head is spinning

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Comments

  • GMcD
    GMcD Member Posts: 134
    #22
    stacy_harp said:

    thank you
    i needed your comment to reassure myself that I am not being too pushy. i will keep ya posted. i guess my Dr wasnt ok with waiting for the referral for 10 days because he called the military insurance (tricare) and got my referral pushed through. I will be able to call tomorrow for an appointmemt

    Hi. I'm glad they are
    Hi. I'm glad they are pushing this up for you. You did the right thing by giving yourself a self-exam and seeking medical advice and now it's time for you to have your answers. I had cystic breasts since my 30's but when they did the ultrasound and found no fluid, I had the biopsy and had stage 1 invasive breast cancer. I am in my late 50's and it's been two yrs since diagnosis and I'm doing well. I hope it's just a cyst but you deserve to know...now. Best Wishes to you.
  • stacy_harp
    stacy_harp Member Posts: 44
    #23
    appt
    My appt is on Tuesday @ 3pm. The only worrisome thing is it is with the same general surgeon that performed my teenagers emergency appendectomy last summer (gotta love military healthcare)!!!! I am leaning towards asking him for an MRI (in case there is something we are missing because I have very dense breasts) and a referral to a womens health facility or an actual breast surgeon. What do ya think I should do?
  • aysemari
    aysemari Member Posts: 1,596 Member
    #24
    Don't wait
    Stacy,

    I would not wait if I were you. Take matters in your own hands
    and insist on a biopsy or a lumpectomy. 6 months is a long time
    to be doing nothing. I really hope it will be benign. These are
    just my thoughts.

    Hugs,
    Ayse
  • jessiesmom1
    jessiesmom1 Member Posts: 915 Member
    #25
    stacy_harp said:

    appt
    My appt is on Tuesday @ 3pm. The only worrisome thing is it is with the same general surgeon that performed my teenagers emergency appendectomy last summer (gotta love military healthcare)!!!! I am leaning towards asking him for an MRI (in case there is something we are missing because I have very dense breasts) and a referral to a womens health facility or an actual breast surgeon. What do ya think I should do?

    That Breast Lump
    The surgeon who did my excision biopsy, axillary dissection and right mastectomy is a General Surgeon. He is considered one of the best surgeons in the area where I live. I did question him about how much experience he had with breast surgery specifically. Had I not been satisfied then I would definitely gone elsewhere. He acknowledged that not all general surgeons should be doing breast surgery. It was his feeling that an expert knowledge of anatomy was particularly important. He said there were some surgeons who he prefers not to work with because their "outcomes" are not satisfactory to him. When you have your consultation you can decide if you want a referral. I am lucky with my insurance (non-military) in that I have a PPO and can go to whomever I please as long as they are In-Network - and the network is HUGE.

    As to the MRI it might not be a bad idea. I had a difficult diagnosis and I had one done. Not all imaging facilities do breast MRIs. The equipment is different. With this type you lay on your stomach and your breasts poke through 2 holes in the table and dangle below you. It was somewhat comical trying to position me just right so everything dangled in the right spot to be imaged.

    I will be thinking of you on Tuesday.

    IRENE
  • stacy_harp
    stacy_harp Member Posts: 44
    #26
    jessiesmom1 said:

    That Breast Lump
    The surgeon who did my excision biopsy, axillary dissection and right mastectomy is a General Surgeon. He is considered one of the best surgeons in the area where I live. I did question him about how much experience he had with breast surgery specifically. Had I not been satisfied then I would definitely gone elsewhere. He acknowledged that not all general surgeons should be doing breast surgery. It was his feeling that an expert knowledge of anatomy was particularly important. He said there were some surgeons who he prefers not to work with because their "outcomes" are not satisfactory to him. When you have your consultation you can decide if you want a referral. I am lucky with my insurance (non-military) in that I have a PPO and can go to whomever I please as long as they are In-Network - and the network is HUGE.

    As to the MRI it might not be a bad idea. I had a difficult diagnosis and I had one done. Not all imaging facilities do breast MRIs. The equipment is different. With this type you lay on your stomach and your breasts poke through 2 holes in the table and dangle below you. It was somewhat comical trying to position me just right so everything dangled in the right spot to be imaged.

    I will be thinking of you on Tuesday.

    IRENE

    appt changed
    to Monday @ 3. Thanks so much Irene, you have certainly given me a calmness that is greatly appreciated :)
  • stacy_harp
    stacy_harp Member Posts: 44
    #27
    today
    going to watch my daughter play in a Soccer Tournament (she is the starting center midfielder on her High Schoolteam). i am certainly trying to stay calm as my nerves waiting on Monday are ALL HAYWIRE! I have tried really hard not to smash all over my breasts but I caved lastnight and found an actual painless mass about the size of a walnut in the opposite breast :( needless to say that did not help my anxiety. Thank you to all the wonderful women on this site, you make this easier
  • jnl
    jnl Member Posts: 3,869 Member
    #28
    stacy_harp said:

    thanks
    i have decided that even if benign (which i know most are) i would rather KNOW than wait. Can anyone please tell me if a biopsy or lumpectomy are painful and do I need to get a relaxer cocktail from my primary dr before arriving for them? Also, could this possibly be an intramammary lymoh node and not be serious? i cant wrap my mind around this and everything on google freaks me out more so I turned to this forum to get answers from the Pros.

    You should get a biopsy to
    You should get a biopsy to make for sure what the lump is. I would not want to wait 6 months if it were me. I had a ultrasound guided core biopsy and the only thing that hurt was the needle prick to numb the area, but, that was only like a second or two. Ask your doctor for a nerve pill if you feel you need one before the procedure. I also had a MRI prior to my lumpectomy to make for sure there was no more bc in either breast.


    Good luck and keep us posted,

    Leeza

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