Hello 

I think all boards are different I was told to bring someone with me and had a diagnosis , however my friend wasn’t asked to bring someone with her and had a diagnosis, I would take someone with you just for company anyway . The million dollar question is some people have letters to go in and have all clear also but panic cause they have asked to go in when some consultants simply just want to explain things thoroughly. 

good luck lovely I wish you well got everything crossed for you x love Lara xxx 

Good luck. It is very stressful getting results but sometimes they are good news, sometimes bad. You honestly can not predict so best to ask someone to accompany you if you would prefer that. I had a 2 hour drive home alone in peak holiday traffic after looking at my mammograms and scans showing both breasts lit up like Christmas trees after both technicians looked very very worried for me.

It was very dangerous to drive.

I needed to wait all of Easter alone before getting the very bad report. I then had multiple far better reports after biopsies and surgery.

I learnt the lesson to have plan B where I could book somewhere to stay nearby or call someone to pick me up immediately after my appointment if there was bad news. Don't drive if you are too stressed.

All the very best for getting good news x

Hi Loobiloo,

I am glad to hear that you have managed to get an earlier appointment than expected for your biopsy results. This should save you another anxious week of waiting. Please don't read anything into the fact that you got a phone call, instead of the letter that you were expecting. There could be many reasons for this, for example, your consultant may have returned early, or they could have a locum in, or they could just have had a sudden cancellation (which is not unusual with cancer clinics).

The chances are that the consultant's secretary was busy trying to fit people into whatever appointments had become available and forgot, or simply omitted, to tell you to bring someone with you. Whether the news is good or bad, it is always a good idea to have someone with you. Either way, you are likely to have questions and you will find it helpful to have someone with you to remember the answers. Most of us forget about 80% of the consultation conversation, before we leave the hospital grounds. 

You will also find it helpful to write down any questions you have before your appointment, so that you don't forget to ask something important. I would also agree with Managingit, that it is always safer to have someone to drive you to and from your appointment, if at all possible.

Having said all this, I hope and pray that all turns out well for you and that nothing untoward is found. Please keep in touch and let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Thanks so much for everyone's kind words and advice. It sounds like in either scenario it's good to bring someone, so I will ask my mum if she can get the morning off so that she can take me. Also a great idea to write questions down, I have been terrible at forgetting what the consultant has said in my appointments so far! Thank you all very much for your support and I will give an update tomorrow xx

I don't think you can really predict things. I wasn't told to bring anybody when I got my cancer diagnosis (admittedly of thyroid cancer, which is probably not the same as many other forms of cancer). And after a scan a year afterwards, I was expecting a call and they instead asked me to come in in-person and it turned out that it was all-clear. I also assume they would call you in as soon as possible after getting the results because they must know people are worried. I was given an appointment a week after my biopsy to get the result and while, as I mentioned, that did turn out to be cancer, they didn't know that when making the appointment.

Best of luck tomorrow. I hope you get good news.

And I agree that it is good to have somebody with you, just in case. Even if it is good news, it's good to have somebody to confirm that afterwards because it's easy to start worrying about a tone of voice or a vague phrase.

And if it is bad news, well, apart from anything else, it means one less person to tell. That was my main concern. I don't want to have to go home and announce it. 

Hi i was wondering should I be worried my doctor received my cervical biopsy the day after I got it done but was told they can't give results over the phone and need to wait for my letter if it was bad news would I been ask to come in sooner just thought that was quick for them to get results as was told it could take up to 4 weeks as there is a backlog 

Hi Cat,

It is impossible to answer your question. Your consultant has probably given you the 4 week timeline for your biopsy results, because these have to be discussed at a multidisciplinary team meeting (MDT) after they come back. These are usually held on a weekly basis, but, depending on how busy your clinic is, not all cases can be discussed immediately. Most surgeons prefer to give results, whether good or bad, face-to-face, but this is not always possible.

My hubby got sent a letter informing him of his cancer diagnosis, after waiting 9 weeks for his biopsy results. I have had 2 bouts of breast cancer and on both occasions, my surgeon told me personally. On another occasion, my surgeon stated that he was pretty sure that I had cancer, but biopsy proved otherwise. Despite the outcome, I was still given the result in person.

I hope that you don't have to wait much longer to get the results. Please keep in touch and let us know how you get on, We are always here for you.

Kind regards.

Jolamine xx