Detection

While vacationing in New Orleans to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary my ever vigilant husband (Brownie) discovered a lump in my right breast. No big deal, something like more than 80% of lumps are noncancerous. I did however, have a mammogram the Thursday following our return home.

Then the testing began. I have spent more time in doctors offices in the last 4 weeks than the last 4 years! Waiting, waiting. Some of which because I was fortunate enough to go with my son and daughter in law to two of their ultrasounds. Thereby getting to see my granddaughter in utero. Quite exciting stuff.

After the first mammogram I got the phone call to come back for some additional tests on Tuesday. This time they did a magnified mammogram of the area and an ultrasound. The ultrasound was to determine the density of the lump. This was to rule out it being a cyst. No such luck, so I was scheduled to come back the following Tuesday.

This time I had a BSGI-Breast Specific Gamma Imaging test and an ultrasound guided core biopsy. The BSGI basically identifies "hot" spots that could be cancerous and don't show up on other tests. Mine showed only the one lump. Since the lump is so small it was difficult for the doctor to get a good biopsy. But she took three samples.

The following day Brownie and I went back to get the results and discuss treatment options. Not gonna happen. The biopsy was negative and the surgeon wouldn't operate until he knew for sure if it was malignant. So, I had another type of biopsy. Fine needle aspiration. The old fashioned kind that doesn't give them a lot of information regarding the type of cancer but will detect a malignancy.

Well, that one came back negative also. But my doctor is persistant. She's sure it's cancer so we schedule another type of biopsy. This one's a little harder on the patient, but she'll definately be able to get a good sample. She was right. Or maybe all the jabbing, poking and squashing was finally getting to me and my poor old black, blue, green, yellow with red puncture marks boob. The following day (which was last Wednesday) she called to let me know this time she got right in the center of the tumor and it was positive for breast cancer.

Needless to say, that dashed my hopes of it being a benign tumor. But I am glad she was persistant so now we can proceed with treatment. The tumor is very small, the doctor was quite complimentary regarding Brownie's ability to feel it, wondered if he'd like to come work in her office. Ha Ha