follow up Mamo...

[whatz]

Well darn. They never checked the other side until last week. Just talked to my surgeons nurse about the mamo result from last week of the remaining right breast and was told they want to have another "compression" view to check something to make sure it's OK. We'll do it tomorrow. I can't feel anything off but then I don't have anything on the other side to compare it to either :-). Think about me. Keep me in your prayers.

[Shobha]

Praying that the Mamo of your right breast is all clear and clean!

hugs,
shobha

[ammebarb]

Thinking about you and saying prayers that all is well. You will let us know, won't you?

Best wishes.

Barb A.

[schoolteacher]

I will be praying for positive results.

Amelia

[whatz]

Thanks ya'll. Good to have praying buddies :-). Yes, I'll let you know. My appt. is tomorrow @4. Supposedly my nurse put a "stat" on the appt meaning they'll read it faster than normal and I may have my results tomorrow, but then again I may not have them until Wed/Thur. Will post once I know.

[Jackie07]

Hope you get a good result. Don't mean to scare you - but you might want to get someone else to read the film and/or even do a biopsy if there's any questions.

I was always asked to get more views while taking mammagram during my recurrence. Nobody had ever told me that they were seeing 'scar tissues'. After getting 4 full years of 'clean bills', I finally got the original surgeon to pay attention to it and the tumor was finally found - already over 2 cm.

[whatz]

Thanks. I'll keep that in mind. This time it seems reverse order. Last time I felt a lump myself and they did a control ultra-sound. This time they were doing a routine mamo and are doing a follow-up on it with another mamo. I asked the surgical nurse about the result on this mamo but did not understand the answer other than they needed more pictures to clear things (why not a an ultra-sound I don't know but I'll be sure to ask tomorrow). I'll probably ask for a copy of the reading if I don't understand the answer again.

[Jackie07]

It's good that they are doing ultrasound to double check. My initial bc was discovered by a mammogram and then immediately followed by an ultrasound. Why they did not bother to double check with an ultrasound the following four years was beyond me. (I think everyone was overconfident of the new star breast surgeon...)

I'm glad your doctors are careful about it. Request for an ultrasound if there's even a hint of uncertainty... Though I think in your case there's not that much to worry about since you'd had a mastectomy (Mine in 2003 was a lumpectomy.)

[Becky]

You know, sometimes they just don't get a clear picture of an area that's alittle dense. Even those of us who don't have dense breasts have scattered areas of density. Then they squeeze you down and sometimes there is a little "foldover" and they just aren't sure. You'd think they'd look better the first time but truthfully, they do look good and then there is either a second radiologist looking or they have a computer look. All in all, its a good thing but a nerve racking thing.

I can't tell you the number of times I was called back prior to bc (when I was premenopausal and had dense breasts - after ooph - not dense anymore - yea for that so my mammos are easier to read).

I too felt my lump and that is the first mammo I ever had where there was no question, no other films to be run (go figure). So, here's to your dense area that a computer or second human "looker" decided that another picture should be taken.

If I was you (and I had second pix alot), I would just tell the technician that you aren't leaving without the pix being looked at. Use the premise that you don't want to come back again (and that you want to talk to the radiologist reading and get the 2 thumbs up right there). I never wait anywhere for results except in the mammo dressing room. No survivor should have to wait anywhere else.

[whatz]

Hej ya'll,
1. Thank you Lord for a good report
2. Thank you all you prayer warriors for lifting me up

Here's the story. The tech took me in and took the pictures. Per all of your input (thank you Becky) I was persistant in trying to find out how quickly I could get my results and mentioning that I thought this had been ordered "stat" (though I really did not know what the acronym actually stood for ;-) ). The tech told me that the radiologist would read it right there and that she would come tell me. Well, she did, I had to go to an Ultrasound which took approx. 20 (she was very thorough) and then she came and told me that the radiologist wanted to come talk to me. By that time I was pretty much resigning myself that they found a malignancy in the other side as well. The radiologist came just to tell me that he thought all was well, that I had a small cyst he wasn't concerned about but that he thought, given my history, that I should either have an MRI/Mamo combo next time or again Mamo/Ultrasound. He had reviewed the past two years of the Mamos and said there had been no sign of a tumor on the left and that obviously a Mamo alone would not be diagnostic tool enough for my dense breast tissue.

Phew, long paragraph but a good ending to my two hour Mamo appt. :-). Thanks ya'll for being there and letting me voice my worries!
Anja

[Cannon]

sounds good. I thought an MRI of the other breast was kind of "the done thing" these days...

[whatz]

It wasn't for me. Could be age dependant? (I was 42 when I was diagnosed and had had only mamograms). I can't have the MRI right now due to the expander for the reconstruction (it has a magnetic port which does not work with an MRI). I didn't know that when I opted for reconstruction with the masectomy and neither apparently did either of my Dr's.

[WolverineFan]

I don't think it is age dependent, as I was 39 when I was diagnosed and had an MRI following diagnosis. They did find a lump on my right side as well, but it turned out to be a fibroidenoma, thankfully. So glad to hear that it was good news for you!!

[Jackie07]

Anja,

I'm glad they did a thourough job. Because my mammograms were misread for 4 years straight, I'd always liked to caution others to pay attention to self exams and the feelings one has during the scan. It's always a good idea to get an ultrasound to confirm the result.