121 replies to this topic

[nancykind]

anyone?

'cause this is JUST what i need to reduce my stress level!

[cj]

my friend irene has had to do this pretty regularly for the last 15 years or so, like every two. she says it is not the most comfortable thing in the world but that a tissue biopsy is worse than an aspiration followed by analysis of the fluid. good luck, nancy! i hope this goes smoothly and that it is just a cyst.

[mamapajama]

Nancy, they'll ship the fluid off to a lab, analyze the cells and tell you what is found in a few weeks or less. Try not to worry.

[nancykind]

so the 'biopsy' is just the analyis of the fluid? okay.... that makes sense i guess. thanks! do i want to get this done on monday when i leave tues for vibes or is it very uncomfortable afterwards and i "should" wait? (may not have a choice i'm waiting for the appt still)

[mamapajama]

Nancy, when I had mine, I had an excisional biopsy but, from what I have heard from others, you should feel fine within a few hours after a needle biopsy. I remember Special K here saying she had gone canoeing or something later the same day. It might help you to know that it is being figured out while you are at Vibes (vs. waiting) if you have that option.

[nancykind]

well. apparently i have both! the recommedation currently is an excisional biopsy at 6:00 on the right side and an aspiration at 10:00 on the right side. that 10:00 is about where my stabbing pain has been, although i haven't had it in a few months. the office appt with the surgeon is for the 26th and hopefully the procedures will be able to be scheduled for the 28th.

dr scalia couldn't get me in monday and i leave early tuesday....

Edited by nancykind, 15 July 2011 - 02:11 PM.

[Rionach aka Spec K]

Needle aspirations are a cinch - needle in cyst, extract fluid and sent off to lab or analysis. I did it on my lunch break from work. Took all of 5 minutes.

However, that same cyst eventually turned into a mass and needed to be removed - it wasn't a biopsy procedure, but a breat lump removal procedure. Went into hospital at like 5:00 am, got doped up on Valium, had the surgery at 7:00 am (I chose not to get knocked out completely and had a liquid valium drip instead)...not really sure how long the surgery took, but when it was over they wheeled me into a room where I slept for an hour or two and then they woke up and made me eat breakfast and shortly thereafter I was able to leave (I think I was out of there at like 12:30-1:00).

Mammapj - you have a great memory ! It was a gorgeous 80 degree day in March that day and I felt like I could go canoeing and suggested it to my then hubby...but I ended up lying on the couch and falling asleep for hours. Pain and discomfort afterwards was minimal - I took half the recommended dosage of the Vicoden they prescribed. I missed a total of 3 days worka I recall - mostly because Vicoden just made me so sleepy.

[nancykind]

vicodin makes me totally wired, i'll be asking for something else! sounds like i should take the friday off if they get me in for the 28th

[Karen]

(((Nancy)))

[TEO]

[kramer]

[mamapajama]

Special K, I remember a lot of what people said to me during my worries about biopsies. It's wild. 8 1/2 years ago now.

Nancy, being honest here, the excisional biopsy was a bit uncomfortable. My arm actually was more sore from that than a few weeks later when I had a lumpectomy and axillary disection. It was sore when reaching for a few days. I don't think I missed more than a day of work though for the biopsy.

Dr. Scalia was my surgeon. He is a great surgeon and has wonderful staff.

If you want to talk, ever, let me know. I will have a special hug for you next I see you. Seriously, try not to worry. And if you do, think of me...here, years later, doing great.

[LisaMarie]

I have had numerous needle aspirations and biopsies of my breasts over the past 20 years. I have extremely cystic breasts and the doctors need to check to be sure the lumps are not cancerous.

The doctors will always try a needle aspiration first to try and get any liquid out to analyze. For me, this always fails and then I end up getting a biopsy (surgery).

7 months ago my doctor did a "needle biopsy". She went in with a needle that has a cutting instrument attached to it and cut/extracted 4 corners of the lump to analyze. She did this with the help of a sonogram machine so she can see where to guide the needle. I had to put cold compress on for a day or 2 and my whole chest was wrapped up.
I could not do much for a few days .... so I think this is good that your appointment is for the week after Vibes.

