It was August 6, 2018. Its biopsy day. I did what we all do and looked up the procedure online. Whoops! Now I’m like a little kid, scared of the doctor. My husband went with me to “hold my hand”. You see I am deathly afraid of needles. I hyperventilate and break into sweats. Many years ago I used to pass out when I got shots. I am the woman who went through child labor multiple times naturally because I was too afraid of an epidural. And yea that hurt! 🙂
So, what happens in a breast biopsy? The doctor inserts a hollow needle while using an ultrasound as his guide until he reaches the mass. He then inserts what looks like a microscopic harpoon into the hollow needle. It shoots out and takes a cope sample of the mass. My doctor took three core samples. After the samples are taken the doctor attached a very tiny metal clip at the mass so they know where the sample came from. I am now tagged.
This procedure doesn’t require stitches. Just a bandage I am told can be removed that evening. I was told I can use an ice pack to help with swelling.
The samples are sent out to a lab to find out is it is indeed cancer. If it is cancer there is a report that tells you what they were able to figure out about what type of cancer it is. I didn’t know then, but there are multiple types of breast cancer.
During this procedure my husband was just patting my leg, because he couldn’t actually hold me hand since he would have been in the doctor’s way. He watched it all and was amazed. He said on the ultrasound screen it looked like a fisherman shooting a harpoon. I on the other hand had my eyes closed while I tried to remember to breath and not pass out!
Once it was over and I was dressed the doctor said it can take a week to get the results. Just great… more waiting. My nerves were shot. But life continues. Work, bills, day-to-day living do not stop. I go home to wait, work and pray
Breast Cancer Life 