND HELP EACH OTHER!
I PRAY FOR EVERYONE ON THIS SITE, AND HOPE THAT WHILE YOU READ THIS YOU ARE SAYING TO YOURSELF, I NEED TO MAKE THAT APPOINTMENT.
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS...........SAVING WOMEN, ONE LIFE AT A TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GOD BLESS,
I am going through the same thing you went through right now. I was scheduled for implants today 2/21 and the results came in yesterday with an abnormality, therefore the surgery was cancelled. Now, I am scheduled to have a spot compression for tomorrow 2/22. I am very nervous as this was my first mammogram. But I have faith and hope that nothing shows up on the second test.
I'm a fellow prayer warrior and will keep all of you in my prayers.
smilie114 - birad 0 just means your tests were inconclusive and they need more tests to decide if the area is suspicious. It sounds to me as if your implants may be making it difficult to interpret the mammogram and they're hoping the us will help. Fortunately, many of these call backs turn out just fine.
deedee - It's common to have calcifications in your breast, so they don't even tell you they're monitoring them unless they become suspicious.
Spring02 - I also am monitoring various lumps in my breast after having several benign biopsies. I'm comfortable with that for now but I continue to go every 6 months for mammos. Just be sure you keep on top of your mammogram/us results and if you ever feel uncomfortable, get a 2nd opinion or ask for a biopsy. Looking back at your post I see they "think" you have a cyst. If they are not certain it's a cyst I thought they usually did a biopsy. Do you have the radiology report so you can give us the exact words?
Hang in there....and stop pressing!!!! I did that too and you can make it very sore!!!!
Hi there:
Please be reassured that you are NOT ALONE. I have been in a similar situation since my last mammogram in December. They notified me by mail that they wanted to do a more indepth mammogram, which I had on January 24th. The results of that is that they THINK I have a benign fluid filled cyst. They also ordered an ultrasound which I had on Feb 6th. They called today and want to redo the ultrsound again in three months. I still don't know what to make of it, but as long as they continue to monitor it for any changes, I suppose that is all I can do. Waiting is the hardest part of it all. Do you feel any pain or itching with your spot? They couldn't detect mine with a breast exam but the mammogram picked it up. I had been having some unusual sensations in the affected breast since last summer, so now I am a bit concerned.
Best wishes, good luck with your progress & hopefully you will get some positive news soon. I am sixty with no history of breast cancer in my family, nor do I smoke, drink and never took HRT meds. I do have a history of allergies and a lot of stress with an undiagnosed neurological situation that causes me a lot of pain and stiffness. Stress can wreck havoc on a person's health but I am coping with this, as I have a strong faith and believe in the power of prayer and positive thinking.
Hang in there and God Bless.
The Canadian
Thanks to everyone that took the time to respond to my concern. I had not felt anything unusual, but now that I've been kind of pressing on that area, it feels sore.
I had a chiropractic appointment today (I've know him for about 12 years)(this man is the best doctor) and I took in my results from my mammo. He looked at the report and basically said the same thing that most of you have said.............to remain calm, get the tests done, and have faith. He said he had a patient with implants and her mammo came back abnormal..........he refered her to a doctor that does "THERMOGRAPHY" (the test is inexpensive) and it showed a warm area on the top of her breast that was rubbing against the implant....that's all it was. I'd heard of thermography before, but had not researched it.
I do believe in eastern civilization medicine and feel there are other alternatives out there that we need to explore..........but I'm still going for the tests first because the appointment is made.............and then I will check into thermography.
My tests are on Feb. 20th. Thanks for your prayers, as I pray for everyone on this site everyday.
Positive thoughts to all!!!!
Don't Panic! It seems to me that everything is just inconclusive at this time and they need magnified pics just to make sure that what they see is nothing. Get the tests done and Thank God that they are taking a thorough and complete approach with you. I will pray for you that everything turns out fine.
I share your concern....you just need to take a deep breath and wait to hear back. I just went this past Friday for a magnified mammogram. They saw density and calcifications in left breast that had changed from last year. The xray tech's took about 20 views. They just could not spot the area of concern. Finally, they took a regular mammogram and the radiologist said he thought that no biopsy was needed at this time but to follow up in 6 months w/ another mammogram!
I guess that I'll wait the 6 months but I'm wondering why I was not informed last year that there were calcifications, unless by their appearance the radiologist was not concerned that they could be a problem.
Dear smilie114: It is not uncommon for a mammogram to show an abnormality. In most cases, the recommendation is to do a mammogram with spot compression and ultrasound, if needed. Sometimes, the tissue folds over on itself and the abnormality disappears with spot compression. In other words, further investigation is required in order to determine what this is and what, if anything, needs to be done.