Skip to main content

time for some answers

We are finally near the end of the three part blog updating journey. Whew! I am so ready to find out what the heck is going on with my body.

PART THREE

If you read PART ONE or PART TWO of my recent experience, you will know I am crazy frustrated and slightly paranoid that my medical team is going to screw another thing up. So, I asked everyone when I went in for the biopsy that they were going to do a cancer screening (the original ER doctor was concerned about) and test for all the autoimmune things (the PET scan Radiologist, Ultrasound Radiologist, and my Oncologist thinks I have). 

I am coming into this with a fresh start. I want to make sure that they test for everything the biopsy can because I really don't want to have to come back and do this again. All I know is something isn't right with me - and I hope this helps me figure out what it is.

The Radiologist who did the biopsy was more informative than all the other doctors I have seen so far. She explained things more clearly and in complete contrast (in some ways) to my other doctors:


  1. My original cancer was on the right side. My left lymph nodes are reactive. So, it would be odd for the breast cancer to be showing up there. Especially since I have no masses (recent mammogram showed nothing).
  2. My PET scan only showed the left lymph nodes. Lymphoma generally is bilateral, so it would be odd for this to be it.

3. Cat Scratch lymph nodes generally look more aggressive and more would be involved. So, that would be odd. As you can plainly see, my cat is insulted. She's an older housecat - and if you knew my husband, you would know that fleas anywhere near our home or yard is impossible... he loves his yard and he takes great pride in keeping it perfect (including no bugs like fleas). Though my cat might be trying to kill me, she would do it in a more clever way.

4. I do have multiple issues with multiple lymph nodes, so maybe another autoimmune issue. But the biopsy can only check for so many things.


The Radiologist was like you are just presenting in an odd way. But, you never know what it could be. Sometimes people test positive for these things and we were sure it wouldn't be cancer. So, it's better to check. She was going to test for everything she could (breast cancer, lymphoma, infections) - sending off Fresh & Permanent Biopsies (click link to learn what this and Slides mean) .

HELLO, she is saying exactly what I have been saying since I saw my CT almost a month ago!

She did the ultrasound guided needle biopsy in the axillary lymph nodes. For those who do not know, 

  1. you will lay on your side, leaning back some.
  2. a ultrasound tech will find the axillary lymph nodes located below your arm pit. 
  3. she will maker up the location for the Radiologist, and it even looks like my left breast consent, "yes", to the biopsy (ha!).
  4. the tech nurse uses the ultrasound to find the location and the Radiologist will insert a long needle through your skin and into the lymph node (mine said she used a thicker needle to get more lymph fluid and tissue for me).
  5. the needle has a section that can cut the tissue sample - it makes a loud click when it happens. there will be many samples taken. You may feel some pain. I did, but it was when she had to move the needle around before taking samples.
  6. then a tag was placed into my lymph node just in case they needed to go back or find it if something is wrong.

When I left, the Radiologist said I would know something on Thursday. Two days isn't a bad wait. 

So, I waited. And late Thursday afternoon, the office called to say they need to do a few more slides. I said, no news is good news. They responded with no news in no news - not good news or bad news. - I am secretly thinking YIKES - that doesn't sound good.

So more waiting. And now, I am slightly concerning because it means that something may need more pathology answers, like for cancer (determining what feeds it). However, sometimes pathologists are just busy. But, I know I am a at risk (had cancer before) patient which tends to go faster.

Last time I had cancer, I knew the next day. This time, they are making me wait.


On Friday afternoon, I got the call...

You've got breast cancer. 
Again. 
But, it's not the same breast cancer as last time. 


I guess this was one way to get me back to update my blog?!?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

More biopsies... where? down there?

Cancer survivors are always wondering and waiting to see if something is going to happen, so it is only natural to worry when something is "off". Then when something turns out to be abnormal more testing and follow-ups are needed. It seems like a continual wave of worries. Sometimes our worries turn out to be issues. Sometimes our worries turn out to be nothing. Either way, we are going to worry... it's just an issue of determining how much and when we should really worry. Finding out my endometrium lining was so thick meant I needed to get a biopsy. What's an Endometrial Biopsy? An endometrial biopsy is a medical procedure in which a small piece of tissue from the lining of the uterus (the endometrium) is removed for examination under a microscope. The removed tissue is examined for cancer or any other cell abnormalities.  Lucky me. Right?  Now I get to go back the GYN only a few days after my initial exa
1 comment
Read more

A roaring river...

As cancer survivors, we all have a worry that lingers in the back of our minds waiting for bad news. Most of the time we will be told things are good, keep moving forward. We feel a sigh of relief and move on until the next test or scan or weird symptom. We all have those moments. Moments of fear and worry, especially when waiting on a test or scan results. As with all things, there are times the results come back indicating something is wrong. I had that moment only a month ago. Oops... it's been awhile! I had honestly forgot about going to my GYN. I mean, I go to so many doctors that I avoided the ones that seemed less important on my importance scale. My breasts are getting examined by multiple doctors every few months, along with my hormone levels. And I was technically menopausal (medicinally), so I wasn't worried about pregnancy. So, I took time away from the GYN until my mother reminded me it had been too long. And like most mothers, she was right. When I sche
Post a Comment
Read more

PINKTOBER

I love fall, it is my favorite time of the year. Instead of fall colors, I am surrounded by pink. Everywhere I look I see breast cancer paraphernalia being marketed and displayed. Companies look charitable. Social media is ablaze. The world is turning pink. I live pink. It is not just a Pinktober thing. Breast cancer has infiltrated my life, it is here year round. Pinktober is a double-sided sword for me. On one side I am grateful to whatever it takes to get people motivated, involved, concerned, donating, caring, or active in the cancer community. Then there is the other side, the part that makes almost all breast cancer survivors cringe… the blatant misrepresentation and misuse of all things Pinktober. Ironically, the whole breast cancer awareness month was created by a drug company. October was labeled National Breast Cancer Awareness Month where pink ribbons and merchandise began being sold without any regard to education or awareness. Breast cancer activists, like the fight
Post a Comment
Read more