Marguerite
Active Member
No stitches, just a packet full of steri-strips. I was told I can take it all off tomorrow morning. I probably could have taken the dressing off this afternoon, I did think about going to the beach but decided to be a good girl. Besides, I'm feeling a bit shaky and decided to stay put, skip the beach. Maybe tomorrow - it depends.
In one way, having it all happen so fast gave me no time to panic. Plus they have kept insisting - they get a lot of call-backs, the majority are benign. And I only have to wait until tomorrow afternoon to find out if they need to do anything more. And if they do - well, these days, there are a lot more choices.
A friend of ours was diagnosed with a very aggressive breast cancer, plus when they did the surgery and also took out lymph glands, they found that of the 22 or so lymph glands they took, 18 were positive for cancer. Not looking good, doctor friends of ours quietly shook their heads and one said, "She's dead; she just doesn't know it."
I remember she began chemo at about the time of the Sydney Olympics.
She's still with us, and apparently cancer-free. She goes for regular tests but has been really well (ie over all the treatments etc) for well over 5 years now.
So I'm not worried. Really. This is not me protesting too much or anything. Maybe I'm just too tired to worry. I'm more curious than anything. I'd rather not have to go through chemo or radiation, because I tend to react badly to a lot of medications anyway, but whatever happens, happens. The lump is there; it is whatever it is. That's not going to change in 24 hours.
As for soreness - it was a bit sore at the time (not too bad - the local didn't hurt as much as I expected it to, the second bigger biopsy needle was a bit uncomfortable but it was momentary). It's fairly right, now. A bit sore if I press over the area and they warned me that there would probably be a bit of deep tissue bruising, although I can't really feel any right now. But they pumped a lot of local in there, not just on the skin but deep inside. So I suspect it might be a bit more sore by morning.
I was really impressed - the people were lovely, all female and all highly qualified. Very efficient, very kind and supportive but also good at reassuring us to relax and not worry. This is a "BreastScreen" clinic plus plus, although they do the basic BreastScreen mammograms, this particular clinic seems to be more specialised again in that it deals directly and efficiently with the call-backs. So they're expert at exactly tis scenario.
Tomorrow there will be people there prepared to support, counsel and advise women who have to face a "malignancy" diagnosis from the pathology.
My niece has been through this, as well as the friend I mentioned. Apparently there are a whole range of services which kick in for support. Not just emotional support, but support with prostheses, with cosmetic procedures, with support at every level both practical, physical and emotional. All neatly dovetailed to just happen when they're needed.
I'll update tomorrow afternoon my time.
Marg
In one way, having it all happen so fast gave me no time to panic. Plus they have kept insisting - they get a lot of call-backs, the majority are benign. And I only have to wait until tomorrow afternoon to find out if they need to do anything more. And if they do - well, these days, there are a lot more choices.
A friend of ours was diagnosed with a very aggressive breast cancer, plus when they did the surgery and also took out lymph glands, they found that of the 22 or so lymph glands they took, 18 were positive for cancer. Not looking good, doctor friends of ours quietly shook their heads and one said, "She's dead; she just doesn't know it."
I remember she began chemo at about the time of the Sydney Olympics.
She's still with us, and apparently cancer-free. She goes for regular tests but has been really well (ie over all the treatments etc) for well over 5 years now.
So I'm not worried. Really. This is not me protesting too much or anything. Maybe I'm just too tired to worry. I'm more curious than anything. I'd rather not have to go through chemo or radiation, because I tend to react badly to a lot of medications anyway, but whatever happens, happens. The lump is there; it is whatever it is. That's not going to change in 24 hours.
As for soreness - it was a bit sore at the time (not too bad - the local didn't hurt as much as I expected it to, the second bigger biopsy needle was a bit uncomfortable but it was momentary). It's fairly right, now. A bit sore if I press over the area and they warned me that there would probably be a bit of deep tissue bruising, although I can't really feel any right now. But they pumped a lot of local in there, not just on the skin but deep inside. So I suspect it might be a bit more sore by morning.
I was really impressed - the people were lovely, all female and all highly qualified. Very efficient, very kind and supportive but also good at reassuring us to relax and not worry. This is a "BreastScreen" clinic plus plus, although they do the basic BreastScreen mammograms, this particular clinic seems to be more specialised again in that it deals directly and efficiently with the call-backs. So they're expert at exactly tis scenario.
Tomorrow there will be people there prepared to support, counsel and advise women who have to face a "malignancy" diagnosis from the pathology.
My niece has been through this, as well as the friend I mentioned. Apparently there are a whole range of services which kick in for support. Not just emotional support, but support with prostheses, with cosmetic procedures, with support at every level both practical, physical and emotional. All neatly dovetailed to just happen when they're needed.
I'll update tomorrow afternoon my time.
Marg
You know what I mean!
