Hi Janeylou. I know how you feel. I'm 51 and received a recall letter on Christmas Eve (great timing) saying an abnormality was found on my first screening mammogram. My clinic appt is 5 Jan and I can think of nothing else at the moment. I'm trying to keep distracted. My teenage daughter and husband saw me open the letter but I haven't told my teenage son or anyone else apart from my best friend. Kind of want to know what is actually the outcome before I worry other people. Will tell my boss (she is lovely) though as need time off work for the appt. My Mum and her mother (so my maternal grandmother) both had breast cancer. My grandmother died years ago from another cancer in the end and my Mum is doing fine, four years on. I had three (one per year) mammograms up to the age of 50 on the familial screening programme (which were all clear)but the last one was nearly two years ago (I'm 52 in February). When I  had the recall letter last week I then took a close look at my breasts as I hadn't noticed any lumps (I am a bit rubbish at checking though) and was horrified to see a considerable area of dimpling/puckering under my left inner breast - quite obvious lines and indents when I raise my arms. I have no idea how long they have been there as I don't go around with my arms in the air staring at my boobs Kind of wish I had now though. I can really understand what you are feeling and the waiting is awful as every scenario goes through your head. All I can say to you (and me!) is that most cases referred aren't cancer so let's hold onto that thought!! Good luck for tomorrow. X

Hi Kiwirunner, just wanted to let you know....my circumstances very similar to you, age 53 years, referral letter arrived the day before Christmas Eve.....not sure how I've got through Xmas as no extended family around to keep me busy as usual, due to their health issues (my sister has secondary breast cancer) Just myself, hubby and teen daughter, who, as you, saw me open referral letter, which I managed to play down.

Attended my appointment first thing today (my birthday) I was told that there was a change in one of my breasts so I had a more detailed mammogram and an ultrasound. After the ultrasound the consultant told me that I am absolutely fine and can go back to three yearly mammograms. 
 

Just wanted to give you some hope and let you know that things can still be okay even though you might think the worst....I found it so difficult to.stay positive. I was sooo scared, i am a bit of a glass half full person. It's awful having waited over Christmas, I can't tell you how stressed I've been. Good luck with your appointment and fingers crossed for you xx

Hi kimMarie 

I hope today went well and you have had good news xxxx

Hi, my goodness what a lot to take in, nothing is ever simple! At least they are being extremely thorough and not just sending you away at this stage. Good luck with the extra biopsies. Thinking of you all on here at the moment xxx

Another update - my case is dragging on with all the extra testing. Had a third biopsy yesterday afternoon. Redoing the second area of concern which is a 15mm spiculated area of distortion without a mass at the centre. This time they used an even bigger needle for the vacuum assisted biopsy while lying down clamped in the mammogram machine than I had last time. 12 samples taken this time unlike the last time with six samples. Because I stil have a massive haematoma and bruising from second round of biopsies two weeks ago (apparently I am 'very vascular' - not one for the LinkedIn profile haha), it was hard to get the local anaesthetic to where it needed to be. Two samples in and I squealed in pain. Turns out the haematoma absorbed the local, rather than the surrounding tissue, so they gave me masses more local anaesthetic. They wernt around all the 'spider legs' twice to get as much sampling as they could as it does look suspicious. Have taken the other biopsies in my stride but yesterday's was tough.

Now a rush job on the pathology as I am booked at moment for lumpectomy on Tuesdsay to take the other area out that has the spiculations and a mass at the middle and looks cancerous.

Two biopsies so far that are inconclusive but they don't match with the radiology (mamogram, ultrasound, MRI) and the puckering on my skin so they are keeping at it.

If latest pathology comes back with it dodgy then surgery on Tues will be postponed for a week or so while we revisit surgical options as that would be two different areas of the breast that need sorting out,

Add to that an infected tooth this week with antibiotics that can't be mixed with alcohol, and tooth pain, ,made my 'dry' 20th wedding anniversary on Weds a bit different to expected. Sigh. 

They will call with results on Monday as no time to get me in before the surgery on Tues, assuming that still goes ahead.

Considering this started with a recall letter on 24 Dec it is starting to take its toll somewhat. BUT I do feel under amazing care with my NHS team. xx

Oh my goodness, it's sounds horrendous. Damn the antibiotics for not being able to have a drink at the end of THAT day as you sound like you needed it! Can't imagine how stressful it is....please let me know how you get on next week. Sending you positive thoughts. You're in the best hands, no matter what xxx

My gosh what a terrible time. You have been through so much. You really could have done with a drink after everything.  I am keeping everything crossed for some good news you really deserve it so much. 