I know you would have been relieved to know the results before VIBEs but try not to worry, this is all a routine procedure and you are being proactive about your health.

"The waiting is the hardest part"
Call me anytime if you wish to discuss further.
:heart::heart:

[nancykind]

scalia is also my surgeon too, i liked him very much when i first went to him two years ago. i didn't really want ANY dr's calling me at vibes this year for a change - they've called 3 years in a row now, some with better news than others. i might still get one call although i really doubt those results will be back this week.

LM - only one is recommended to be aspirated, the other is recommended to be taken out, right off the bat.

[georgi]

[nancykind]

thanks. little nervous - and this is only the consultation today.

[fire_rocket]

Good luck Nancy!

[vinandtonic]

[nancykind]

one needle biopsy, one aspiration biopsy, a week from today. it was an odd visit but too much to type. the excellent dr who made the initial recommendation is out for 3 1/2 weeks, but i'm not waiting, someone else will do it and i'm sure it will be fine. ernst. gotta go look up dr ernst.

[nancykind]

sooo, ended up with two core biopsies, no aspiration. i could watch the screen as they were doing them and the ladies at our hospital's breast center were wonderful. i'm a little sore still, and will be taking it easy on the kickboxing punches on the right hand side tonight, for sure.

both masses collapsed during the biopsies but they got 4 pieces out of one mass, and 2 or 3 pieces out of the other, before they did so. "bad things generally don't disappear like that", the dr. said. "if a piece is taken out of a tumor, the rest of the tumor would normally remain". so she was pretty confident that both masses are just complicated cysts, but the surgeon's should be calling on friday with final results. good indications thus far though.

[kramer]

woo!!

[TEO]

Fingers crossed for more good news.

[mamapajama]

[vinandtonic]

[nancykind]

if not today, hopefully tomorrow! my cell phone is glued right to me!

[JBetty]

[nancykind]

damn. different doctor called about the other issue. have appts for the 8th and 29th on that and i'm on a cancellation list in case they can get me in sooner than the 29th. damn damn damn.

and my cell phone holster just broke a few minutes ago so i've got that superglued and taped together, with a new one just ordered.

[JBetty]

[LisaMarie]

damn. different doctor called about the other issue. have appts for the 8th and 29th on that and i'm on a cancellation list in case they can get me in sooner than the 29th. damn damn damn.

and my cell phone holster just broke a few minutes ago so i've got that superglued and taped together, with a new one just ordered.

Yikes, to much doctor stuff this Summer for you.
Sending good vibes and positive thoughts your way.

[nancykind]

in for a penny, in for a pound....

the other issue is: i've had uterine cells showing up on my paps for the last year, and they are not supposed to 'escape'. i've been getting retested every 4 months and have had two endometrial biopsies. we finally thought we had it figured out and we fully expected this last test to come back okay. it didn't, so now i have to have an ultrasound and another biopsy. i will have the u/s done monday but can't get in for the biopsy until the 29th, not even if i go to the saratoga office (unless they have enough cancellations). no point in waiting on the u/s though. sooooo, that's the other issue. i can't believe how long it now takes for pap results to come back.

[nancykind]

breast biopsies = cysts, yay! continuing the yearly mammograms and u/s recommended, we won't discuss the fact that the results have been back since thursday and nobody let dr. scalia know. plus he gave the final word to the nurse first thing this morning and SHE hadn't called either. so dr. scalia called me back himself and was very apologetic.

had the other two u/s today, no biggie but you have to drink all this water for the external one, so it's a little uncomfortable by the time they're done. the internal u/s was only a little uncomfortable when they were looking at the ovaries. no indication from that nurse/tech person as to what she might have seen, she was much more poker faced and tight-lipped than what i usually run in to. usually i can get something out of them.....

and i've been peeing ever since they first allowed me to - at about 10:30 this morning!

[mamapajama]

I am glad your boobies are fine and just cysty. I hope your ovaries are fine too.

