At the Breast Imaging location, I needed to fill out all the same paperwork that is required for routine mammograms.
The diagnostic mammogram was pretty much the same as a routine mammogram - my breast was firmly squeezed while I stood in various awkward positions! - except they only looked at my right breast with the lump. I'm writing this months later, so my memory is a little foggy, but I think they also put a little sticker on the lump, like a marker to show where it is.
I returned to the waiting room until I was called for the ultrasound.
In the ultrasound room, I laid on my back with my right arm over my head. The technician squirted a warm gel on my right breast, and then went to work with the transducer. I could see the images on the screen, but of course I couldn't make any sense of them.
When the ultrasound was complete, the technician left the room to show the images to the radiologist. They both returned together, and the radiologist told me my lump was a sebaceous cyst. She explained that the cyst was in my skin layer, not actually in my breast, and it was not concerning. Phew! (I didn't know the word "sebaceous" at the time and had to Google it afterwards. Sebaceous cysts are basically non-cancerous cysts in the skin.)
The radiologist said sebaceous cysts sometimes will drain on their own - gross! - but that's a good thing. To promote the likelihood of draining, she suggested I use a warm compress on it a couple times a day, for a couple weeks. (Just wet a towel with hot water, squeeze out the excess water, and hold it on the lump until the towel cools. Repeat once or twice.)
She also said it's possible the cyst might get infected. In that case, it would be red and painful, and I should let my PCP know.
Finally, she recommended a 3-month follow-up ultrasound. I made that appointment at the front desk before leaving.
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