Hope everything goes well next week and i hope your family are doing ok and you all pull together 

Big hug xxx

Thanks so much for the support [@Janeylou]‍ and [@Mumofteen]‍ I really appreciate it xx

Good luck for tomorow thinking of you i hope you get some good news and things go well xxx

Thanks [@Janeylou]‍ ! Had some good news today that the third biopsy that was a repeat biopsy on the second area of concern came back as benign - wahoo! It is definitely a radial scar. They look just like breast cancer on radiology and other imaging so they wanted to be sure. Now just to focus on the bit coming out on the lumpectomy tomorrow. Surgeon phoned me today to tell me about the other good news and said she definitely wants this bit out to look at further in the post-op pathology. Feel so relieved that one area is all clear :-) Just the final hurdle to get over xx

Aww that is amazing you really deserved the  good news i am so pleased for you. Good luck tomorrow im sure it will go well. Thinking of you xxx 

Hiya!

Thank you so much for this post. I've had a similar experience! I'm 41 found lump in breast,saw dr same day and had mammogram and biopsy last week. Results next Monday. When they took the biopsies (4) he mentioned that the skin under my boob was puckering. Like u I didn't think to check under the breastacles and although I would feel the skin it felt smooth so I thought it was fine. It wasn't until he said lift ur arms that I could see how my boob was mis shaped towards the bottom,due to the puckering skin. Like the shape of a circular boob resting on a hardback book to create a definite angle. Not sure if this is making sense ‍♀️ 
It's great to see how positive u r. Good luck and take care x

Hiya!

Thank you so much for this post. I've had a similar experience! I'm 41 found lump in breast,saw dr same day and had mammogram and biopsy last week. Results next Monday. When they took the biopsies (4) he mentioned that the skin under my boob was puckering. Like u I didn't think to check under the breastacles and although I would feel the skin it felt smooth so I thought it was fine. It wasn't until he said lift ur arms that I could see how my boob was mis shaped towards the bottom,due to the puckering skin. Like the shape of a circular boob resting on a hardback book to create a definite angle. Not sure if this is making sense ‍♀️ 
It's great to see how positive u r. Good luck and take care x

Hi [@JenLam]‍ good to see your post. Your description of the puckering made me laugh even though I know it's not funny if you not what I mean! Mine looks like two long lines stacked above each other. No hardback books involved :laugh: Anyway, the dodgy area was removed from my breast in surgery on Tuesday and I will find out full results on Friday 26th.

Good luck with your results on a Monday. Do let me know how you get on. Good luck. Waiting is hideous isn't it!
 

And [@Janeylou]‍ thanks for the good wishes. [@KimMarie]‍ How are you getting on? Did you find out what was going on on the RH side?? XX

xx

Hi Kiwirunner, i messaged you but have now found the thread and see that your surgery took place. I hope you are okay xx

Hi kiwi runner!

thanks for getting in touch. It means a lot. I find that I want to talk about things but don't want to upset my husband and friends. It's horrible sitting with the worry so I'm trying to keep busy. 
 

thats great news that it's removed already. Was it a lumpectomy yes? Do u mind me asking what the process was like? I've googled too much and am now thinking of the lines of...if they suggest a lumpectomy am I better off asking them to whip off the breastacles all together so less chance of recurrence? ‍♀️
I have very sensitive nipples (too much info I know) so a nippless life sounds like a positive thing but of course I don't want to write off my boobs if it's not that serious!  

results tomorrow and hopefully they will send me for an MRI as I've smoked for years and am worried the 2.5 cm lump in my right breast has been growing for ages and has come from something already in the lungs. Joy! Then it'll b a case of waiting for those results which is really frightening me. 
 

any who! I hope ur feeling good and positive and ready for the next step in ur journey. 
 

jen x

Hi [@JenLam]‍  thanks for getting in touch.  Oh I do hope results day today goes ok  for you. And your MRI. MRIs  can throw up lots of false positives as they are so sensitive. Freaked me out when they found a new area of concern on mine but it turned out to be benign.

Yep I had my surgery on Tuesday. It was a Wire Guided Wide Excision Biopsy. Wire guided because my 15mm mass is non-palpable. Had to go in morning of surgery to have a wire inserted in my boob so surgeon knew where to go. End of that sticking out (taped down) was a tad surreal!! 

I was in surgery for about an hour. Hilarious banter with my anaethatist  as I'm a Kiwi and he was South African and neither of us like being mistaken for Australian, lots of chat about rugby etc as I'm lying on the operating table waiting for the general anaesthetic to be given. Staff were all fab

If it is confirmed as cancer at my results appt on Friday then it is likely I'll be back for more surgery.

The scar where my surgeon went in is pretty tidy. She went in under the areola around my nipple so the scar will blend back with the natural line of that. And there is now a small indentation where she has removed the dodgy bit that was a B4 on mammogram, a U5 on ultrasound, a B4 on first biopsy, no sign of cancer on second biopsy (to their confusion) and where I have had significant puckering/tethering which concerned them.

My surgeon said I might feel a bit low this week and she was spot on. I've been coping really well bit hit the wall in last couple of days. I worked out that since my recall letter on 24 Dec I have had 10 mammograms, 4 ultrasounds, 1 MRI, 4 biopsies, 2 results meetings where they couldn't give conclusive results and now the surgery. All the while being told right back on 5 January at original assessment clinic that they were sure it was cancer and to prepare for that.

