worried

sunshine3
sunshine3 Member Posts: 3
in Breast Cancer #1

I am 45 years old and have been getting yearly mammograms since I was about 25 years old due to family history.  I have never had an abnormal mammogram until Nov. 2012.  They called me back to get a bilateral diagnostic mammogram done.  They said that I have microcalcifications and very dense breasts.  No one told me about my dense breasts until then.  They said to come back in 6 months to do another diagnostic mammogram to see if there are any changes.  I ended going to a beast specialist due to all the pain I am having in my breasts since the diagnostic.  She says there is nothing to worry about that the pain is due to fibrostic cysts I have in my breasts and that I may be starting menopause.   She also stated they couldn’t read my mammogram from the year before to get a good comparison.  Well 6 months is almost up I go again for my second diagnostic next week.  I am really worried as my thoughts are if there was something wrong with the mammogram the year before wouldn’t they have said something?  The pain has never gone away its just some days are worse than others.  They also say I don’t qualify to get an MRI.  Am I being overly worried?  Is it true that cancer doesn’t cause pain? 

Comments

  • Patti1967
    Patti1967 Member Posts: 186
    #2
    Try not to worry and I know,

    Try not to worry and I know, easier said then done:)  No it isn't true that breast cancer doesnt hurt.  I just turned 46 but was 45 last August when I was diagnosed with bilateral IDC.  My left breast lump hurt which is what prompted me to go see the doc in the first place.  That doesn't mean all breast pain is cancer.  My breasts were also very dense.  Try asking for an ultrasound, mamo's can miss things.  I speak from experience on that as well.  I am not trying to scare you, just want you to be your best advocate:)

    Hope all goes well during your next exam:)

    Patti

  • JJDS
    JJDS Member Posts: 258
    #3
    Patti1967 said:

    Try not to worry and I know,

    Try not to worry and I know, easier said then done:)  No it isn't true that breast cancer doesnt hurt.  I just turned 46 but was 45 last August when I was diagnosed with bilateral IDC.  My left breast lump hurt which is what prompted me to go see the doc in the first place.  That doesn't mean all breast pain is cancer.  My breasts were also very dense.  Try asking for an ultrasound, mamo's can miss things.  I speak from experience on that as well.  I am not trying to scare you, just want you to be your best advocate:)

    Hope all goes well during your next exam:)

    Patti

    Please do ask for an

    Please do ask for an ultrasound.  As Patti wrote, it can pick up on something sometimes that a mammogram misses.

    Good luck

  • sassyboots
    sassyboots Member Posts: 4
    #4
    I agree with the ladies. I

    I agree with the ladies. I had dense breast tissue, had a mammo and things came back normal. I insisted on an ultrasound, and there was the tumor. This was back in December. Three weeks later I had a double mastectomy. Insist on the ultrasound!

  • Treecy1106
    Treecy1106 Member Posts: 144
    #5
    Hi Sunshine

    Boy do I know how you are feeling. I will tell you this.....YOU NEED TO BE YOUR BEST ADVOCATE!

    Instead of worrying...be proactive and protect yourself! I had mammo's and ultrasounds with a Breast Specialist for 12 years because of fibrocystic breasts. 

    Then one day I felt alittle lump on the side. My Doctor looked at all the tests and he said I was all clear. I asked him to take a fine needle biopsy anyway. Guess what..BC! 

    I changed Doctors and hospitals after that. Went straight to Sloan in NYC. They did the MRI with the dye and saw 4 tumors in my left breast which never showed on anything. Because of the size they had to have been there for 2 years or more I was told.

    I opted for a bilateral mastectomy for obvious reasons. My Doctor at Sloan said .."No need to do both, you only have a 5% chance of getting it in the other breast." I said, no test determined the tumors in the first place and I have dense breasts so take them both.

    After the surgery I read my pathology report and saw that I had BC in both breasts.

    In essence I saved my own life. My breast cancer is Triple Negative whuch is one of the worst to have.

    I was worried, scared, nuts, beyond upset and all of the above but I prayed so hard for God to give me the strength I needed to do what was right for me!!! 

    I will pray for the same strength in you! You have it too!!! And you will be just fine!!! You will look back on all this and realize just how important it is to know your own body. Doctors do the best they can but you have to be your best advocate cause know one knows you better than YOU!

    God Bless and Good Luck!!!

    (((Hugs)))

    Much love and comfort,

    Patrice

  • sunshine3
    sunshine3 Member Posts: 3
    #6
    Thank you all for your kind

    Thank you all for your kind words and great information.  I will most definetly be more proactive in this next round of tests. 

  • sunshine3
    sunshine3 Member Posts: 3
    #7
    Thank you all for your kind

    Thank you all for your kind words and great information.  I will most definetly be more proactive in this next round of tests. 

  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    #8
    sunshine3 said:

    Thank you all for your kind

    Thank you all for your kind words and great information.  I will most definetly be more proactive in this next round of tests. 

    Please do insist on the

    Please do insist on the ultrasound.  Don't give up on letting your doctor know that you feel you need one and want one.  He should order it for you.  Keep us informed.

    Sue :)

  • Angie2U
    Angie2U Member Posts: 2,991
    #9
    sunshine3 said:

    Thank you all for your kind

    Thank you all for your kind words and great information.  I will most definetly be more proactive in this next round of tests. 

    How did your second test turn

    How did your second test turn out?  Hoping it was good news.

     

  • Megan M
    Megan M Member Posts: 3,000
    #10
    Angie2U said:

    How did your second test turn

    How did your second test turn out?  Hoping it was good news.

     

    Having an ultrasound and even

    Having an ultrasound and even a MRI is the best for finding out what is going on, besides a mammogram.  Did you go for further testing? 

    Hugs, Megan

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