I know how you feel. I had a wide excision and biopsy on 25th March. The waiting is horribleHopefully it won’t be much longer for both of us

Hi Knic,

A very warm welcome to our community. I am sorry to hear that you are also waiting for results. This is always an anxious time, but I hope that it all turns out well for you in the end.

Please update us when you hear the results. We are always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Roo,

Thank you for the update from your appointment today.I am sorry to hear that it is cancer and that you are no further forward as to the source. Do you have long to wait for your CT and MRI? It is always a more aanxious time when you have to undergo these additional tests, but here's hoping that they will provide more answers for your mum.

Please keep us updated on any progress. The main point to keep hold of is that it is still treatable, so please try to stay positive.

Kind regards,

Jlamine xx

Hi Jolamine,

thank you for your quick reply. It sounds bizarre, but we are actually relieved to have some answers (although it's not the whole picture) as we were thinking it was spreading as we were waiting a few weeks for results and treatment to start, but that's not the case and that's not how cancer works. 
 

yes, hearing a medical professional tell you that it is treatable (even if scans show it has spread to other places) is such a relief.

Will update when we have results from scans. 
 

xxx

Hi Roo,.

The unknown is a frightening place to be. It is so much easier to cope with everything when you know more. I am glad to hear that the wait for results won't cause the cancer to spread in the time you are waiting.

Fingers crossed for the results of CT and MRI.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine,

I hope you are well. We had some scan results. The CT scan showed that there was no spread to any organs which is great news! The CT scan did show up 2 suspicious areas on my Mum's spine (one lower and one middle) so the consultant has scheduled a bone scan to rule out anything sinister. She did say that these areas could be caused by degeneration (mum is 67 and has suffered with back problems such as slipped discs most of her life) so we are hoping it is that!

the MRI picked up a suspicious area deep within the breast that would not have been picked up on a routine mammogram, so that's good news that the MRI has found it. We are waiting for more biopsy results of this area and they have put a metal wire in to help locate this area as it is so small. The consultant again seemed pretty positive that this is the primary area of breast cancer that has caused lymph nodes to swell (and I think she said it is confirmed triple negative so definitely a different cancer to the one mum had 16 years ago). 
we have to wait for a bone scan to be scheduled and have the results of that before we can start some sort of treatment, but due to the time of year, it doesn't look like it will be done before January. This is worrying for me as 3 weeks doesn't seem like a long time but you never know what might happen in 3 weeks. 
All being well, we will have a clear bone scan and then have a full mastectomy and lymph node clearance followed by chemotherapy, or chemotherapy first to shrink the lymph node and then surgery.

thank you again for your kind words and support, you have really helped me through this difficult time. 
 

Roo xx

Hi Roo,

The news that there is no spread is excellent news. The fact that there are 2 suspicious areas on your mum's spine is not such good news, so I am glad to hear that a bone scan has been scheduled and hope that this indicates natural degeneration and nothing more.

It sounds as if it is fortunate that your mum had the MRI, which showed up the suspicious area deep within her breast, as heaven only knows when it would have been discovered otherwise. It is now normal procedure to put the wire in, but again sounds fairly positive that it is a small area and, that your consultant thinks that this is the primary area.

It is unfortunate that your mum has been caught up in the Christmas holiday fever and has to wait that bit longer for her scan. Here's hoping that she gets it early in the new year. She has probably had bone scans before, but just in case she hasn't, tell her that there is nothing to worry about, as it's not nearly as bad as a CT or MRI. Also I found my double mastectomy much easier to cope with and recover from than my lumpectomy. Many others have found this too.

Do your best to enjoy Christmas, despite having this hanging over you both. If someone is looking for a useful present for your mum, she will be glad of nightwear that opens down the front if she has to have a mastectomy.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine,

Happy New Year to you, I hope you are well. I thought I would update this thread with positive news that you mum had yesterday at her last results meeting with the consultant incase it can help anyone following  

The breast cancer hasn't spread to any organs or bones. The cancer in the lymph nodes is triple negative but the very small area of cancer in the breast (that was only picked up through an MRI and would not have been found on a mammogram/ultrasound) is showing signs that it could be treated with Herceptin. 
My mum can expect to start 6 rounds of chemotherapy treatment within the next 2 weeks to shrink the size of the lymph nodes. Surgery then to do a full lymph node clearance and either a lumpectomy/mastectomy and then possibly a year of Herceptin. 
Now the wait for results is over we can concentrate on moving forward and getting treatment underway. There's a long way to go yet and the battle of chemotherapy and surgery but to speak to the consultant and for her to have so much positivity that the final outcome will be a good one really made my year (and it is only day 3 of 2020!)  

thank you Jolamine once again for your support throughout this difficult time and if I can be of any support to anyone else going through this horrible experience I am only a message away.

Roo xxx

Hi Roo.

Thank you for the update on your mum's results. It is so good to hear positive news after all these tests. The fact that there is no spread to other organs is great news.

I'm sure that your mum won't be looking forward to having chemo, but here's hoping that it shrinks her nodes. Tell your mum to drink copious amounts of water while she is having chemo. I have had both a lumpectomy and a double mastectomy. I faced both with dread, but the surgery was a lot easier than I expected.