It has taken more of a toll than I realised and I decided I would take the full two weeks off work they recommended so I can just be kind to myself and not have the pressure of a demanding job and team to manage while I wait for my results. 

Now back to you and your breasticles (loving that name) it is a super personal decision and you don't have all the info you need yet to make an informed choice I guess, which ever option you go with. I'm personally rather fond of 'the girls' my end so don't  really want to lop one off if or comes to that but would do what ever is best. My dodgy area is left lower inner quadrant which is much less common (about 6% of cases) and my next worry is if I need radiation therapy as that area is right over my heart. I dont like the sound of that...

Anyway,back to you Jen - fingers crossed for your results meeting today. Will be thinking of you. Let me know how you get on. xxx

[@KimMarie]‍ you have been in my thoughts lately. I notice you haven't been on here since your meeting to see if you more challenges to deal with. I really hope you are doing ok and am here if you want to chat xx

Hi Kiwirunner

You've done so well!!! How r u feeling now? Mentally and physically? sounds like you had a good team around you for surgery! It's so uplifting to think of it as a positive experience. Speaking of uplifting they've suggested a lumpectomy and uplift which means taking the lump out (obvs) and lifting up the breastacle so I'd have one slightly higher and smaller than the other. Nice! But then if I didn't have huge bazuccas in the first place they wouldn't even b able to offer that and they'd have to whip the whole thing off so I'm lucky to have the option. They said that a single or double mastectomy would not guarantee it won't come back and in her experience it it's better to do a lumpectomy then radiation for a better outcome ‍♀️
I find out this Friday if I have HER2, if so I'll need chemo. They were very supportive and informative and it was a huge relief to get some news! As I'm a smoker (*hangs head in shame*) I'd have to stop smoking 6 weeks before the op if I want a double mastectomy. This is no problem as I'm giving up tomorrow or at least starting the process. Just kicking myself cos I stopped for6 years then started again when life got stressful. What a fool! 
thank you for ur messsage it means a lot that u we're thinking of me this morning! 
what's next on the agenda for u? Stay strong and take care of urself. X

Hi [@JenLam]‍ oh your posts make me smile - you've got a great attitude to it all and the best names for breasts :laugh:

A perkier uplift with lumpectomy sounds good to me and you seem happy with the approach which is great. I don't think any of us need to beat ourselves up about stuff like you smoking again when stressed. I need to step away from the biscuit barrel - comfort eating has been a thing for me over last few weeks which is annoying as I lost a stone two years ago and had been keeping it off. So right now I'm not running and eating more treats and my jeans are getting tighter but hey - big picture it doesn't really matter right now. Although gold star for looking at giving up smoking again. You go girl.

Well let's do a results swapsies on Friday when you get your HER2 result and I get my surgery pathology report. I have fingers crossed for you.

Keep your chin up and do what makes you feel good (apart from smoking haha). I'm swapping biscuits for fruit and getting outside for fresh air. I'm managing a walk each day and it is soooo good getting out for a bit even if I can't run for a while yet.

Take care xxx

Hiya! ️

Lovely to hear from you again! It sounds like your surgery went brilliantly Does the pathology report include details about exactly what type of cancer it is??? Or am I totally off track here?! It's possible! ‍♀️
Don't worry about a slight weight gain you can always walk it off as you start to recover. Then by the end of treatment/healing process you're fit, strong and can get into the jeans again! Result!

speaking of which...yes swappsies Friday sounds good  

lumpectomy may b off the cards depending on fri results. Heard lots of conflicting info so a bit confused now!! 
 

Not stopped the smoking yet. Getting my head around it and hope to stop Fri. Bit worried about the thought of chemo as I'm not one of those people who's gonna look good bald. Think Gollum meets an alien. Ok maybe it wouldn't be that bad!!!!! I can always throw on a headscarf....and some slap would probably help the face situation. Hmm still gotta b realistic you can't polish a turd. 
 

good luck for Friday and look after yourself x

Hi @JenLam yep tomorrow's pathology report to go through with the surgeon should tell me that. I'm a weird case as all along they have said it looks like cancer but two biopsies were inconclusive but indicating malignancy. Ultrasounds and mammograms were more certain it looked it. You never know it might end up being benign but I'm expecting it to be not good news. After two months of to-ing and fro-ing I just want some certainty which I should finally get tomorrow.

I know my MDT meets on Weds mornings so it's weird knowing my case has been discussed (for the third time!l) and my fate determined. Just one more sleep to go. 

What time is your meeting re your HER2 result? Mine is 1pm. I hope you too have a clearer path for the breastacles.

'Speak' tomorrow and good luck xxx

Hi again

The waiting is so hard. Once you have more info at least it's something to work with! They're being thorough I'll give them that!!! 
They haven't given me a time for results but I have work to keep me busy! Seems like this process is going to b a step at a time. Let's try not to get ahead of ourselves as it gets really overwhelming! 
Chat tomorrow. Thinking of you x