Hi Tronny,

A Very warm welcome to our forum. 

First of all, can I say how sorry I am to hear about your dad's passing. To have all of your own problems to deal with, while waiting for his funeral, must have been especially traumatic. Don't worry about your emotions at present. It is normal to feel as you do, even when only dealing with the possibility of a cancer diagnosis. Most of us seem to cry a lot too, but this is not all bad, as crying is a great way to relieve stress.

Have you had mammograms before, or is this a recall from your first one? More people are recalled after their first one than any other. This is because there are no previous mammograms to compare any anomaly to. I was recalled after one of my mammograms and had all of the tests you mention, but all turned out to be ok. Several years later, I was unfortunately diagnosed with 2 bouts of breast cancer, within a year of each other. That was all 14 years ago now and I still lead a busy and fulfilling life.

It is normal to see your breast surgeon at this stage. When the biopsy results come back, the findings will be discussed at your surgeon's regular multidisciplinary team meeting(MDT) and a decision made on the best way forward for you. This is a meeting of all the medical professionals who are likely to be involved in your care, if it does turn out to be cancer, so your treatment is decided by a joint decision. This is done with all results, before you meet your surgeon, so that you can then discuss any treatment that may be needed, when you see her/him. The time scale is also pretty normal, so don't worry about how fast things seem to be happening.

Most of us here would consider this to be one of the worst parts of our cancer journey. Dealing with the unknown is always a very emotional time, but must be especially so for you when you are newly grieving for your dad.

Not everyone who attends the breast clinic will get a cancer diagnosis. Not all lumps are cancerous. Many turn out to be benign cysts, fibroadenoma or due to hormonal changes. It is a fact that only 20% of all those who attend the clinic, get a cancer diagnosis. Here's hoping that you turn out to be one of the lucky ones. One positives to hold on to, is the fact that the doctor didn't see any problems with the lymph nodes under your arm.

My sincere sympathy to you and your family on your loss.

I am thinking of you at this sad time and I sincerely hope that the results are not as bad as you imagine.

Now that you have found this forum, you will always have support.

Please keep in touch and let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx