Let's Talk Boobs: Core Needle Biopsy Fun

Today's post is a bit different. I wasn't sure if I should write it mainly because I didn't know if anyone would read it. Then I thought screw it, even if you guys don't read it it will still be on the interweb and it may help someone. As someone who goes to Doctor Google(I know I shouldn't!!!!), I know this would have made me feel better. If you are gonna go to doctor Google, at least I can offer you a not so scary tale.

So back story, last December while trying to sleep I had some pain in my boob. I thought it was my bra(Yes I sleep in it. That is how I roll!) digging into me. But when I felt around it turned out to be a lump.

Now when it comes to health issues, I am super paranoid. If something like that shows up it NEEDS to be looked at asap. So I went to a walk in clinic as my GP does not work over the weekends. She said she thought it was a benign tumor called a fibroadenoma, and she sent me for an ultrasound. The results came back as we are pretty sure this is what this is. Let's check it out again in 6 months.

7 months later I got a second ultrasound, and the walk in clinic doctor said that it had grown rapidly in the past 2 months and they want to do a core needle biopsy, just to make sure it was for sure what they thought it was. And she told me not to worry. Then she asked if I had been on my period at the time of the ultrasound, I told her yes. Apparently the kind of lump they thought it was has a tendency to grow during that time of the month. Then she sent me on my way with a requisition for an appointment.

So after that appointment I actually got in contact with my GP. I really didn't like the walk in clinic doctor(and I had no idea that when you go to a walk in clinic THAT doctor is put in charge of all your tests and nothing gets sent to your GP unless you ask). Despite having all my info in front of her she got my info wrong. Not only that but you would think the place I got the ultrasound done would have asked if I was on my period seeing as that is an important factor!

So my GP then sent a new requisition out the the hospital I go to if I need to go to a hospital. I got an appointment 2 weeks later. I had to cancel that in the end and I was scheduled a new appointment for 2 weeks after that.

The day of the appointment I took a T3 and I brought the Boy with me, because if I brought someone like my mother she always makes me feel even more nervous(It may be because she was a nurse). Anyways I got in at around 9:40 and they made me take everything off from the waste up, and put a gown on. Then I got to wait for another hour even though my appointment was at 10. So I went in at 11-ish and then I got to spend another 15 minutes reading a page I had to sign. Finally the guy doing the biopsy came in, they prepped me and then numbed my boob. It kind of felt like the needle you get when you go to the dentist. Then he marked off where they were going to make the incision. My first thought was "No one said they were going to cut me" and my second thought was "The lump is on the other side of my boob...You are going to skewer me, aren't you?". So they way the biopsy works is they stick a large needle in you, and that needle contains another needle that shoots into the mass and removes tissue. They took 3 samples from me, but I read of other people having more. I also read how this was wicked painful for some people. I can safely say it did not hurt at all, but it was super uncomfortable.  There was a lot of pressing and pulling going on and it didn't feel great, but it didn't hurt.

When it was all said and done they made me put pressure on the incision for a few minutes to stop the bleeding. They then just put a Band-Aid on it and told me to leave it on for 24 hours. When I left I got some acetaminophen to take and went back to the boys place. By the time we got back to his place I went to the bathroom and I noticed that I had totally bled through the Band-Aid and my bra. I ended up having to tape gauze over it(That's all the Boy had). I continued bleeding on and off for about 2 days. Overall I wasn't in pain, but it did hurt to do thing like lift my arms in the air, or pick up heavy stuff. I also could not lie on my stomach for almost 3 weeks.

I got the results back 2 weeks later, and it turned out it was what they had thought it was and it was indeed benign. My doctor says if I want I can get it taken out. I'm going to try and get another ultrasound in the new year and see if it is smaller. If it is I think I'll just leave it be for now. If it's grown or it start to bother me a lot I will for sure get it out.

Again I know this was a different and long kind of post, but I hope it made someone feel a little less worried.

Now for something I little less worrisome. A Pugicorn!