I need some help. Can I please ask you for a few minutes of your time?

[tandot]

I am 43 and just had my first mammogram six month ago. They found what my doctor described as probably calcified lymph nodes. He asked me to have another mammogram six month later. I went on April 13 (yes, a Friday the 13th). Two weeks later, last Friday, I came home from work late and found a message on my phone:

“We need you to schedule an appointment with Point West Breast Health Center in Sacramento” (about 20 miles from my clinic) – a breast health specialty clinic in Sacramento. They asked me to call back as soon as you can. Well, it was late Friday and I wasn’t able to get a hold of anyone. All I was left with was a feeling of doom and desperation for three days.

What I was expecting is a message from my doctor saying that nothing has changed, that there is nothing to worry about, and that I should just continue my regular exams. Instead, I was left with that message and a whole weekend to cry and to do research on “breast cancer.”

I have an appointment with the Breast Health Center tomorrow, Tuesday at 9:45 am. They’ll perform an ultrasound and then decide if a biopsy is necessary. Cysts are very common and my hope is pinned on that.

So, I have several requests:

1.) In 2008, please vote for someone who will make sure that all Americans have health care. I now have a good health insurance but also was uninsured for quite a while. I know that so many people can’t get preventative care because they can’t afford it and/or they are uninsured.

2.) If you are a woman over 40 and you haven’t had a mammogram, please get one. I don’t know a lot about free mammograms, but maybe this is a first step:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/10/13/earlyshow/series/main577822.shtml

If you are a man and you have breast cancer in the family, also have check-ups.

If any DUers here know where to get free mammograms, please post links.

3.) If you are a nurse and have ever left a message like that on a patient's answering machine, right before you go home for your weekend...WTF??? I hope your weekend was great because mine sure was shitty.

4.) And lastly, if you have some time, send some positive thoughts my way. My appointment is 9:45 am Pacific Time. Thanks so much :hi:

[LeftyMom]

1. I hope it's nothing or close to it.

And I hope whoever left you on pins and needles all weekend contracts a horrible itch in a private place, because that's really callous and insensitive to do to somebody.

[tandot]

3. Thanks, LeftyMom.

I little itch wouldn't be bad for her to have :evilgrin:

I'll see her tomorrow and make sure to mention how horrible it was to get a message like that with no way of finding out more.

[tandot]

19. Thanks for your support. It turned out to be nothing.

I posted the update below.

:hi:

[Breeze54]

40. WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was just thinking about you!!!!!!

That is great news!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm really happy for you!

You had me worried!

[VenusRising]

2. Best wishes and good vibes coming your way.

I hope that everything works out for you. Best of luck!!

:hug:

[tandot]

4. Thanks, VenusRising. After seeing Elizabeth Edwards, I now that

even if it is bad news, it is still beatable.

[VenusRising]

5. Both my stepmom and grandmother are doing great

after mastectomies last year. It's defintely beatable. It's all about support and attitude.

If you ever need an injection of either, I'm always around to talk...just PM me. :hi:

[tandot]

11. Thanks.

I'll go to bed in a little while. I am anxious and took 2 benadryls (they make me drowsy and sleepy). I'll post again tomorrow.

Thanks for all the support.

[SeattleGirl]

6. Sending you good vibes and positive thoughts.

And I agree -- they should not have left a message like that for you on a Friday afternoon. I went through something like that some years ago, when I found a lump. I called my doc's office, and they referred me to a breast care center. I called them, and the person I spoke to casually said that they could get me in in about 3 weeks!

I blew up at this woman, because I was scared. It worked; they got me in the following day. (It turned out to be nothing, but still......).

My mom is a breast cancer survivor, so I know the importance of mammograms, being seen asap, etc., AND not leaving messages for patients when there is no way to call back right away.

:hug:

[tandot]

8. Thanks, SeattleGirl.

My boss told me today that she had a biopsy and it wasn't cancer. She told me to take off today and go shopping or go to the movies, to take my mind off it before tomorrows appointment.

Also, my fiance told me today that two women working in his office had several mammograms but it turned out not to be cancer.

Although I am really anxious, I am reminding myself that it might just be some cyst that doesn't need any treatment.

[lizerdbits]

7. A few women in my family have had calcium deposits that show up

on mammograms. They were concerned until they found out what it was. I'm hoping that's what will happen with you! :)

[tandot]

9. That it what I am hoping...just some calcium deposits or simple cysts

...thanks, lizerdbits.

I hope to find out tomorrow and might post the results.

[KitchenWitch]

10. Positive healthy vibes are coming your way

I agree about the late Friday voicemails...root cause of all evil in my book!

[tandot]

12. Thanks, KitchenWitch.

I'll post more tomorrow. I have to go to bed :)

[tandot]

22. The healthy vibes helped. They didn't find ANYTHING. Update is at the end of the thread

Whatever it was, it disappeared.

