Tuesday
Mar022010
The biopsy
Tuesday, March 2, 2010 at 11:10AM
I don't know who out there will care to read the details of this, but I'm the kind of person who likes to know what to expect going into something, so maybe this will help someone else someday.
I've gotta be honest, it was worse than I expected. Not worse than the worst thing I imagined, but worse than I realistically thought it would be. Here's how it went down. I got to the Cancer Center at 7:30 and I was called back by 7:45. I was shown to a small room to change into a gown - this time the gown was long and tied in the back, but I got to keep everything on below the waist. After a short wait, I was called back to have my vitals taken, then I waited until I was called to the exam room. There a technician, Ann, who was incredibly wonderful by the way, unbuttoned the left sleeve of my gown to expose my breast. It was nice that I got to stay mostly covered.
Ann did an ultrasound to locate the lump. That part was totally painless and no big deal. She explained the procedure - the doctor would numb my breast, then insert an outer needle, then use a smaller needle to extract the tissue. He'd do that a few times and that would be it. Hearing that, I honestly thought this was going to be ok, I thought I'd be fine.
When the doctor came in, he was very kind. He looked around using the ultrasound wand, which didn't always feel great when he was pressing on the lump, but no big deal. After about 5-10 minutes of this, the doctor and technician began making preparations. They used a regular plastic straw to make an indentation on my skin where the needle would be inserted, then they sterilized the area they'd be working on. They gathered all their materials while I laid on the bed and tried to relax. The doctor got the ultrasound wand in place, then said, "Ok you'll feel a little pinch and some burning."
Ok, so I thought the numbing part would be a poke, ONE POKE. I had prepared for a single poke. Poke and done. No no no. It was more like poke, poke, poke, POKE, POKE! POKE POKE POKE!!! I was very uncomfortable and wasn't breathing well. Ann kept asking if I was ok; I just nodded my head and kept my eyes closed. I honestly thought he'd never be done, but finally, blessed relief, he pulled the needle away. They were both very concerend about me, saying I had lost my color and didn't look ok. Ann moved the top of the bed down to get blood back to my head, and told me to take it easy and breath.
After a few minutes, when I had regained composure, the doctor demonstrated for me what the extraction needle would sound like. He used the word "vacuum" more than once, so I got really scared, but I think it was more like a spring-loaded mechanism. It clicked twice and sounded like a mousetrap. Apparently at this point he made a small nick in my skin and inserted the outer needle, but I felt nothing. However, I still wasn't breathing well. I got really lightheaded and weak. Ann got me a wet washcloth for my face at one point.
Here's the thing, it took a long time. I had asked Ann how long it would take once the outer needle was in, and she said about 5 minutes. This is what I had mentally prepared for. It took much longer! I think he had a little trouble getting the samples he wanted. I could feel the pressure of the wand and his hand moving around and it made me feel really queasy. No sharp pains, but the sensation was unpleasant. He'd adjust for a few minutes, then say, "You'll hear a click in 1, 2, 3." *Click" "And another in 1, 2, 3." *Click" The clicks were fine, no pain, but it's strange to know what that click means.
Then the doctor would pull the inner needle out, which I saw briefly in the corner of my eye. Actually I didn't see the needle, but I saw that it was attached to a small handheld machine. Anyway, he put the sample in a specimen cup, then repeated the whole process. Each time it took what felt like 10 minutes, but was probably realistically 3-4. The whole time he was doing this, the doctor and Ann were chatting. Just small talk stuff that I think was supposed to distract me, but I was totally focuses on not freaking the fuck out.
When he went to get the third sample, suddenly I felt something. It wasn't incredibly painful, but he saw me flinch, and I explained that I was feeling more than I had the last two times. He insisted I must feel NO PAIN! and immediately gave me more Lidocaine to numb my breast. By this time I'm barely holding it together. It's just hard to stay calm for that long when you're uncomfortable, even if there is no real pain.
He took a third and fourth sample, and said he was done, but then realized the last extraction didn't actually get a sample, so he had to do a fifth. Then finally, sweet Jesus finally, he said he was done. But he still had to insert a small clip to mark where the samples were taken from. Ann had shown me earlier what it looked like. It was a teeny tiny piece of metal shaped like a breast cancer ribbon. I didn't feel that happening either.
Then he pulled the needle out and I felt so much relief. I felt like I was breathing for the first time in about 30 minutes. Ann put pressure on the injection site for five minutes. It was a little uncomfortable because she was pressing down on my breast, but she and the doctor talked to me the whole time. The doctor gave me his card, said a kind farewell and left the room. Ann helped me sit up, got me a cup of water, then put steristrips on the injection site. I was still feeling really weak, so she had someone come in with a blood pressure cuff to make sure I wasn't going to faint when I stood up.
