Blah, blah, blah

[dragonyphoenix]

“Why? Is there blood?” That's what I was thinking when the nurse told me she had to clean the room before taking me down there. I'd found lumps on my breasts, had the mammogram, and was waiting for my biopsy. (Not cancer so you don't have to wonder.) They didn't tell me until that day, which is impressively manipulative in my book, that they put a chunk of metal, called a marker, in my breast so they can locate the biopsy location again later.

So a week later, the biopsy is puffed up, more than the original lump was, and tender. Freaking out, I go back to the doctor, who tells me it's called hematoma (from her description it sounds like it's clots under the skin) and that it's part of healing. That was a relief, but I started feeling dizzy on Sunday and am still dizzy although considerably less so, and today the doctor's office called (I had a pap smear while I was there) asking me to call them back.

I should be ecstatic and all healthy, but now I'm just feeling depressed.

Comments

[diebirchen.livejournal.com]

I had a breast biopsy, and they marked it with a long needle inserted while my boob was under an X-ray thingy. I had non-dangerous cysts, but like you, I found the whole thing yucky. I mean, not nursing babies any more. The danged things are a bother, and I hate, hate, hate the boob smashing machine! Condolences!

[dragonyphoenix.livejournal.com]

Thanks. The actual biospy was easier than I'd thought it would be because the novacained me up. However, I was so stressed the week up to the biopsy that I had to take a three day weekend to recuperate!

[dragonyphoenix.livejournal.com]

Um, it was over a year after finding the first lump before I told my doctor. I'm sort of kicking myself over that now, since I could have known all that time that it wasn't anything to worry about!

I'm sorry to hear about your ex.

Thanks. I'm rather hoping it was the "we just wanted to let you know the results were fine" too!

[lemorttoussaint.livejournal.com]

Again, I'm really glad it wasn't cancer. My sister's a two-time survivor (not breast, but osteo-sarcoma in her knee), and it is truly the scariest experience ever. And that's as a close observer, not even as a patient.

One thing I learned from my parents as they were dealing with all of little sis's medical stuff was NEVER be afraid to call doctors/nurses to task for not explaining stuff adequately. Part of their jobs, which tend to be overlooked, is communication. Not telling you something is NOT cool. It is your right as a patient to know what the fuck they're doing to you, and their responsibility to explain. And sometimes, unfortunately, you have to really push to make that happen.

::off soapbox:: I hope you feel better soon, and that the doc isn't calling about anything serious! This recovery sounds pretty miserable.

[dragonyphoenix.livejournal.com]

I'm very glad it's not cancer myself! All the cancer so far in my family has been my parents' and grandparents' generations. *crosses fingers for my sister and all my cousins*

Oh, I can totally get on that soapbox as well. It was completely uncool of them not to mention it earlier.

Yeah, the recovery has been big with the misery. I was so worried about the biopsy, not the results but the actual procedure itself (well, lets so both the results and the procedure), that I needed a three day weekend to recover from the stress. Then I didn't realize 1) that these lumps are hemotoma and 2) that they'd take two to three weeks to go away. Now dizzy spells, which do seem to be going away, and worrying about what my doctor wanted.

I'm really hoping it's just "we wanted to let you know everything's OK from your pap smear." Part of me doesn't want to call, in case it's something bad, and part of me just wants to know.

Nice Cas icon, BTW.

[dragonyphoenix.livejournal.com]

They were calling with results from the pap smear. All is looking good! Now why they could not have said that on the answering machine, I do not know.