Thanks again for all the support :hug:

[KitchenWitch]

39. Anytime!

I am a 20 year cancer survivor.

[Nicole]

13. Positive thoughts & good vibes for you.

:hug:

[tandot]

18. Thanks for your support. I posted the updated below.

Everything turned out to be fine.

[Cabcere]

14. Hi, tandot...

My mom went through something similar a few years ago - they found an "anomaly" in one of her breasts from the mammogram, and it was scary not knowing what the deal was. :hug: It turned out to be nothing serious - just a benign cyst, I think - although she did get a biopsy at the dr.'s recommendation, just to make sure. I hope it's nothing serious for you as well, and I'm sorry you had to deal with that message...that's not very considerate at all. :hug: Anyway, I'll be sending thoughts, prayers, and positive healing vibes your way - be well, and let us know how it turns out, OK? :hug: Peace. :hi:

[tandot]

21. Thanks, Cabcere. They didn't even find a cyst. They found nothing.

Whatever my second follow-up mammogram showed was suddenly gone.

I am so relieved.

[Cabcere]

37. That's wonderful news!

:hug: I'm so glad to hear that. :hi:

[Whoa_Nelly]

15. Will be keeping you in my thoughts, tandot

:hug:

Sending positive vibes your way! :loveya:

[Cabcere]

16. That is an awesome smiley...

and I second the sentiment wholeheartedly. :) :thumbsup:

[tandot]

20. Thanks for the great smiley. How did you do that?

I posted an update below. They didn't find what the mammogram showed. Whatever it was, all of the DUers positive vibes and thoughts made it go away.

Thanks!!! :hi:

[Whoa_Nelly]

42. Good news indeed!

And I used a Smilies Generator!

There are a lot of them on the 'Net, but here;s the one I used:
http://www.smiliegenerator.com/smiliegenerator_eng.html

[tandot]

17. U P D A T E - they didn't find anything. It disappeared into thin air.

After two ultra-sounds and six additional mammograms, whatever showed up in my follow-up second mammogram was not there anymore.

The radiologist said that my follow-up mammogram a few weeks back showed a lump in the left breast, in addition to the previously revealed calcified lymph nodes. So, today nothing showed up and everything looks normal.

The mammograms they did today were excruciating. They squeezed the sh*t out of my puppies to spread them as flat as possible. They still hurt and I bet they'll turn blue and green. They said it was necessary to get a better look at the tissue. Not only that, the girl who was doing the mammogram forgot to put the plates in TWICE - and put them in WHILE my breasts were crushed by what felt like 50 pounds of pressure.

Thank you so much for all of your support. Apparently, your positive vibes and thoughts helped :grouphug:

[LeftyMom]

24. Glad you're okay.

Hope the girls heal up okay. I keep hoping they'll switch to some other method like ultrasound by the time I'm old enough to go in, because I haven't got a thing to squish and they'd have to darn near rip 'em off to try.

Honestly, it strikes me as kind of sexist how much work went into sparing men the indignity of "the finger" but not researchers are apparently not paying much attention to less painful breast scans or a gentler way to do the annual lube oil and filter job.

[tandot]

26. Thanks.

Actually, my first two mammograms were uncomfortable but not painful. This time, they had to "spread the tissue" which means putting more pressure on them to really make them flat.

If men would have to get similar exams for testicular cancer, we already would have a better procedure. Imagine putting their balls into that machine and squeeze the living daylight out of them.

[undeterred]

25. tandot

I am so glad you are ok. I have known several women who have gone through the ordeal of waiting- even just the waiting between finding the lump and getting the mammogram can be awful- and the pain of waiting for results is awful too.

I lost my job recently but kept my insurance through COBRA. I am healthy but decided to use this time off work to do all my cancer screenings including mammo, pap, colonoscopy, and visit other doctors. Even doing these things while healthy gives one a bit of anxiety, but it is SO MUCH BETTER than doing it when you are scared to death that you might have cancer. In my case I enjoyed that my nasty ex-employer was paying to ensure that I was cancer free.

I have heard that for a woman in her forties, the chances of a lump being cancerous are only 1 in 20 - it gets higher every decade, but I think the chance that she will worry about it being cancer are 100%.

I took my cue from Elizabeth Edwards- when her cancer was found, the lump was 9cm. She could have avoided this fate if she had had regular mammograms.

No, the tests aren't pleasant, but its so much better than the alternative. When I didn't have insurance, I didn't ever have mammograms. I was lucky, but in the future I won't count on luck.

:hug:

[tandot]

27. Wow, a 9 cm lump is huge. I am surprised that a woman with her

income and education doesn't have the tests and exams that are recommended for her age.

Sorry that your lost your job. I hope you find employment very soon. Good for you that you took advantage of your previous' employers health insurance.

