Breast Biopsy Day

Well, how do I sum up this day?  Most of the people that look at this blog are aware that today was the day for “the” breast biopsy.  Max and I arrived enough ahead of time to get some coffee and donuts before time for the scheduled appointment.  Needless to say things did not proceed on time and we were about 45 minutes late getting started.  I was a nervous wreck – not looking forward to the procedure.  I did manage some Black Eyed Peas Nano time which helped the time pass.  When the Radiologist finally started the sonogram, she was just not having any success with finding a good two dimensional shot of this “abnormal” tissue she was looking for.  The spot showed up well on the mammogram, but they wanted a better idea of the exact location for the biopsy.  After trying diligently for an accurate reading to be able to proceed with the biopsy, she said we would have to give up the sonogram and move on to Plan B (I was having a pretty difficult time completely understanding Plan A).  She then informed me that the “abnormal” tissue HAD to come out and the only other option was to perform an actual surgery.  She presented my choices as to see the surgeon either on Friday at 3:00PM or Tuesday at 10:00 AM (neither of which appealed to me since we were planning to leave for Cal City Friday around 3:30 PM and I would have Desirae with me on Tuesday).  Unfortunately (or as Max seems to think – fortunately) the Radiologist (very nice doctor – a bit intense, but very nice) was honing in on my hesitation connected to Cal City and having our grand daughter for two weeks and Cal City again and then Ireland for two weeks.  She left to make some phone calls and came back with an appointment with the surgeon for that afternoon at 4:00 PM.  Okay so we are in Walnut Creek and it is 12 noon – what to do? SHOPPING!  A little retail therapy never hurt anyone.  We went to Best Buy and picked up cases for our cameras and a computer program for Suduko.  We had lunch at Chevy’s and then browsed the Tuesday Morning store (which neither of us had ever been in before).  Tuesday Morning produced a very cool Betty Crocker Cook Book, a Sleep Book (different methods and ideas to help get good nights sleep) and some nice wooden puzzles.  We hit Target with the primary objective of wrapping up purchases for the grandkids birthdays – thank goodness that was very successful.

With our bellies full, shopping successfully completed and basically emotionally stressed and drained, we headed back to Kaiser for the surgeon’s appointment.  The surgeon and the radiologist were not exactly on the same page concerning this “abnormal” tissue.  The surgeon admitted she was not that good at reading x-rays, but did not feel this “pea sized abnormal tissue” was all that concerning, but at the same time she agreed that it did need to come out.  Hmmmm - concerned, but not really concerned, how to exactly find it (that would be more mammograms and sonograms), how to mark it (that would be with a pin with a hook on it stuck into my breast), when to take it (before or after my Ireland trip) – give me a break here!  I became a bit confused about this whole thing as the surgeon was explaining the surgical procedure and the two different outcomes – cancer or no cancer.

So here is the bottom line as we know it.  I go back on Thursday for additional mammograms (oh Joy – this will be the third set just on this one area). Hmmmm if I don’t actually have cancer now, are they trying to make sure I do with all the mammograms they are taking????????   These new mammograms will prove to the surgeon that the “abnormal tissue” does in fact exist and then the Radiologist and Surgeon will have to find time when they are both free to schedule a joint appointment where I will get YET another mammogram.  This mammogram will show them where to insert the above mentioned pin and hook, hopefully confirming it is in the correct location by the sonogram and then send me over to the surgeon who will remove the pin/hook and surrounding tissue.  I am still not clear on how they are going to confirm they were in the correct spot (I still have many questions to ask prior to this procedure taking place).  Then the tissue goes to the lab for analysis and depending on that finding the next step is not known.

Now just how fricking confusing was all that?????????????????????????  Yeah, and I was there for the whole day!  There you have it and I once more move back into the holding pattern of playing the waiting game.

Later . . .