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Did you get to see the petri dish with your core samples? THAT was rough!!! I'm not that sore but after seeing that I just feel weird all around. Two things I wish they'd mentioned in advance: the need to wear a sports bra for a day (I would have put one on this morning instead of having to change when I got home) and the fact I now have a titanium marker in me. After getting mercury fillings removed a year ago, I wasn't happy about putting a different heavy metal in my body
Yep, I saw it. The biopsy really wasn’t that bad. They told me to wear a sports bra for at least 24 hours, ice for 30 minutes of every hour yesterday and take Tylenol if I had pain. So far not really any pain and a very small bruise more than covered by the steristrips. It’s the nerves that are killing me.
Of course I looked at them, but I'm a field biologist...just HAVE to peek! I'm not squeamish...I've seen a lot worse things and had to pick some of them up off the ground. Hold on, I am squeamish about one thing. Marine mammals. As in washed up on the beach. As in assisting with a necropsy of a week dead, 30 ton, pregnant baleen whale. Epic, indescribable, multi-dimensional stink. Wading through calf deep unidentified you-don't-want-to-know. Burn-all-your-clothing and scrub-yourself-with-Chlorox-for-an-hour level grossness.
The whale's skeleton was cleaned, re-articulated, and is on public display outdoors. The process took more than 7 years. The bones still stink IMHO but bears, coyotes, foxes, and porcupines love them.
There. Feel better now?
Titanium is used because it's chemically a lot less prone to corrosion and it is more "biocompatible" with living tissue. Your marker is tiny...really really tiny. I have several, plus a 20+ year old titanium hip/femur implant. It doesn't worry me one bit and those can weigh up to 5 pounds! If you care to read through the verbiage, these might be of interest:
Thanks for those links! I know, I couldn't even see it in the container since I didn't have my readers on.
They were sitting right there and *I* had to peek. Took a pic too.
How do you feel? I feel heavy in that area and sometimes pinchy. Hopefully it's better tomorrow. I'm used to being sore from working out but this is different.
Thanks for those links! I know, I couldn't even see it in the container since I didn't have my readers on.
They were sitting right there and *I* had to peek. Took a pic too.
How do you feel? I feel heavy in that area and sometimes pinchy. Hopefully it's better tomorrow. I'm used to being sore from working out but this is different.
My recent stereotactic biopsies didn't bother me as much as the much older surgical one did. A lot less healing involved. Maybe achy overall for a couple of days, pinchy for one...they DID have to keep the tissue squashed for a longer time than the usual mammogram so consider what that meant for all the little nerves. Didn't really feel the incision after they were finished. Tiny local bruise. If it wasn't for the Steri strips I'd have forgotten about it after a couple of days. Sometimes its difficult to separate the mental "image" and expectation of what they did and why, from the actual physical symptoms.
My recent stereotactic biopsies didn't bother me as much as the much older surgical one did. A lot less healing involved. Maybe achy overall for a couple of days, pinchy for one...they DID have to keep the tissue squashed for a longer time than the usual mammogram so consider what that meant for all the little nerves. Didn't really feel the incision after they were finished. Tiny local bruise. If it wasn't for the Steri strips I'd have forgotten about it after a couple of days. Sometimes its difficult to separate the mental "image" and expectation of what they did and why, from the actual physical symptoms.
Ok so pinchy isn't in my head. I'm not removing the gauze till tomorrow so I don't know what it looks like.
I'm sure you're right about the mental image. First they described it in great detail, and told me what they were doing when, and then I saw the petri dish.
I was also FREEZING all day. I ended up turning the heat up and putting on my warmest pair of winter pants, otherwise I couldn't concentrate enough to work. BRRRRRRR
Anyone experiencing itchiness? I have a couple spots at the edge of the Steri strips that are a bit pink and itch. Maybe an allergy to the adhesive? Maybe I’ll dab on some OTC cortisone cream and see if that helps.
Anyway, one more day until I find out if “an area of slightly increased density” really means cancer in let’s not scare the patient speak.
I'm not itching yet. I had a really hard time removing the tegaderm this morning though. I'm not feeling pinching today either so that's all good.
Did you have calcifications as well? They said I had more this year, and a couple were "irregular" looking.
They didn’t say calcifications. They said “a small area of increasing density”. I’m assuming that was when comparing my most recent mammogram to the one last year.
In even more disturbing news, the report from my follow up mammogram just hit my online medical chart. It was rated BI-RADS 4 which is the level where cancer likelyhood increases. Biopsies done for BI-RADS 4 have a 30%-95% positive result for cancer. They didn’t include the A, B or C that indicate the percent of positive results. BI-RADS 4C results in a 95% positive rate for breast cancer while A is 30% and B is 65%.
At this point, I’m expecting to hear I have cancer at the appointment tomorrow. What I can’t decide is if I should tell DH about this latest news or let him spend the next 24 hours being positive it’s nothing.
Oh damn! I'm not even sure I have on online chart I can see at this place. I think I'd wait to tell your husband till you know for sure (that's my plan)
Oh damn! I'm not even sure I have on online chart I can see at this place. I think I'd wait to tell your husband till you know for sure (that's my plan)
He’s coming to the appointment tomorrow so we’ll find out together. What I dread most is telling my kids if I have cancer. They watched their uncle die from cancer a few years ago. The devastation to his family was awful. And his “kids” were in their 30s just like mine are. Didn’t make it any easier.
He’s coming to the appointment tomorrow so we’ll find out together. What I dread most is telling my kids.
Hang in there!
I made an account and can see the last few reports. My recent one says bi-rads 4 as well. It was 2 last year. I don't think they'd do a biopsy on a lesser one? Mine said I had a slight increase of calcifications.
Just about every person I talked to (my doctors) said this has a small chance of cancer. All I can do now is wait.
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I'm not squeamish...I've seen a lot worse things and had to pick some of them up off the ground. Hold on, I am squeamish about one thing. Marine mammals. As in washed up on the beach. As in assisting with a necropsy of a week dead, 30 ton, pregnant baleen whale. Epic, indescribable, multi-dimensional stink. Wading through calf deep unidentified you-don't-want-to-know. Burn-all-your-clothing and scrub-yourself-with-Chlorox-for-an-hour level grossness.
