Something new

[Candy]

Well, friends, this has been a tough week. Last weeks mammogram showed what they termed a calcification. Most of the time they are benign, but mime was viewed as suspicious, and "suggested malignancy". I had a consult on Monday with a surgeon, and yesterday, Thursday, had a stereotactic biopsy. It involves having a needle with a thin wire attached placed in the calcification's site while having a mamogram to mark the spot for the surgeon. Not real pleasant. Then the surgeon removes the tissue with the calcification. Now we wait until next week to find out the results. I am very sore today, althought the whole thing was a walk in the park compared to OHS! But still, I am so frightened, and so overwhelmed. I have always been so healthy (other than that pesky heart problem) and in shape. Now, I know that we don't know anything yet, but it is hard not to be afraid. I am almost 8 months post-op and feel so great. If I hadn't torn my stupid calf muscle 6 weeks ago, I would be dancing full force again, something I haven't been able to do for quite awhile.Yesterday when I got to the hospital, and it wasn't the same place where I had my Ross, I was flooded with memories. And they weren't good ones! It was so emotional.
Well, I needed to share, and would love to hear any input. Thank you for listening, yet again.
Love, Candy

 

[Phyllis]

Hi Candy,
I had the same scare this week of a repeat mammogram due to a calcification. After three different views, the radiologist decided that they are benign and I will have another mammogram in 6 months to be sure that they have not changed. I hope he's right! In researching the topic, I have found that many of the suspected malignancies turn out to be benign also on biopsy. I hope that this is the case for you. My thoughts are with you.
Phyllis

 

[geebee]

Candy,

I can understand how worried you must be and how disappointed to have this "setback" healthwise. However, most of these calcifications do turn out to be benign.

The one thing you have going for you is, having survived OHS and doing so well otherwise, you must be a very strong person. That strength will carry you through should this not turn out the way we would hope for you.

Once again, you find yourself in a "tough wait". Try to focus on smiling, music and the thought of dancing and the time will go fast. I have no doubt this will turn out positive irregardless of what the tests show.

I will say some prayers for you.
Gina

 

[Bryan B]

Candy,

My Mom had that same procedure done in January (including the same "suspicious" wording). Her results came back as benign. I know it's impossible to not fear the worst, but I hope you get the same results that my Mom got. There is nothing more frustrating than to get though heart surgery, recover, and then get smacked with something else just when things are getting back to normal. Hang in there and I'll say a prayer for good results!

 

[Candy]

Thank you, thank you for responding to my post. I am crying now while writing this response. I am always touched by the wonderful people here.
Phyllis- I hope your scare continues to be nothing at all!
Gina-Your kind words are reassuring, thank you for taking the time to write.
Bryan-My friend, as always you are there for me. I am so glad your mom is ok. I hope to be as lucky.

I am so frightened.
Candy

 

[geebee]

You are so welcome. I am just so lucky that my issues are so insignificant right now that I can spend my time trying to pass on assistance to others.
I wish I had this website while I was going through my surgeries and/or other challenges - it would have made things so much easier.
Keep us posted and keep smiling.
Gina

 

[Phyllis]

Candy,
I know how frightened you are. As my doctor's office said to me before going in for the repeat -"stay positive". I pray that you results will be benign and if not, remember that a calcification is a "very early" stage of breast cancer and aren't we lucky that we got our mammograms! Please be sure to post with your results and know that we are all here for you.
Best wishes,
Phyllis

 

[Nancy]

Hi Candy-

I know how difficult the waiting period is. As others have said, most of these things turn out to be benign. I was not so lucky, and have just finished chemo and will be starting radiation. I have mammograms every year and hope everyone else does as well. If I had let the mammogram go for another year or two, I would be in deep trouble.

Hoping that things are all benign.

 

[tobagotwo]

Pat has gone through this several times, and I think those mammogram people either don't realize how hard their statements are on their patients, or else they enjoy the drama.

