I arrived early for my appointment, and had a pleasant exchange with another woman entering the Breast Center.
After changing into a hospital gown from the waist up, the first step was the ultrasound. I lay on my back with my right arm positioned over my head. The ultrasound technician looked at both locations without saying much. I asked her if she was able to get a look at the second lump. She said it was difficult to distinguish between the lump and the nipple, but she was able to see it.
We waited for a nurse to arrive. To my surprise, the nurse was the woman I had met walking in. She stayed with me for the rest of my appointment, her supportive bedside manner keeping me calm.
Meanwhile, the ultrasound technician had left, presumably to confer with the radiologist. When they returned, I was relieved to hear the radiologist say she would attempt to biopsy both locations. She said she wasn't sure if she could get samples from the second location, but she would try. (I have to say, this radiologist was so much more personable than the other two I had seen previously.)
As the radiologist came and went to prepare for the biopsy, the nurse explained that after the tissue samples were taken, the radiologist would insert a tiny titanium "clip" into each site, so each location would be easily identifiable for future reference.
The radiologist explained the biopsy procedure. A shot of Novocaine would provide local anesthesia. After that, I should only be able to feel slight pressure, no pain. The ultrasound would help guide the position of a "core needle," which would extract the breast tissue. I didn't dare look at the instrument for fear of getting queasy. Each extraction would be accompanied by a loud "click" sound, which the radiologist demonstrated so I would know what to expect. Finally, she told me that I should expect bruising afterwards.
The ceiling above me was designed and lit to look like a skylight through which I could see blue skies, wisps of white clouds, and colorful tree tops. I kept my eyes on this calming image while the ultrasound technician and the radiologist got to work on the first location, with the nurse standing by. The Novocaine shot pinched a bit, but then I didn't feel a thing when the radiologist extracted 5 samples.
After changing into a hospital gown from the waist up, the first step was the ultrasound. I lay on my back with my right arm positioned over my head. The ultrasound technician looked at both locations without saying much. I asked her if she was able to get a look at the second lump. She said it was difficult to distinguish between the lump and the nipple, but she was able to see it.
We waited for a nurse to arrive. To my surprise, the nurse was the woman I had met walking in. She stayed with me for the rest of my appointment, her supportive bedside manner keeping me calm.
Meanwhile, the ultrasound technician had left, presumably to confer with the radiologist. When they returned, I was relieved to hear the radiologist say she would attempt to biopsy both locations. She said she wasn't sure if she could get samples from the second location, but she would try. (I have to say, this radiologist was so much more personable than the other two I had seen previously.)
As the radiologist came and went to prepare for the biopsy, the nurse explained that after the tissue samples were taken, the radiologist would insert a tiny titanium "clip" into each site, so each location would be easily identifiable for future reference.
The radiologist explained the biopsy procedure. A shot of Novocaine would provide local anesthesia. After that, I should only be able to feel slight pressure, no pain. The ultrasound would help guide the position of a "core needle," which would extract the breast tissue. I didn't dare look at the instrument for fear of getting queasy. Each extraction would be accompanied by a loud "click" sound, which the radiologist demonstrated so I would know what to expect. Finally, she told me that I should expect bruising afterwards.
The ceiling above me was designed and lit to look like a skylight through which I could see blue skies, wisps of white clouds, and colorful tree tops. I kept my eyes on this calming image while the ultrasound technician and the radiologist got to work on the first location, with the nurse standing by. The Novocaine shot pinched a bit, but then I didn't feel a thing when the radiologist extracted 5 samples.
The second location near the nipple was more difficult, and the radiologist had said she would try to get at least 2 samples. With the "click" of the first extraction, I flinched. I could actually feel it. It wasn't painful, but also not painless like the extractions from the first location. The radiologist checked with me to make sure I was okay, and then continued. She was able to get I think 4 or 5 samples from the second location as well.
Just as the radiologist finished with the second location, I felt a flow of blood run from the middle of my right breast down the outside of my torso. Yikes. The radiologist quickly put pressure on the area, then the nurse took over. I lay with the nurse putting pressure on the second location for quite a while before the location was covered with steri-strips and a band-aid.
With the biopsy finished, and the titanium clips inserted, the ultrasound technician took some more ultrasound pictures. As a final step, I would also need to get a "soft" mammogram of my right breast, meaning a mammogram in which the breast is gently positioned, but not squeezed.
Before taking her leave, the radiologist mentioned that I should come back for another ultrasound for my left breast, because the MRI showed "something" in the left breast, too. (To date, all diagnostic mammograms and ultrasounds were only on my right breast, where the two lumps are located.) This was the first time I had heard anything about my left breast, and to be honest, the idea that I had to come back yet again for yet another test was overwhelming.
The nurse had me sit up slowly in stages, first with my feet still on the table, and then with my feet hanging over the side. Just as the nurse asked me if I was ready for the mammogram, I started to feel queasy. Then I felt very warm, and a little foggy. The nurse had the mammogram technician get me some water and Teddy Grahams, then some ginger ale and saltines. After a while, the feeling passed. The nurse said "hot flashes" are a common reaction to Novocaine, and apparently I got a lot of Novocaine.
Once I was feeling better, the nurse gave me written instructions for how to handle the biopsy recovery. She said she would call me the next day to check in, and she would call again in 3-5 days with the biopsy results.
Then I went with the mammogram technician to get the "soft" mammogram.
Lastly, the mammogram technician left me briefly, and then came back with my appointment date and time for another ultrasound. They would look at both breasts, presumably just a follow-up for the right breast. She mentioned the idea of doing the ultrasound the same day, but then said everybody thought I had been through enough, and it would be better to come back another day.
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