buglebe
09-12-2009, 05:12 PM
I came across this in the search about needle biopsies. I think maybe I'll just keep my lump or go jump off a bridge. Has anyone else experienced this? There were others who said it wasn't so bad. As I said previously the doctor said a wire inserted by mammagram if I have surgery and lying on a stomach with holes for my breast if needle biopsy. This is the comment I found in my search.
Mammograms......etc...etc.
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I am the youngest of 3 in my family. My oldest sister is 40, the middle 38 and I am 36. When my middle sister was 27 she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy followed by chemo. The next year my dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer which he succombed to within a year (I just recently learned that prostate,colon,and breast cancer in the family are all connected and all because of hormones.....I had no idea) My maternal grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy. Then a maternal aunt had breast cancer with a double mastectomy.....then, another maternal aunt, same story....double mastectomy. The last maternal aunt I have just had surgery for colon cancer and then my mother was diagnosed last year with breast cancer and, yes, again, a double mastectomy.........Everyone one in my mother's immediate family, with the exception of myself and my oldest sister, have been diagnosed with cancer and my father died from prostate cancer.
So....in May I found a small lump on my left breast. I called the middle sister (who has been cancer free for almost 10 yrs now) and with her help made an appt. to the ob-gyn who, of course, scheduled me for a mammogram and an ultrasound. They, in turn, recommended a surgical or needle biopsy. I went for (what I thought was going to be a consultation) today. She informed me she wanted to do the biopsy today and my sister reassured me that it wasn't really painful at all....... LOL. She soon realized things have changed in the past 10 years. I don't want to frighten anyone and to be honest my mammogram was absolutely painless, which I was surprised at as I had been told over and over again how painful they were. Perhaps it's newer technology in that dept. I dunno but it didn't hurt. HOWEVER, the biopsy was almost excruciating. They did an ultrasound biopsy and I was told the numbing medicine would burn when it was injected into my breast......I took deep breaths and got throught that ok and then the Dr. (And this center is said to be the best) started to make a small cut to insert the whatchamacallit to suck out the tissue for biopsy and I cried out in pain.... (I used to think I had a high pain tolerance) She then stuck in another needle to numb it more and it was ok until the 3rd "shove" (which is the only way I know how to describe it) and then I felt warm blood dripping down my side, immense pain when more tissue was suctioned out and then extreme burning......Then another needle to numb it again after I complained....My sister was grasping my foot so hard.....trying to be supportive (I'm not sure if at that point it was for me or her her face was absolutely white and had a shocked look....uh not the look you want to be getting...where's that reassuring smile and nod?) Then after the the 6th shove a metal marker was inserted to 'mark' where this lump was and then was immediately taken to get another mammogram. After the first 2 slides were taken and blood is dripping down the machine, the radiologist was finally able to take one that pinpointed where the metal marker was and wiped me down, sterile taped me up, bandaged me and sent me home with instructions to put an ice pack on it.
The good news is I was told I should hear something within the next 2 to 3 days. My sister was apologizing all over herself for telling me it was relatively painless and felt terrible about it......which, of course, there was no need for her to. I really appreciated her support.
I guess I just needed to get this off of my chest. I would never tell my sister how bad it really was since she was there for the procedure and told me hers wasn't nearly as bad as that. I dunno. I'm hoping for the best, though, and I'm sure everything is fine!
Has anyone else gone through this type of procedure? And if so, was it as painful? I almost think a surgical biopsy would've been better at this point.
Mammograms......etc...etc.
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I am the youngest of 3 in my family. My oldest sister is 40, the middle 38 and I am 36. When my middle sister was 27 she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy followed by chemo. The next year my dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer which he succombed to within a year (I just recently learned that prostate,colon,and breast cancer in the family are all connected and all because of hormones.....I had no idea) My maternal grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy. Then a maternal aunt had breast cancer with a double mastectomy.....then, another maternal aunt, same story....double mastectomy. The last maternal aunt I have just had surgery for colon cancer and then my mother was diagnosed last year with breast cancer and, yes, again, a double mastectomy.........Everyone one in my mother's immediate family, with the exception of myself and my oldest sister, have been diagnosed with cancer and my father died from prostate cancer.
So....in May I found a small lump on my left breast. I called the middle sister (who has been cancer free for almost 10 yrs now) and with her help made an appt. to the ob-gyn who, of course, scheduled me for a mammogram and an ultrasound. They, in turn, recommended a surgical or needle biopsy. I went for (what I thought was going to be a consultation) today. She informed me she wanted to do the biopsy today and my sister reassured me that it wasn't really painful at all....... LOL. She soon realized things have changed in the past 10 years. I don't want to frighten anyone and to be honest my mammogram was absolutely painless, which I was surprised at as I had been told over and over again how painful they were. Perhaps it's newer technology in that dept. I dunno but it didn't hurt. HOWEVER, the biopsy was almost excruciating. They did an ultrasound biopsy and I was told the numbing medicine would burn when it was injected into my breast......I took deep breaths and got throught that ok and then the Dr. (And this center is said to be the best) started to make a small cut to insert the whatchamacallit to suck out the tissue for biopsy and I cried out in pain.... (I used to think I had a high pain tolerance) She then stuck in another needle to numb it more and it was ok until the 3rd "shove" (which is the only way I know how to describe it) and then I felt warm blood dripping down my side, immense pain when more tissue was suctioned out and then extreme burning......Then another needle to numb it again after I complained....My sister was grasping my foot so hard.....trying to be supportive (I'm not sure if at that point it was for me or her her face was absolutely white and had a shocked look....uh not the look you want to be getting...where's that reassuring smile and nod?) Then after the the 6th shove a metal marker was inserted to 'mark' where this lump was and then was immediately taken to get another mammogram. After the first 2 slides were taken and blood is dripping down the machine, the radiologist was finally able to take one that pinpointed where the metal marker was and wiped me down, sterile taped me up, bandaged me and sent me home with instructions to put an ice pack on it.
The good news is I was told I should hear something within the next 2 to 3 days. My sister was apologizing all over herself for telling me it was relatively painless and felt terrible about it......which, of course, there was no need for her to. I really appreciated her support.
I guess I just needed to get this off of my chest. I would never tell my sister how bad it really was since she was there for the procedure and told me hers wasn't nearly as bad as that. I dunno. I'm hoping for the best, though, and I'm sure everything is fine!
Has anyone else gone through this type of procedure? And if so, was it as painful? I almost think a surgical biopsy would've been better at this point.