Biopsy in New York?

CoeBruno
CoeBruno Member Posts: 19 Member
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I'm back with some updates on my diagnosis. I don't know if anyopne remembers me. But, I originally posted here after having a traumatic experience with a stereotactic core needle biopsy in February.

Unfortunately, my younger sister now has to have the same procedure and is deathly afraid of it because of my experience. I live in Florida and my baby sister lives in New York. I know there must be some doctors out there that will perform this procedure with some type of sedation. Although, I realize they are far and few between! Can anyone tell me if they know of a facility or specific doctor in New York that will sedate you for this biopsy? I really need some help in finding one for her...PLEASE?

Back to me, after being diagnosed with Invasive Lobular Carcinoma (ILC) after my biopsy, the original plan was to have a lumpectomy and then radiation. Well, my direction has now changed after having two MRI's. Apparantly, there is more than 2 lumps in my right breast and a lumpectomy is no longer an option. I have to have a mastectomy. Besides that, they found something of suspicion on my left breast too! So, now the plan is a bilateral mastectomy. Wow, just when you come to terms with one treatment, you are then thrown a curve ball and everything changes. It's hard to keep up...

Wednesday I had a bone scan and yesterday I had a PET scan. Today I will find out the results of these 2 tests. I am praying they DO NOT find anything else from these 2 tests. I don't know if I could handle anymore right now. Hopefully, both tests come back negative and I can proceed.

Again, if anyone can give some advise on having the core needle biopsy done under sedation anywhere in New York I would truly appreciate it. I am so concerned about my sister...

Thank You,
Colette

Comments

  • EveningStar2
    EveningStar2 Member Posts: 491 Member
    #2
    so sorry


    This is not going well for you. Your sister can call wherever she is thinking about having the biopsy and ask what they do for the procedure. If they do not offer lidacaine or sedati0on she can ask for a recommendation and/or keep calling till she finds one. I know the original center they were sending me to does versed, the one I went to used lidacaine. I was fine but they offered to try and give me something if I really wanted it. I was fine but everybody is different.

    Keeping my fingers crossed for you test results.

    Maureen
  • rjjj
    rjjj Member Posts: 1,822 Member
    #3
    Hi CoeBruno
    I'm sorry that your sister will have to have that awful biopsy. Maybe she could request something more to help with the pain. I know it was one of the most awful things i had to go through.

    When is your mastectomy scheduled? Please post us back on what your tests show. i will be praying for them all to be neg. good luck and God bless you and your sister.
    jackie
  • cruf
    cruf Member Posts: 908
    #4
    Biopsy in NY
    Hi Colette! We have a major Cancer here in NY right in NYC. It is Memorial Sloan Kettering. Phone # 212-639-7081 Address 1275 York Ave. NY,NY 10065 I would think they would do any type of biopsy. You could call that # and I'm sure they could transfer you to someone who can give you the info you need. Good luck! HUGS!!! Cathy
  • seof
    seof Member Posts: 819 Member
    #5
    cruf
    cruf gave you better info, but if your sister can find a local branch of the American Cancer Society in NY they can help her find resources and support of many kinds.
  • CoeBruno
    CoeBruno Member Posts: 19 Member
    #6
    rjjj said:

    Hi CoeBruno
    I'm sorry that your sister will have to have that awful biopsy. Maybe she could request something more to help with the pain. I know it was one of the most awful things i had to go through.

    When is your mastectomy scheduled? Please post us back on what your tests show. i will be praying for them all to be neg. good luck and God bless you and your sister.
    jackie

    Test Results and DIEP Reconstruction
    Jackie, thank you so much for your prayers. Yes, my bone scan and PET scan results were NEGATIVE! What a Godsend...Last night was a joyous occasion at my house. I have such a wonderful support system from family and friends, and for that I am thankful. Everyone shared in my joy.

    Last Tuesday when I saw my surgeon we dicussed my bilateral mastectomy and he informed me of the DIEP Flap reconstruction that he believes I am a very good candidate for. It was the first time I ever heard of this reconstruction. He said it was the same as the FLAP Tram with the exception of the muscle not being taken from your stomach. Well, as it turns out, very few plastic surgeons perform this type of reconstruction. It is very intricate. Although it is supposedly better because there is less pain afterwards and a faster recovery to your stomach area. As far as my surgery is concerned, I still do not have a date. Still waiting on an appointment with this doctor on DIEP which is about 2 hours from my house. The waiting game is here again because of a road block due to insurance! I am praying for this to be resolved sometime in the earlier part of next week.

    Has anyone had this DIEP reconstruction? Can anyone share their experience with it?

    Thank you all for your input and help! This discussion board it a lifesaver!
    Colette
  • mmontero38
    mmontero38 Member Posts: 1,510
    #7
    CoeBruno said:

    Test Results and DIEP Reconstruction
    Jackie, thank you so much for your prayers. Yes, my bone scan and PET scan results were NEGATIVE! What a Godsend...Last night was a joyous occasion at my house. I have such a wonderful support system from family and friends, and for that I am thankful. Everyone shared in my joy.

    Last Tuesday when I saw my surgeon we dicussed my bilateral mastectomy and he informed me of the DIEP Flap reconstruction that he believes I am a very good candidate for. It was the first time I ever heard of this reconstruction. He said it was the same as the FLAP Tram with the exception of the muscle not being taken from your stomach. Well, as it turns out, very few plastic surgeons perform this type of reconstruction. It is very intricate. Although it is supposedly better because there is less pain afterwards and a faster recovery to your stomach area. As far as my surgery is concerned, I still do not have a date. Still waiting on an appointment with this doctor on DIEP which is about 2 hours from my house. The waiting game is here again because of a road block due to insurance! I am praying for this to be resolved sometime in the earlier part of next week.

