Core Needle Biopsy

" The Mammotome"
Device on left is what goes into breast
for vacuum assisted core needle biopsy.

Well, today I get my core needle biopsy.  This almost seems like the cart was put before the horse, but after looking at my sonogram and diagnostic mammogram films and examining me, Dr. Local Breast Sureon felt confident enough to already say I have Invasive Lobular breast cancer.  The doctor said the biopsy results should be in Friday or Monday.  I hope it's not another weekend of anxiety like last weekend waiting for my first appointment to see the breast surgeon.  I couldn't get to sleep last night.  How does that old song go?  "Tossing and Turning...!"  I took one of the Xanax Dr. Internist gave me for anxiety about 7:00 PM and went to bed at 9:00 PM so I would be good and rested for today.  I decided not to take my regular Tylenol PM (which is how I've slept at all this past week) because I was afraid I'd oversleep or be groggy this morning.  Well, I was still wide awake with anticipation around midnight and got up and took two Tylenol PM.  It took it ages to work.  Then, I woke up like a jolt around 6:30 AM thinking about it all again.  A friend that dealt with losing her dear husband to cancer the over the past few years just told me I need to ask for some Ambien so that I can sleep.  That will be on my to do list for today.  Okay, next paragraph will be after the biopsy at 11:30 AM this morning.

The vacuum assisted core needle biopsy went well.  Daughter, Michele, went with me.  She and I were alone in the diagnostic room being nosey and taking pics of their fancy Mammotome machine with our Evo's - ha!  They numbed the breast before they inserted the device - which they moved around to take tissue samples from several places.  My mass is irregular and large.  The doctor said the results should be in either Friday morning or Monday morning.  They know the agony of waiting, so they made me appointments for both days to come in and have the doctor go over the results and discuss surgery options - for whichever day the results come in first.  Doctor said an ice bag and Advil should provide comfort after the deadening is gone.

Meanwhile, I've put out an all-call for help to my friends to research the best breast cancer surgeon I can find in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.  A second opinion is always a must and I want to find a highly recommended breast cancer surgeon and oncologist.  This is going to keep me busy the next few days and weeks.

Well, I came home and started READING!  I bought the book "DR. SUSAN LOVE'S BREAST BOOK" because it was highly recommended by a couple of mastectomy survivors.  That book is 4" thick and I cannot wait to thumb through the chapters.  I am also reading "Hoda - How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee" - I am enjoying this book very much.  She has a great philosophy on Cancer and other things.  I also got a couple of breast cancer books from the library I'll give reviews on when I finish them.  Also ordered from Amazon Michael Barry's "A Reason For Hope" - another recommended book for those facing cancer.

Well, I'm sitting in my cheetah print recliner in front of my picture window, looking at my garden patio, and drinking green tea as I read.   Later, good folks.....

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:  Hoda'ism:  "Life is funny, isn't it?  On one day everything is perfectly normal.  Then the next day comes and it all turns upside down."  - Hoda Kotb