Another mammogram thread: good update in OP

[origami]

Hi. I read thru every mammogram thread I could find and they were very helpful! But I could use some reassuring words and possibly guidance.

I went for my first ever last week. Left boob is good, right has two adjacent masses obscured deep posterior 7mm. The earliest they can get me in for an ultrasound is mid May. I feel a way. But I can’t quite figure out what that way is.

I don’t have a family history on either side that I know of but my dad’s mom died young in a car accident so no idea for her. I know only ten percent of follow up cases turn into something but that’s little comfort when I’m reading about ten percent of mammograms need follow up.

So. I’m not sure what I’m looking for here but this is a good group of ladies who may have some advice on how not to spend the next six weeks worrying. And I don’t really want to tell anyone save my partner since it’s hopefully gonna be fine and I’m deeply private about medical stuff until I know what’s up.


Feelings. I have them.


UPDATE: I was able to snag a cancelation a few towns over (worth it) this morning. Everything is benign. Thanks for helping me process! American healthcare still sucks.

[thatgolfb]

I don’t have any guidance for you, just solidarity because I have my first mammo tomorrow (finally- I’m 38 and my mom was dx at 39 and I have asked for years) tomorrow. I am thinking of you and hoping for the best. ❤️

[AmyG]

Call back and ask if they have a cancelation list that you can get on.

Most likely it's nothing and you've caught that nothingness early on.
And it will all be ok.

[origami]

Mar 27, 2024 20:39:02 GMT -6 AmyG said:

Call back and ask if they have a cancelation list that you can get on.

Most likely it's nothing and you've caught that nothingness early on.
And it will all be ok.

Thanks. I’m on the cancelation list already but it’s Kaiser so they never call back. I’ll keep checking back though.

[bighair12]

Can you ask about surrounding locations? In our hospital system (4 locations), sometimes other places have sooner appointments if you are willing to drive a little bit.

I am sorry this is stressful. I would be stressed as well.

[origami]

Mar 27, 2024 21:16:51 GMT -6 bighair12 said:

Can you ask about surrounding locations? In our hospital system (4 locations), sometimes other places have sooner appointments if you are willing to drive a little bit.

I am sorry this is stressful. I would be stressed as well.

They offered up all the locations unfortunately.

[clairedunphy]

I’ve been through many mammograms, ultrasounds, MRIs and a biopsy because of a genetic mutation that put me at a super high risk of breast cancer. The first mammogram has a higher rate of callbacks because they don’t have any prior imaging for comparison. And callbacks in general are pretty common. I do think it’s criminal to schedule them so far out though because a callback is going to cause serious anxiety in pretty much everyone.

[AmyG]

Call/check your insurance to see if there are other places you can go for a breast ultrasound. Call those places and if they have openings have them send the referral there.

Like here locally we have banner imaging and simon med imaging and several other companies. insurance may cover more than one company while referral might be to just banner imaging. Near us the Simon med office often is less busy.

[roselab]

I had my 1st mammogram last year, and my ob really prepared me for them to need to do an u/s because for 1st timers they have nothing to compare it to and they want to be extra cautious and check out any possible spot or irregularity so they know off the bat what it is. She wrote a script for a u)s to begin with and recommended I go to a location she knew of and goes to herself where they do u/s the same day if you need one instead of scheduling months out (even though that location is private and not covered at 💯 or quite as convenient as the location down the hall from her office). I ended up not needing the u/s.
But my mom had her 1st irregular mammogram back in Nov, and didn't get in for an u/s till Jan. Turns out she did have a small stage 1 breast cancer. She just had a lumpectomy last week and is doing well, and the doctors weren't concerned with the wait time between Nov-now. It had not spread to the lymph nodes. I hope me sharing this isn't inappropriate or unnecessarily scary (my mom is in her late 60s). She had and is still having all sorts of feelings about it even though she was 'lucky' in her prognosis being so good.

[leahcar]

Do you have any standalone mammography centers near you? I scheduled my first mammogram with one of those companies- Solis. They have extra equipment onsite (like ultrasounds) and generally have much shorter TATs for everything as a result.

That wait period is so anxiety inducing; I'm sorry. If it helps at all, I was referred for ultrasounds twice long before 40 due to issues. Both times resulted in no further action from the follow-up.

[mapleme]

I had my first mammo a month or two again and had a call back for my right breast (my left breast was "unremarkable" which I find very amusing). The tech warned me about how common callbacks are, but I still felt all of the ways. Everything just felt "big." Fortunately my follow up was only a little over a week out. But I still have some feels because they could see the small mass in the follow up mammo, so they did an US and couldn't be sure that they were looking at the same thing in the US. But if it was the same thing it was nothing. So come back in 6 months. The nurse telling me all of this was clearly looking for some kind of reaction from me. Like fear or relief, but I couldn't deliver either because I'm just kind of stuck in a middle ground.

So, yeah, follow ups are big feelings.

[origami]

Thanks y’all. This is all very helpful.

Unfortunately my insurance is an HMO so I truly only have their options. Appointments are hit or miss every time I schedule. Like it’s tomorrow or next year but alas American healthcare is the tits.

[jorkzy]

origami like PP said, ultrasound post mammo is super common, especially in younger women. When I had routine mammo, they automatically scheduled me for US at the same appt. Don’t freak out until given a reason to - I know this is easier said than done. Hugs!

[jorkzy]

Mar 28, 2024 8:17:59 GMT -6 mapleme said:

I had my first mammo a month or two again and had a call back for my right breast (my left breast was "unremarkable" which I find very amusing). The tech warned me about how common callbacks are, but I still felt all of the ways. Everything just felt "big." Fortunately my follow up was only a little over a week out. But I still have some feels because they could see the small mass in the follow up mammo, so they did an US and couldn't be sure that they were looking at the same thing in the US. But if it was the same thing it was nothing. So come back in 6 months. The nurse telling me all of this was clearly looking for some kind of reaction from me. Like fear or relief, but I couldn't deliver either because I'm just kind of stuck in a middle ground.

So, yeah, follow ups are big feelings.

ugh sorry you’re stuck in the middle. Without trying to scare you, is there a way to advocate for biopsy over waiting 6 months for follow up? I had a similar story and it wasn’t nothing.

[gimmeaQ]

The fact that they found “something” and can’t do a stat ultrasound is absolutely criminal. Screw (US?) healthcare systems.

The odds are still in your favor. I just hate the system so much.



I’m typing this from the waiting room at my annual mammo.

[klw]

I'm sorry that you have to wait so long. One time, a nurse suggested that I call everyday within 30 minutes of them opening or at the end of the day to have a good chance of a cancellation.

[FlightView]

Like clairedunphy said, they don’t have a baseline to refer to and younger breasts are dense and hard to see thru mammogram alone.

Also I always chuckle like mapleme when they say my breasts are unremarkable.

*removed a blip to reflect accurate info*

I tested negative for both BRCA genes but because my mom, her mom and my mom’s sister all died from breast cancer at very young ages (my mom was 39) I get two mammograms a year and a breast MRI.

Call backs are common even for me, and I’m in federal health care for Alaska Natives so my wait time is 6 months. 😟 so I understand how it feels to wonder what your boobs are doing. I hope you can be seen sooner than later, and that the US helps create a baseline for the future.

[thatgolfb]

Boob squish twins today ::high five:: gimmeaQ

Also I agree. I don’t think I could wait 6 months to follow up if something came up even possibly abnormal. I would do my best to push to be seen sooner, although we (collectively) know that it could be fruitless because our system generally sucks.

[Bookshelves]

FlightView I think that’s actually a myth (I used to think the same thing); a father can pass down a gene mutation too. Unfortunately I had to do a lot of research on this because of several female relatives on my dad’s side with BC.

www.breastcancer.org/research-news/20101024

[FlightView]

Mar 28, 2024 13:31:14 GMT -6 Bookshelves said:

FlightView I think that’s actually a myth (I used to think the same thing); a father can pass down a gene mutation too. Unfortunately I had to do a lot of research on this because of several female relatives on my dad’s side with BC.

www.breastcancer.org/research-news/20101024

Oh now that I think of it, we probably didn’t discuss my dads side because there is no history of cancer 🤦🏻‍♀️ I’ll edit my post so wrong info isn’t just floating around all willy nilly. Thank you bookshelves!

[Bookshelves]

Mar 28, 2024 13:33:23 GMT -6 FlightView said:

Mar 28, 2024 13:31:14 GMT -6 Bookshelves said:

FlightView I think that’s actually a myth (I used to think the same thing); a father can pass down a gene mutation too. Unfortunately I had to do a lot of research on this because of several female relatives on my dad’s side with BC.

www.breastcancer.org/research-news/20101024

Oh now that I think of it, we probably didn’t discuss my dads side because there is no history of cancer 🤦🏻‍♀️ I’ll edit my post so wrong info isn’t just floating around all willy nilly. Thank you bookshelves!

I’m glad you brought it up anyway because it’s a pretty prevalent thought, and I wouldn’t have known either except fortunately my doctor mentioned it.

[thatgolfb]

FlightView it’s really interesting to see such different recommendations given in different places, or even the same place. rant ahead with TW regarding young diagnoses.

My mom was dx at 39, and she tested negative for the BCRA genes (thankfully). I started pushing for a mammogram when I was 34, before my last pregnancy, and kept hearing that it should still be 40. But then I have heard some docs tell their patients that they should start 10 years prior to their relative being diagnosed. My sister lives 4 hours away from me, has shittier health care options in her area than I do, but was given a referral when she asked at 34.

The diagnoses around me were getting into my head, so finally a few weeks ago, i messaged my doc (same one that last summer said it was okay to wait, different one than the one at 34), and was like… look. I want a mammogram. what do i have to do to get one? and he was just like, okay here is the info, with the link to set up an appt. like ????? I tried looking at recommendations based on peer reviewed data, and there is no consensus, and the data is still basically saying that there isn't any real evidence to support starting earlier, even with familial diagnoses. But so many docs do it and i would rather be safe than sorry. Coincidentally, the day after i set my appt up, Olivia Munn came out with her dx. our sons are almost exactly the same age so that got to me.

anyway, that's my rant for the day.

[Bookshelves]

thatgolfb I was like, no way is she 38, then I realized we have been posting together for a really long effing time. 😅

I am sorry you have had to jump through so many hoops for what should be basic access, and to everyone else upthread.

[thatgolfb]

Mar 28, 2024 13:42:30 GMT -6 Bookshelves said:

thatgolfb I was like, no way is she 38, then I realized we have been posting together for a really long effing time. 😅

I am sorry you have had to jump through so many hoops for what should be basic access, and to everyone else upthread.

11 years! We were babies back then. 😅

And yeah it’s wild to me. I live in an area with SO many options for health care. And yet so many roadblocks! Especially for something related to one of the biggest health care issues for women.

[MelanieCarmichael]

I'm nodding along to what's been said thus far in the thread.

It is incredibly common for them to have a callback for your first mammogram as they have nothing to compare your first scan to. It happened to me and they did an immediate ultrasound, which obviously threw me, but it was fine.

Only about 20% of those diagnosed with BC have any family history; most have none to speak of.

In roughly the past decade, the focus on just the maternal side has expanded to looking at both sides of the family tree, although not all doctors/practices follow this line of thinking and with my experience, I'd rethink a doctor who only wants to focus on the maternal side. As my doctor put it, you get 50% of your genes from your father's side so a thorough family history needs to include both. In my case, I have a paternal aunt who was diagnosed with BC at 44 and passed away at 46. That my father's sister had BC and was diagnosed before age 50 were both factors that elevated my lifetime risk factor such that I get mammograms and MRIs six months apart. BRCA was negative. A positive of having an elevated risk is that I get that extra testing and scrutiny and it's approved by insurance. I fully realize that not everyone, even in similar circumstances, has that approval, which is one of many frustrating things about our healthcare system. I had two scares with my 1st (age 43) and 3rd (age 46) MRI with ultrasounds, biopsies, a MRI-guided breast biopsy, and two lumpectomies, although thankfully, it was for benign papillomas that could have gone rogue if left alone.

I'm sorry that you have to wait 6 weeks for follow up as that is agonizing. Deep breaths, post here and stay off Google. Hopefully, they'll be a cancellation so you can get in sooner.

[jorkzy]

I said this in another thread I think, but BRCA mutations can happen in males too. My brother got tested after I got my results and he is + as well. We’re assuming it came from my mom’s side but wouldn’t it be wild if it’s my dad that has it, and my mom dying young of BC was just some terrible coincidence?

[FlightView]

I’m convinced my mom, grandma and aunt that died of breast cancer was the cause of contaminated soil in their village. My uncle died of leukemia too.

[mapleme]

Mar 28, 2024 9:10:21 GMT -6 jorkzy said:

Mar 28, 2024 8:17:59 GMT -6 mapleme said:

I had my first mammo a month or two again and had a call back for my right breast (my left breast was "unremarkable" which I find very amusing). The tech warned me about how common callbacks are, but I still felt all of the ways. Everything just felt "big." Fortunately my follow up was only a little over a week out. But I still have some feels because they could see the small mass in the follow up mammo, so they did an US and couldn't be sure that they were looking at the same thing in the US. But if it was the same thing it was nothing. So come back in 6 months. The nurse telling me all of this was clearly looking for some kind of reaction from me. Like fear or relief, but I couldn't deliver either because I'm just kind of stuck in a middle ground.

So, yeah, follow ups are big feelings.

ugh sorry you’re stuck in the middle. Without trying to scare you, is there a way to advocate for biopsy over waiting 6 months for follow up? I had a similar story and it wasn’t nothing.

If what they saw on the US was what they saw on the mammo, it was nothing. The only question is if they were looking at the right thing. They would have to identify the mammo thing vs the US thing to know what to biopsy. They were super thorough on the US (it took so long), so it feels unlikely to me that there would be a different thing that they missed in the US. 

[origami]

Update in op

[goldenbird]

I'm glad to hear everything is benign!!