    Has anyone had this DIEP reconstruction? Can anyone share their experience with it?

    Thank you all for your input and help! This discussion board it a lifesaver!
    Colette

    Colette: Sorry your sister
    Colette: Sorry your sister is also going through this. I was also going to recommend Sloan. Also, NYU (New York University) has a very large Breast Cancer Center that your sister might want to call and find out. I would keep searching until she finds someone who will numb her. And>...... I am thrilled that the Pet came back negative. In spite of everything else you are going through, there is that great news. I didn't have DIEP, I opted for the tram flap for my reconstruction and I know that they do perform that operation in sloan because I had looked into it. Keep us posted. Hugs and prayers, Lili
  • seof
    seof Member Posts: 819 Member
    #8
    CoeBruno said:

    Test Results and DIEP Reconstruction
    Jackie, thank you so much for your prayers. Yes, my bone scan and PET scan results were NEGATIVE! What a Godsend...Last night was a joyous occasion at my house. I have such a wonderful support system from family and friends, and for that I am thankful. Everyone shared in my joy.

    Last Tuesday when I saw my surgeon we dicussed my bilateral mastectomy and he informed me of the DIEP Flap reconstruction that he believes I am a very good candidate for. It was the first time I ever heard of this reconstruction. He said it was the same as the FLAP Tram with the exception of the muscle not being taken from your stomach. Well, as it turns out, very few plastic surgeons perform this type of reconstruction. It is very intricate. Although it is supposedly better because there is less pain afterwards and a faster recovery to your stomach area. As far as my surgery is concerned, I still do not have a date. Still waiting on an appointment with this doctor on DIEP which is about 2 hours from my house. The waiting game is here again because of a road block due to insurance! I am praying for this to be resolved sometime in the earlier part of next week.

    Has anyone had this DIEP reconstruction? Can anyone share their experience with it?

    Thank you all for your input and help! This discussion board it a lifesaver!
    Colette

    DIEP
    You're right, there aren't many Drs. willing and able to do it, even fewer bilaterally, but I have found one in Dallas, TX. (I live in Fort Worth, about 2 hours away). I have a book, "The Breast Reconstruction Guidebook" that I bought from the American Cancer Society's online bookstore. I thought it was a good book, but I was encouraged even more when the Surgeon offered me a copy in the patient education packet he handed out...I had made a wise choice! It has good, basic information written in language that non-medical people can understand. If you can get a copy, read it, then ask your Dr. any questions you have.

    DIEP has not been around as long in the US. Apparently in some European countries it has been done for many years, but here it has only been around about 10 years. Drs. are being trained in the procedure, but it takes the entire surgical team to have experience with it, not just the surgeon. My local plastic surgeon (who did my implants) said she was trained, but her team is not, so it takes longer than usual to do the surgery because they have to stop and fetch the proper equipment, and such.

    I am going to have bilateral recon. with DIEP June 25. The Dr. in Dallas said it will take about 12 hours, and the hospital stay will be 5 days. Then I will go home with drains and will have difficulty getting up and down for a while (can't remember the expected timeline). I am having the surgery done in the Summer because I work in a public school and that will allow time for recovery without taking time off from work.

    I hope you get the insurance issues worked out soon and that everything goes well with the surgery. We'll have to compare experiences when we both get done. seof
  • lauren08
    lauren08 Member Posts: 29
    #9
    I also had a stereotactic core needle biopsy
    I had mine back in Dec. I live in New Jersey. I was told you have to be awake for this procedure. What helped me was taking an anti-anxiety medication called Xanax before I left my house. I was scared when I got there but when the medicine kicked in I was completely relaxed. They gave me a needle of Lidocaine & the medicine allowed me to lie perfectly still for the entire 45 minute long procedure. My only problem was that a blood vessel was nicked so at the end the DR had to apply pressure for about 15mins to stop the bleeding.

    Good luck to your sister. Please ask her to have her Dr. prescribe something to take orally to relax her before the biopsy. It will really help alot.
  • CR1954
    CR1954 Member Posts: 1,390 Member
    #10
    Hi Colette
    Hi Colette,

    I am in Western NY. I went to Windsong Radiology for mammogram & ultrasound. The doctors there looked at the results while I waited and then told me that they needed to do a stereotactic core needle biopsy right then.
    They numbed with lidocaine and did the biopsy, and of course, found cancer.
    But they were so wonderful during the procedure. Explaining every step of the way and reassuring me, that it really wasn't a horrible experience.

    Then, a few days later, I went back and had an MRI of both breasts. They called two days later and said that something showed up on MRI in my other breast also & that I needed to come the next day for an MRI guided biopsy on that side. The suspicious area was too small and too near the chest wall to be picked up on mammogram. Because of my previous experience, I did not fear it. I do hate MRIs however, because I'm so claustrophobic. And so I took Xanax before I went.
    They did the exact same biopsy as the first time, except I was also in and out of the machine.
    The suspicious lesion turned out to be nothing of consequence.

    I hope that your sister can find the right Dr. and the right facility. I think that aside from "numbing", the compassion and caring with which you are treated makes a huge difference in your anxiety level.

    Best wishes to you both!

    CR

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