Of course I immediately called my doctor and made an appointment to see her the next day. As she lifted my paper gown, she commented that she can see the lump on my breast. Her immediate comment was, "it is probably just a cyst". She recommended an ultrasound to be sure.
One week later, on Wednesday, June 20 I returned to the doctors office for an ultrasound. To be honest I was focused more on my upcoming vacation than the mass in my breast. I had read somewhere that 80% of lumps found by women who perform breast self exams are nothing. Also, breast cancer does not run in my family. Both of my grandmothers had it post-menopause, in their 70's, which puts them in a different category. There is no way this was something serious, but I told my parents what was going on and invited my husband to my ultrasound appointment just in case.
Two hours later the head of mammography called me to tell me that the mass in my breast was solid and not a cyst. She asked if I would be available to meet with a surgeon. She had already made an appointment for the next day.
On June 21 I arrived at the surgeon's office with ultrasound films in hand. I wasn't really sure what to expect, and was trying to distract myself by thinking about vacation. After all, going to surgeon's office meant that some sort of needle or incision was in my not too distant future, and I was not looking forward to it!
Upon investigating my lump and viewing my ultrasound films, my surgeon looked at me squarely and said, "I can't rule out cancer." He explained that I needed an ultrasound guided core biopsy, and set me up with an appointment at the Breast Care Clinic at the hospital for the next morning.
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