She has had a lump removed, which proved to be benign, and has markers for that and a calcification that they biopsied and a few other scares. The markers are so the mammogram people won't go through their fire drill routine every time she goes there.

Obviously, mammograms are very important. Nonetheless, I hate the people who do them. They scare the crap out of everyone, then they make you wait days for the results.

Somehow, they always seem to make it so you have to wait over the weekend for results. Heaven forfend they not ruin what little time off you have with worry.

I sincerely hope it's just a scare for you, as it so often is. Please try not to let it make you crazy.

Best wishes,

 

[EVELYN]

Hi Candy.....

I, too, have been there twice before. This will be my third time. I had surgery this past February, had a mammo 6 months later and it read "probably NOT cancer...." Well, that's very encouraging, isn't it. Went back to the surgeon who assured me it was just a change in breast tissue, and gave me another appointment for a second mammo and sono and an appointment to see him in 6 more months. As my friend says, 90percent are benign.....I'd love to be the one to say don't worry, but you can't NOT worry. I'll put you in my prayers and hope you'll do the same for me.

Good luck and PLEASE let us know.

Evelyn

 

[Candy]

Wow, thank you all. All of your replies were great. I just finished sharing tham all with my husband, and he, too, is appreciative.
Nancy-I am so sorry to hear about your cancer. I have gone through it with a few friends, and it is far from pleasant. I hope that your support system is going full force! I wish you good health!
Bob-It sounds like Pat was really put through the grind. I will say that I was treated so well this past week. I am glad that the tech thought my initial picutres looked suspicious. She showed the doctor while I was still there, and had the additional x-rays taken right away, no 2nd trip. But I certainlly hope that the radiologist who read them was wrong!!!! My best to Pat.
Evelyn- You are gong through a lot, having to wait again and again. I will pray that they find nothing! In some ways I am glad mine is out. Hopefully, I won't have to think about it anymore. Gee, that would be nice.

Thank you all for the thoughts and prayers. As always, I will keep you in mind, and am very grateful.
Candy

 

[Phyllis]

Haven't heard anything from Candy in a while and I hope all has gone well for her. I just had my six month recall after they found calcifications on my last mammo and thank goodness, it came back "perfectly normal", but they put me through hell until I got the news. Had it on a week ago Tuesday. The doctor is suppose to have it in 2-3 days and the hospital is suppose to send a letter to me in 7-8 days. Having heard nothing, I called the doctor's office on this past Tuesday and the receptionist told me that the results were in, the doctor would not be in until Thursday and would call me as soon as she had a chance to "interpret" it. You can imagine, what I thought for the last two days. You are right, Bob, they "scare the crap out of everyone and they make you wait days for the result." Okay, I've vented!
Has anyone heard from Candy and did her radiation go okay?

 

[Mb]

Hello!

I've had four breast surgeries to remove growths. The first one was when I was nine. Left breast. I even remember the Dr. talking to my mother about a two stage process, and they speaking to me about maybe having to have a second surgery. It was benign. The next three were on the right breast. Fairly large growth, removed. Benign again. (precancerous cells was all!)
Started growing again with two months. Returned at 6 months and has the walnut sized thing removed again!!! Got a hematoma that didnt get absorbed, fainted at the office, and got that removed by a needed. One year later, another suspicious area on the mammo, near the nipple this time. Surgery a must! Had it done. Benign. Thank God.
It is great that they are so careful. Truly, stay positive. God be with you.
Marybeth

 

[csutherland]

Well, here's my 2 cents worth: I'm not trying to compare myself to you because I haven't had heart surgery, but let me reassure you about the breast thing. In Oct 2003 my mammogram took forever but I wasn't too worried because this had happened before. But this time at the end they said they were scheduling me for a needle core biopsy. I found that to be the worst of the procedures and you've already had that. Within a very few days I was informed that it was indeed something called DCIS. Microcalcification usually indicates the very earliest stage (stage 0 in fact). I was told that it would've been years before it developed into a lump. I saw a surgeon who told me something I hadn't realized though--mine was high grade. Consequently I decided to see an oncologist for his advice on lumpectomy vs mastectomy. He recommended lumpectomy followed by radiation, 5 days a week for 7 wks. It was the easiest thing. The lumpectomy was surgery alright, but easy to recover from and the radiation caused no ill effects. Then in Oct 2004 my other breast showed up with calcifications. The person who called me this time said it actually looked more suspicious than the previous year's had. I was certain it was a case of "same song, 2nd verse", but another needle core biopsy showed no sign of cancer.

