Hi MickeyM,

A very warm welcome to our forum. 

Stereotactic biopsy will give your team the chance to look at your breast in more detail. This doesn't always signify bad news, but is a good sign that your care team is being thorough. It is impossible to find out much until the results of your biopsy come back and you know exactly what you are dealing with. You should find some information about DCIS and calcifications on the Cancer Research Website. Try to avoid consulting Dr Google, as much of his information is out of date, poorly researched and aimed at the more spectacular cases. This will only serve to worry you further.

There is a lady called Karen1971 on the forum. She has been posting under the title ‘Waiting on breast biopsy results.’ If you do a search for her, you may be able to help one another through this.

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

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Thank you Jolamine, your reply was really helpful and appreciated. Thank you so much for taking the time xx 

Hi MickeyM,

You are almost right. I discovered a larger lump in my other breast 6 months after my first surgery. My surgeon refused to test it, just saying that it was fine. He wanted me to have radiotherapy for my original lump, but I refused this on the basis that there was no point in treating one breast whilst ignoring the other. 

After a Mexican standoff for 11 months, my surgeon referred me to the surgeon who was in charge of the surgeons in the area. He had been led to understand that I was refusing radiotherapy. I told him that this wasn't the case, I just wanted to have the second lump investigated first. He agreed to do this straight away and said that he was pretty sure that this new lump was cancerous. However, the biopsy came back benign. This new surgeon offered to take over my care and, although this made my visits to hospital much longer, I was happy to take up this offer. I was quite delighted with this, as I was considering going privately for a second opinion at this stage and, this was the surgeon who I had decided to see.

Almost a year to the day of my first surgery, I discovered another lump in my original breast and this time I wasn't so lucky. Because I had lumps in both breasts at that stage I had a double mastectomy and changed over from Tamoxifen to Letrozole. Please don't let this panic you. After any surgery the tissue removed is sent to Pathology to be microscopically examined. When these results came back my original surgeon told me that the Pathology results showed that he hadn't achieved clear margins. 

At this point it is usual to operate again until clear margins are in place. However, my surgeon assured me that there was no need to do this, as he had realized this at the time and removed an additional sliver, which would have got the clear margin. At the time of the second diagnosis, I was told that I had a new primary cancer of the same type and grade as the original cancer. However, I do wonder if this was just a convenient way to cover up the first surgeon's mistake? I may well be wrong and there is no way of proving this, so I just have to accept what I was told.

After I saw the second surgeon, I was referred to see 2 eminent researchers in radiotherapy with a view to having it then. I was given two totally different viewpoints. The first felt that I might as well go ahead with it anyway, whereas the second was quite insistant that, if I hadn't had it within three months of my first surgery, there was no point in having it. He seemed much better informed than the other gentleman, so I took his advice.

You soon discover who your true friends are when you get a cancer diagnosis.You will find that support often comes from the most unexpected quarters, whilst some who you would have expected to be there for you will just disappear off the radar. You will find that how they react depends to a great extent, on how you break the news to them. I was like most people at first - absolutely terrified. When I first broke the news, some of my friends *** footed around me, asking all sorts of inane questions. 

Once I became a bit stronger in myself, I was advised to break the news in as positive a way as possible. When I did this the reaction of family and friends was much better and I now try to approach my cancer journey in this way.

I am glad to hear that you eventually managed to get through to your surgery this morning and that you were scheduled for a phone consultation with the doctor who you saw when you first discovered the lump. Did she phone back and, how did you get on?

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Morning Jolamine and thank you so much for your messages. I really value the fact that you took the time and effort to explain your situation to me. Don't worry, you didn't scare me, I'm sorry it was a difficult journey for you, but on a strange way it reassured me that we have to deal with this and have faith in what our bodies are telling us (if that makes sense). 
I eventually got my call back from GP and she's basically asked my work to be flexible, home work and avoid face to face for next months until we know more about my treatment plan, but that's obviously something that's since been delayed further. She was shocked the lump was cancer, so I reassured her that the type it is could easily be mistaken on feeling for a benign lump. She also gave me 7 days sleeping tablets. I haven't taken one yet, but probably need to tonight as I still didn't sleep last night. 

My BCN also rang back, she sorted the stereotactic reschedule, but soonest is two weeks 25/10. I'm going to see consultant Thursday anyway I've decided - he can at least give me leaflets on these cancers and I want to ask him how he thinks he could save my breast even if only two wide excisions, as I just can't see that being possible. Xx 
 

Hi MickeyM,

I am glad to hear that your GP has been understanding. Will your work be happy with flexible working? It's a pity that you have to wait for another 2 weeks for your biopsy.

You will find it useful to draw up a list of questions for your consultant and to take it with you on Thursday, as it's all too easy to forget something important in the heat of the moment.

Heres hoping that you manage to get a good night's sleep tonight.

Jolamine xx

Morning Jolamine, 

Thank you for your reply. I'd asked my boss for the sickness and cancer/serious illness policies before we spoke in the afternoon. I'd also sent her my GP note and spoken to my trade union (just incase).  My boss was fantastic and so supportive and that made me feel better. Realistic that despite me wanting to working currently that could change at any time. I was also asked how, what and when I wanted colleagues to know. I still need to think about that. I told a couple more what I considered 'good friends' last night and it's just so difficult. 
 

I slept three hours straight and managed to get back off nearly every time I woke up, so that was really positive. 
 

I hope you have a lovely day Jolamine. Thank you for your support as ever. 
 

love n hugs

Mickey xx 

Hi Mickey,

I am delighted to hear that your boss was so supportive yesterday. You will probably find that many of your colleagues already know, as it is amazing how effective bush telegraph is in cases like this. When you decide to tell the rest is up to you. 

I'm so glad to hear that you managed some sleep last night. Here's hoping that this continues.

I hope that all goes well when you see your consultant tomorrow.

regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine, thank you . I ended up getting a call for a last minute cancellation and have just had the stereotactic biopsies done. High as a kite but glad that's over xx 

Oh Mickey,

That is fantastic - no wonder your on clod nine!  When are the results due to be back?

Jolamine xx

Thanks Jolamine, I'm high from the anaesthetic still, just realised I haven't eaten all day, so probably didn't help. Had some toast now to tide me over and hopefully will stop the queasiness. I'm hoping results will be ready for MDT meeting on Thursday 21/10, but that's probably pushing it a bit xx 

Hi Mickey,

I'm glad to hear that you have had some toast and hope that you are feeling less queasy now.

It is pushing it a bit to have your results for the MDT on  21st, but it is possible. Have they said when you will get the results of the MDT?

Jolamine xx

Hi lovely how are you doing? Been thinking of you. X

Hi lovely how are you doing? Been thinking of you. X

Hi 4105ac,

How are you coping with the wait for your biopsy results? I hope that it won't be too long before you get them.

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

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi I'm ok just keeping busy and trying to think every day no news is good news. I struggle with the not knowing and the wait. Its the hardest part. Especially with my mum having had bc it's hard to keep positive some days. My apt is on weds for my results x

Hi 4105ac,

It is so difficult to struggle with the unknown. Having lost my own mum to breast cancer, I know how you feeal - no doubt your imagination has taken you to some dark places at times. It is hard to keep positive, but try your best. This time next week you'll know what you're dealing with and be able to move forward.

I'll be thinking of you on Wednesday.

Lind regards,

JOlamine xx