[nancykind]

i think so, they're more concerned about the uterus itself i gather. hope to get some info tomorrow or thursday....

[KittyRocks]

nancy you know you are on my mind and in my heart! keep us posted!

[Karen]

:heart:

[nancykind]

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, u/sound adds no new valuable to this issue info. i have 2 small fibroids in the uterine muscle which are considered harmless (though i'm now looking up info on those to educate myself) and not causing my issues, and a small cyst on the right ovary, also considered harmless and not causing my issues, lining is completely normal

got moved up to monday 3pm for the biopsy though, so that's something.

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

[TEO]

Glad to hear it is good news on the boobies.

[Erinisme]

yay for healthy boobies

sorry the u/s was useless. I hope there is an easy resolution to everything else as well

[nancykind]

it ruled out something, so that's good i guess. compiling my questions for monday.....

[fire_rocket]

Good luck on Monday, Nancy!

[TEO]

Hope all answers you are receiving are positive and/or easy to deal with.

[nancykind]

i hate endometrial biopsies. it may not last long but damn they hurt.

they did two yesterday, won't have results till late next week most likely. if these come back negative then that's good news of course, but we would also have no answers and no new info. so i asked for a hysteroscopy if that's what happens. we have a consult appt about that set for 9/1, after the results are due. it is day surgery and uses general anesthesia so it's not to be taken lightly but come on. it's been more than a year and we keep doing paps and biopsies, paps and biopsies and i just need something... different. i can't keep having the same thing done over and over again and these biopsies can miss 15% of cancers anyway. time to change the approach if we get nothing new.

[LisaMarie]

Thinking of you nancykind, wishing all goes well.

[cj]

ugh... went through those type of procedures when doing fertility testing. not fun. they make me cringe just thinking of them! ((((nancy)))) you're right to ask for a hysteroscopy. no sense continuing painful testing that isn't telling you anything even though the problem is ongoing.

will they be doing the surgery laparoscopically? if so, have some kind of anti-gas antidote on hand to help speed your recovery. it helps a lot.

[nancykind]

cj, i will take ANY thoughts you can think of on the hysteroscopy. i was so sure that's what i wanted but now i'm freaking out a bit and we haven't even set any date yet - i have a consult for it scheduled for 9/1. is there another procedure i didn't think of that the dr. might suggest doing first, or doing instead? i'd like to be fully researched by the time i go to the consult and i was not a good researcher this past weekend - didn't look up a thing.

[KittyRocks]

nancy i did a quick google on hysteroscopy and i found this little page that i thought was a good intro. my favorite part of the blurb was where it says it doesnt hurt much at all, so i was relieved for you.

http://www.gynalternatives.com/hsc.htm

[cj]

yes, given that you are out for the procedure, you really won't be in any discomfort aside from the usual getting prepped for surgery thing. for me, the anticipation was worse than the recovery. the recovery was more about getting the gas out of my body than anything else. it rises when you sit up, and gets trapped (painfully) in your ribcage. so book a couple of days off to lay down, and take some gas x or something. it will really help.

as far as i can tell, this is the best way to see what is going on inside, and can give you the whole picture regarding your reproductive organs inside and out. given how much you have been tested, nancy, this seems like a logical step to me.

[nancykind]

and gas-x works even if the gas is somewhere other than in the intestines?

she's definitely talking the operative procedure so maybe their office isn't set up to do it "in house", that is possible. i think she does these on wednesdays, at least i know that's the day she's at the hospital this week. it would be a pain to take 3 days off so maybe i can get away with just two.... i'll do what i have to do though, i have a couple sick days left and personal/vacation time. blah.

[cj]

and gas-x works even if the gas is somewhere other than in the intestines?

i guess, eh? maybe it was coincidence that the gas decided to finally come out when i took the meds?

when i had mine, it was done on monday. i tried to go back to work on thursday and only made it to noon before i gave in and went home to lay down again. by friday evening, i was at red hook -- probably not the best thing to do that weekend but i was young and

[nancykind]

well that's something to ask about, anyway. wow, that's a lot of time to recover, thanks.