Waiting for results

[lainielou]

Here’s my story…  A few years ago, I had heard that women in their 30’s should get a baseline mammo to assist with yearly mammos after 40.  That sounds like a great idea, I thought.  I mentioned it to my GYN.  He said that insurance won’t pay until 35.  We’ll do it then.  I have a mild history – My mother’s grandmother was a survivor.

I turned 35 this year and went like a good doo-bee to get my mammo.  2 days later I got a call from the radiology center that they needed to redo the films.  After the appointment was made, I asked the person on the phone, was something found?  Obviously she wasn’t going to offer that up.  She said that there were some calcifications and dense tissue.  I hung up the phone and lost my mind.  I cried and cried and cried.  Dr. Google was absolutely no help.  I finally talked to my GYN and he said it didn’t sound like anything to worry about and that calcifications are usually nothing.

A week later, I get the repeat mammo.  The radiologist shows me the films and says, it’s nothing.  I’m 99% sure it’s nothing.  Whew!  What a relief.  2 days later, the radiologist calls and tells me that she showed my films to another radiologist and spoke to my GYN and they think it’s a good idea if I get a stereotactic biopsy to make 100% sure it’s nothing.  While I’m glad everyone is being as proactive as I was trying to be, I was wishing they hadn’t waited 2 days.

I have the biopsy 10 days later.  One of the most uncomfortable things I’ve ever done.  The position I was in bothered me more than the actual procedure.  They intended to remove several calcs and put in a clip for future reference.  I was bleeding so badly, however, they only got one calc and were not able to insert the clip.

I wait very impatiently for my results.   “The findings are benign; however, there was some atypia, specifically flat epithelial atypia.  Given this finding, an excisional biopsy is warranted to exclude adjacent foci of malignancy.”

I talk to my GYN and he gives me the names of 3 surgeons.  I choose the closest to home who also happens to be the head of the breast center at that hospital and a woman.  

She doesn’t even hesitate on having the biopsy, but seems very blasé about it, which gives me a good feeling.

I had the surgery on June 4.  My family was told that results would be in Monday or Tuesday.  I have a post-op appt tomorrow (Thursday).  I haven’t received any results yet and I’m making myself crazy doing research.  I’m almost certain not to seek results until my appointment, that way any questions I have can be immediately answered.

[lainielou]

Thank you for the reply!  Reading that helps a bit.

[PaulMD]

Hi there.

Majority of calcifications that turn out on mammograms would usually end up to be benign.  I believe that your doctors are doing a good job in managing you.  For findings of atypia, it is really best if the entire lesion can be sampled through an excision biopsy since about less than 10% of these may harbor an adjacent malignancy.  Even then, the odds are still in your favor and I really hope that the results will come out sooner.

For now I suggest you relax and have adequate rest.  Regards and God bless.