I will have the needle biopsy next Monday

[hilda425]

I am very afraid of needles. I know that I have to do it, Do you know if the anesthesia before the procedure is an injection, if yes where? Are you able to see the procedure?.I do not want to see anything.

[Native_Plants]

I firmly believe that the more you know about the procedure, the better prepared you can be.  Biopsies are necessary, and a fact of life.  However, there are many things your doctor won't tell you before you get there.

Most centers will allow you to bring a support person into the room with you.  If you are very nervous, having someone you know with you helps, even if just for the touch they bring.  

You will not see any needles, they are beneath the table.  See if you can get the staff to put a roll or towel under the ankles to help position the back.  You will be face down on the table for some time, and you will get stiff in the back.

If you are going in for microcalcifications...did your doctor tell you that you are probably going to get several cores taken?  Mine doctor didn't tell me this either.  The average is six, They took 10 from me.  It takes time to reposition the needle each time with a digital x-ray.  

As the expert above said, you will get a local anethetic.  This might numb you about 1 cm into the tissue.  The biopsy will be deeper.  I did not find this to be just pressure.  It wasn't as painful as having a baby, but it hurt like hell.  The sharp pain did not last, and low grade pain was gone in a day or two.  Ask for good pain meds.  I find the practice of inserting a 1/10" diameter needle into your breast without adequate anesthetic somewhat medievil.

Did your doctor tell you that they will want to place a titanium clip at the biopsy site?  You will be asked to sign a waiver, and be told that you won't feel it.  The clip is useful for tracking and future procedures.  I have been repeatedly told by male doctors that it is not possible for the clip to be the source of pain in my breast, at the site of the clip, when I lift heavy objects.  If you do a google search, you will find that I am not alone in this problem.  It is up to you to think about this ahead of time.  If you refuse the clip, you will not have the benefit of the tracking in the future.  If you are one of those that CAN feel the clip, you will either just put up with the pain when you lift, or search long and hard to find a surgeon that will remove it at high cost.  You need to talk to your doctor about this ahead of the biopsy.

My doctor said nothing about the potential for a lessening of feeling in the nipple after the biopsy.  I am simply trying to tell you that there are a number of things the doctor won't tell you before you are asked to sign the waiver.  You have to make an INFORMED decision, not just a decision.  So, why do women put up with this?  Becuase the odds of breast cancer are so high that you have to take the time to learn, ask questions, and maybe get another opinion.

[firmitup]

My doctor had me take 1/2 of xanex before I got to his office to help calm my nerves.  The procedure was done in his office.  He had me bring an exercise bra that zipped up the front with me to wear after the procedure. I wore the bra night and day for two or three days to restrict movement.Talk to your doctor to see what he can do to make sure you won't have to see the needles, etc.  I am sure he/she will make you as comfortable as possible.

[iam1butterfly]

You'll be given a local anesthetic on the area where the biopsy is to be performed.
So, the procedure itself doesn't hurt, although you might feel a bit of pressure from the needle probe. And, because of the way you'll probably be positioned... face down on
an examination table that has an opening for your breast... you couldn't possibly see anything. In my case, I felt that the discomfort was minimal.
In fact, the position that I had to lie down in... face down; my head turned to one side; and my arm raised over my head... was the most uncomfortable part of the the whole process. Good luck with your procedure.