NY 1009

My Gosh Ann,
of COURSE you can come and vent. I don't know how you've been managing it to this point! I'd be a nervous wreck for sure.
sometimes people aren't that understanding when they're on the other end. say if they were the patient waiting to hear back about their results.
one day they might be.
May I ask you what led up to the biopsy? where was the lump found? what symptoms if any? Did you have an ultra sound performed first and then an MRI of the breast? are you on estrogen? any family history or personal history?

I ask all these questions because I"m going through something right now that pertains to the breast. I'm 48, in surgical menopause due to total hysterectomy back in 2005 due to chronic ovarian cysts that just wouldn't go away and other things. no cancer.
two years ago I found 3-4 nodules on outer side of right breast that could not be picked up by ***** because it's mostly attached to the body rather than breast tissue. it can't be put onto the plate of the machine.
I even mentioned it to the technician. but no further testing was ever performed.
I then mentioned it to a breast dr. who told me it was just breast tissue.
but now 2 yrs later, one of them has grown, which I mentioned to my gyno dr when i went for a ck up of my breasts and annual exam that my right brst feels dense and different. I didn't even mention the lumps to her.
she sent me for an ultra sound because of the fact both of my sisters have had breast cancer, dad colon cancer and one aunt with breast cancer.

when technician was doing the exam I told her about the lumps and she put the wand over them and told me they're lymph nodes. My gyno called me 2 days later and referred me to a breast specialtist surgeon for her opinion on what to do.
dr. told me it's part of the breast tissue, then how come my left breast doesn't have them? PLUS they found another lymph node in the breast itself. which I never even knew it was there.
she told me I can go home, and if I wanted to, come back after I have my next ***** which is coming up this October, so she can compare the past two *****'s with it and the ultra sound to it.
I also took the time to fill out this six page form of family history and personal history of cancers and illness.
not realizing she hadn't read it all when I was there in the office.
so I thought I was in the clear.
I got home and about one hour later I got a phone call from the doctor herself stating she needs to talk to me. she said she entered my info into something she has plus her knowledge of her specialty and told me that 20% is high risk and that mine wound up coming up to 30% and that she wants me to get an MRI w/contrast of my breast and that she wants me to come back to see her in her office. she told me I don't have to hurry on the MRI but to get it done within the next month.
IF it's just breast tissue like she said, why go through all the trouble of getting the MRI when she feels everything is ok? am I just being paranoid?

I also have a history of having a large lymphnode that was removed under my jaw line, on my neck the same exact side where the nodes are enlarged and asked her if she feels it might be connected to that. her answer was "no".
My biopsy turned out to be "atypical follicular lymphoid hyperplasia".
my ENT thought amost 100% sure it was a form of lymphoma. he was so sure that when it came back negative from the hosptial lab that he had it sent to another lab just to make absolute sure they didnt' make a mistake.

the dr. kept calling my house telling me the biopsy results were not back yet and kept incontact with me during the waiting period. he used to scare the heck out of me every time he called me. it took WEEKS to get the results.
I will never forget how horrible it felt in that waiting period. I was irritable towards my children or if people interfered with my thought process.
I used to be off in a daze at times thinking about all that occured.
I was nervous! simply put.
anway,
it is now years later and I'm being told I have more enlarged lymph nodes and no one seems to be that concerned accept me!
I'm not feeling well, my health has not been well for at least two years, I'm losing weight, having bone pain and joint pain, no appetite, being tested by rheumy dr for an autoimmune illness, etc.

many things on the list, but don't know anything at the moment.
so you see why I had questions to ask you?
I went on the board to see if there were any other woman w/enlarged lymph nodes in breast and what their's wound up being, but there are no posts with that situation.

thank you for letting me vent too.
so you see? it's only fair that you can come and vent about the situation you're in. I"ve been there and can totally understand what you're going through sweety. I really wish you the best outcome of this and pray that the biopsy comes back negative.

PLEASE keep us posted of your progress.

I mean it.

sincerely,

Linda