I sincerely hope that her consultant's positivity has rubbed off on to your mum, as it is so much more helpful to face this with a positive outlook. I am hoping and praying that the final outcome will be a good one.

Here's wising you both A Healthy and Happy New Year.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi,

I am new to this post. Happy new year to all.

It's good to read that although the outcome for some have not been favourable, there is positivity with treatment in site :)

I had a mole deeply excised on my back by a plastic surgeon in hospital, over four weeks ago.

At the time of my procedure I was told my results would be back in two weeks.

I phoned the secretary as two weeks had passed and she said, she wishes they wouldn't say that in clinic as the wait is more like five weeks. Regardless of the results.

That wasn't very reasuring to hear and the wait is agony.

Hi Mini,

I am so sorry to hear about your anxiety in the wait for the result of your biopsy. I had a similar experience after I had an excision biopsy on my back by a plastic surgeon. I was told by him that I would get my results within 4 weeks, but the review appointment came in for 4 months. I was fortunate in that I had already been given an appointment for 1 week to remove stitches from another lesion just below my eye. When the nurse asked how I had been, I told her that I had been fine, but was concerned at the length of time I was having to wait to get my results.

The nurse announced that the plastic surgeon was in the unit that day. She went and got him. He phoned his secretary and told me that my results were already in. He was able to tell me there and then that the results were benign.

I have had 2 bouts of breast cancer and a number of false alarms in the past 10 years, so I am all too familiar with the agony of waiting. You will find that the waiting time is the same, whether the results are good or bad. Try to keep yourself as busy as you can until your appointment. This will make the waiting time seem shorter.

Do please let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Good morning Jolamine,

Thank you so much for your very helpful response.

This may sound strange but I work early mornings on week days  so by the time I get home the post has arrived. 

Nothing comes, so I get on with my day.

The weekends are the hardest as I am actively waiting.

I was falsely comforted by family and friends saying, no news is good news but as I have learned, not in these cases.

The secretary said five weeks. It's my 5th week now. If I don't get mail today I will give her a ring. She is very pleasant and encourages me to phone.

It is helpful to know that you have experienced a similar if not even longer waiting time although it's not great for us.

I had 5 stitches outside and 3 internally where the excision is on my back.

My bra strap around the body rubs on the area of the wound. It is healing very nicely but remains tender and sensitive where the stap rests on it.

I am hoping it will not always be this way.

Thanks again  so much x

Good morning Jolamine,

Thank you so much for your very helpful response.

This may sound strange but I work early mornings on week days  so by the time I get home the post has arrived. 

Nothing comes, so I get on with my day.

The weekends are the hardest as I am actively waiting.

I was falsely comforted by family and friends saying, no news is good news but as I have learned, not in these cases.

The secretary said five weeks. It's my 5th week now. If I don't get mail today I will give her a ring. She is very pleasant and encourages me to phone.

It is helpful to know that you have experienced a similar if not even longer waiting time although it's not great for us.

I had 5 stitches outside and 3 internally where the excision is on my back.

My bra strap around the body rubs on the area of the wound. It is healing very nicely but remains tender and sensitive where the stap rests on it.

I am hoping it will not always be this way.

Thanks again  so much x

Hi Mini,

I expect that you may have had a longer wait due to the holiday period, not that this is of any consolation to you. I can appreciate the trouble you're having with your bra strap rubbing on your wound. This will get easier with time. You will find that the scarring goes more quickly if you can rub a good moisturiser into it regularly.

I have had 3 excisional biopsies - one on my face, one on my back and one just above my ankle. The slowest one to heal was the one on my leg. My plastic surgeon told me that it would take about a year to heal and, it looks as if he was right.

I hope that you get an appointment soon. Don't forget to let us know the outcome.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine,

Thanks for your response on the bra strap issue. 

The doctors were concerned that the area may keloid. I am not generally prone to that, but I am taking extra care.

It's good to hear that the feelings in and around it will ease off.

Wow a year is a long time for healing. May I ask how many stitches you had on your ankle area.

I hope it's not too much of a problem for you when you when you move around.

I was told my back would take around 3 weeks. I can tell by how it feels, it will be longer.

Outside looks great. The problem is coming from the excision inside.

Hi Mini,

If you moisturise it well, it shouldn't keloid. i was most concerned about the lesion on my face, just under my eye, but it healed up beautifully and is virtually unnoticeable. My back healed in about 6 weeks, but my leg has been the problematic one. I had to have antibiotics for it. It is still quite obvious almost a year later, but is not sore now. I had 6 stitches in the ankle area.

It's the inside stitches which pull it all together. I hope that it settles down for you soon.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine,

Sorry to hear the one on your ankle has been so problematic. I really hope it heals well for you sooner than a years time. I know you will take best care of it.

I didn't think but should have known the inner stitches are the ones that do most of the pulling together, so there will be a fair amount of tention under there.

Thank you so much for your sound advice.

Take care and thanks again. I will keep you updated. x