I've said all this to say that things aren't always as they appear, and not all cases of early breast cancer are hard to deal with.

 

[Phyllis]

Glad all yours were benign too Marybeth. The first mammogram I ever had about 20 years ago, one lump showed up in each breast. Had the lumpectomy for both at the same time and they were benign. It's always such a great relief and although it won't stop me from having my yearly mammos, I wish they would find a better way to get the results to you quickly and that the receptionists would be more careful about the way they phrase things. When I had the recall, six months ago, the radiologist read them right there and then and told me that they looked like benign calcifications and to come back in 6 months to be sure. Hence, when the receptionist said the doctor had to interpret the results for this six month re-check, she kind of freaked me out.

 

[Phyllis]

Ceila, thanks for your encouragement and words of wisdom. I can imagine how frightened you were the second time. While waiting for the results, I had already convinced myself that this was the very early stage and I would deal with it- I wasn't a happy camper, but I was realistic. Now that the results are negative, I'm a much happier camper!

 

[Candy]

Hello Phyllis! I was so suprised to receive an email saying that this thread had received a reply. Thank you so much for caring about me. I haven't been here for over a month. My schedule doesn't allow too much computer time. I do miss everyone. I finished up radiation in January. It went ok, no burning, but I got very tired towards the end. That lasted a bit, too. I continued teaching the whole time. I started Tamoxifen shortly after and am dealing with side effects. I have major hair thinning, hot flashes, fatigue, and horrible muscle joint pain. That is the worst for me because it keeps me from dancing. I thought after I got my ticker fixed I would be able to dance again, nott only teach, but that isn't possible now. I did have a mammogram a acouple of weeks ago, and follow-ups with my oncologist and radiation oncologist this week. Thumbs up. It was suggested that if the tamoxifen stuff is too much, to go off it. I don't know if I can do that! so that's me.
Now, I am so sorry you went through so much with your mammogram. Man oh man, the waiting is so hard! I am glad yours was not something to be concerned about. That is the way it should be!
Gina and Evelyn- Are you tow ok? You were also supposed to have repeat mammograms. Any news?
It is good to be here. I have missed you all.
Candy

 

[Phyllis]

So glad to hear you are okay. My niece had radiation, chemo and tamoxifen. The chemo was rough (glad you didn't have to go through that) and the tamoxifen has caused her to gain a lot of weight, but she did not complain of any of your side effects. She just passed her five year physical with flying colors and is now off the tamoxifen. So sorry that you cannot dance at this point and hope that things improve for you and look forward to more posts in the future.

 

[csutherland]

Tamoxifen

Tamoxifen

Here I am again. I forgot to mention in my earlier post that I'm on Arimidex for 5 yrs. It was my understanding that Tamoxifen can lead to blood clots in some women. Since I've had big, bulging varicose veins since my twins were born in 1963 I was kind of scared of blood clots. The oncologist listened to my concerns and suggested Arimidex instead. The side effect of that is bone loss, so I take 1200 mg calcium a day, with bone density tests from time to time. I've had absolutely no side effects of Arimidex. It might be because I was already post-menopausal.

I don't know if a person could change her anti-cancer drug mid-stream or not.

 

[geebee]

Candy,

So good to hear from you and that things are going relatively well. Remember radiation is usually the best treatment for your type of cancer. The Tamoxifen is "just to be sure" and, if it causes too many problems, many oncologists will suggest stopping.

I had my follow up in April - all is well. Thanks for asking.

Take care and I hope you are dancing very soon.