That was a frightening experience. I'll pay even more attention to diet and exercise, and getting all my exams on time.

Thanks, undeterred :hug:

[undeterred]

33. I think that its especially difficult for women

with large breasts or 'lumpy' breasts. They know who they are. I'm not one of them. A self exam is fine for smaller women but for larger women, its more difficult. And as you noted, the mammogram is really uncomfortable the larger your breasts are, and it does play a role in people avoiding mammography.

I know there's been a 3 dimensional mammography under development for quite some time which would be much less painful and much more accurate. It may already be in use in some situations where the cancer is already diagnosed and being treated. Its probably way too expensive to use for trying to detect cancer in the general population.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12962399&dopt=Abstract

[Lars39]

29. I'm glad things turned out well for you.

I take some tylenol or advil or something before I have a mammogram. Helps tremendously.
I'd be very tempted to put a bee in that nurse's ear about her timing. :hug:

[Shine]

30. Oh, good news! I just now saw this. I posted before checking the whole thread.

:thumbsup:
yeah, those machines are nasty. I can definitely relate.

[mdmc]

23. Kucinich or Nader in 2008 health care, mental health parity

God Bless!

[Shine]

28. You and I are the same age. I just had a mammogram last Nov.

I try to get them done annually b/c breast cancer showed up in our family about 8 yrs ago. My first cousin was diagnosed, out of the blue, at the age of 31. She's cancer-free now, but it was a pretty challenging time for her and her family, as you can imagine. She had a lumpectomy, had to go through chemo and radiation...but fortunately didn't have a mastectomy. Bottom line, it can show up even with NO prior family history of Breast Cancer.

I'm sorry you had to go through a w/e of fear and worry, due to that nurse's insensitivity. I hope your appt went well. I'm sending you good energy and best wishes for a positive resolution.

:hug: :hi:

[NewWaveChick1981]

31. Tandot, don't jump to conclusions...

:hug: My baseline mammogram was four years ago when I was 40. When the technician looked alarmed, I asked her what was wrong. She said, "I can't say anything because the doctor has to read the results." The doctor took two days to read the results, and I went in for a consultation. They showed me the films that had a "suspicious mass", and I was beside myself with worry. I had to make an appointment with a surgeon, which was about a week later. The surgeon ordered a needle biopsy, which happened that afternoon. I didn't get the results of the biopsy for about a week, so I spent two weeks not knowing if I had breast cancer. :( Turned out to be a benign tumor about the size of my little fingernail, and the biopsy removed about half of it. :) I've had a mammogram every year since, and the tumor is still the same size.

You are right to be concerned, but I'm sure it will turn out well. :pals:

[tandot]

34. I posted an update a little further up. Thanks for your post, NewWaveChick

I only had to wait a weekend. It must have been horrifying to wait for weeks to get the results. I am glad that your tumor is benign.

I don't know what happened, but my lump apparently disappeared into thin air. The radiologist said that from what he saw today, I have nothing to worry about.

[GenDem]

32. Sending prayers and positive vibes

I can relate. I sent you a private message.

:hug:

[tandot]

35. Thanks for the message. I tried to reply but got an error message

I posted an update a little further up.

After two ultrasounds and more mammograms, the "lump" disappeared.

[GenDem]

36. That's such good news!!!!

:hug:

[NMDemDist2]

38. I've had three surgeries to remove cysts

it was no big deal :shrug:

Hope your news is as good :hug:

[tandot]

41. Thanks. I posted the update further up in the thread

They didn't even find cysts...just nothing. It seems like it just disappeared in thin air.

[Redstone]

43. Mrs R had a scare like that a few years ago. I hope your situation works out as well

as hers did; it turned out to be nothing to worry about.

But damn, did she worry before they figured that out. I hope you have someone who can go with you; this is not something you should have to face alone.

Deep breaths, and remember how many good thoughts travel with you.

Redstone

[tandot]

44. Thanks Redstone. I updated a little bit up in this thread yesterday

I was scared shitless but got lots of info and comforting words from DUers and friends who went through the same thing. It helped a lot knowing that this happens quite frequently and very often turns out to be something benign or nothing at all.

Mr. Tandot couldn't take off work that day, so I had to go by myself. I probably could have scheduled an appointment at a later date, but I wanted to get it over with as soon as possible. I am glad that the outcome was positive because I would have been really screwed if I would have been by myself with a bad diagnosis.

My lump just simply disappeared. I credit all the positive thoughts and vibes DUers sent my way :pals:

[Redstone]

45. I absolutley believe that positive thoughts from others can help, because they provoke

positive thoughts within yourself. Mind over matter and all that; look at Norman Cousins' story for example.

Your lump "just disappeared." Two small words to the rest of us, the whole world to you and so many women like you.

Redstone