I had to walk to the mammogram room, and Ann just took two films - one from the top and one from the side - to have evidence of where the metal clip was. She only had to close the mammogram panels about halfway, so no pain. She dressed the wound and I was lead back to an exam room, where a nurse took my vitals again, redressed the wound, and explained how to care for it over the next few days.
I have a refreezable ice pack I can use inside my bra today, and I can take Tylenol for any discomfort. I took some when I got home and some more four hours later. I've only felt slight discomfort. I can't get it wet for two days, and I have to take it easy for at least 24 hours.
I arranged to work from home today, and thank god. By the time I left the hospital, I was almost crying and I was completely exhausted. Holding yourself together for that long is emotionally draining, and I felt on the verge of tears for about an hour afterward. I got home and laid down for an hour. Some women I'm sure can skip out of there and go about their days, but I needed to recompose myself first. I feel fine now. I've been using the ice pack, taking the Tylenol, and being gentle around my left boob.
I think the hardest part is that I was unprepared. I thought it would be pretty easy and fast, and I was not mentally prepared for what it really was. Anyone with more experience with medical procedures would probably think this was no big deal, but for me it was more of an ordeal than I had bargained for. All in all, I was there for two hours. Two hours of holding my shit together! As far as the actual procedure, I'm sure time was warped for me, but from the time the numbing needle went in till the time the extraction apparatus was removed, I'd say it was about 15 minutes. Though I almost said 30 because it felt like an hour, so that seemed generous!
The doctor was pretty confident that the results will come back with nothing to worry about, but I won't know for sure for 2-3 days. I really hope everything is ok because a) obviously I just do! and b) I don't think I can handle any more procedures for awhile.
I've gotta be honest, it was worse than I expected. Not worse than the worst thing I imagined, but worse than I realistically thought it would be. Here's how it went down. I got to the Cancer Center at 7:30 and I was called back by 7:45. I was shown to a small room to change into a gown - this time the gown was long and tied in the back, but I got to keep everything on below the waist. After a short wait, I was called back to have my vitals taken, then I waited until I was called to the exam room. There a technician, Ann, who was incredibly wonderful by the way, unbuttoned the left sleeve of my gown to expose my breast. It was nice that I got to stay mostly covered.
Ann did an ultrasound to locate the lump. That part was totally painless and no big deal. She explained the procedure - the doctor would numb my breast, then insert an outer needle, then use a smaller needle to extract the tissue. He'd do that a few times and that would be it. Hearing that, I honestly thought this was going to be ok, I thought I'd be fine.
When the doctor came in, he was very kind. He looked around using the ultrasound wand, which didn't always feel great when he was pressing on the lump, but no big deal. After about 5-10 minutes of this, the doctor and technician began making preparations. They used a regular plastic straw to make an indentation on my skin where the needle would be inserted, then they sterilized the area they'd be working on. They gathered all their materials while I laid on the bed and tried to relax. The doctor got the ultrasound wand in place, then said, "Ok you'll feel a little pinch and some burning."
Ok, so I thought the numbing part would be a poke, ONE POKE. I had prepared for a single poke. Poke and done. No no no. It was more like poke, poke, poke, POKE, POKE! POKE POKE POKE!!! I was very uncomfortable and wasn't breathing well. Ann kept asking if I was ok; I just nodded my head and kept my eyes closed. I honestly thought he'd never be done, but finally, blessed relief, he pulled the needle away. They were both very concerend about me, saying I had lost my color and didn't look ok. Ann moved the top of the bed down to get blood back to my head, and told me to take it easy and breath.
After a few minutes, when I had regained composure, the doctor demonstrated for me what the extraction needle would sound like. He used the word "vacuum" more than once, so I got really scared, but I think it was more like a spring-loaded mechanism. It clicked twice and sounded like a mousetrap. Apparently at this point he made a small nick in my skin and inserted the outer needle, but I felt nothing. However, I still wasn't breathing well. I got really lightheaded and weak. Ann got me a wet washcloth for my face at one point.
Here's the thing, it took a long time. I had asked Ann how long it would take once the outer needle was in, and she said about 5 minutes. This is what I had mentally prepared for. It took much longer! I think he had a little trouble getting the samples he wanted. I could feel the pressure of the wand and his hand moving around and it made me feel really queasy. No sharp pains, but the sensation was unpleasant. He'd adjust for a few minutes, then say, "You'll hear a click in 1, 2, 3." *Click" "And another in 1, 2, 3." *Click" The clicks were fine, no pain, but it's strange to know what that click means.
Then the doctor would pull the inner needle out, which I saw briefly in the corner of my eye. Actually I didn't see the needle, but I saw that it was attached to a small handheld machine. Anyway, he put the sample in a specimen cup, then repeated the whole process. Each time it took what felt like 10 minutes, but was probably realistically 3-4. The whole time he was doing this, the doctor and Ann were chatting. Just small talk stuff that I think was supposed to distract me, but I was totally focuses on not freaking the fuck out.
When he went to get the third sample, suddenly I felt something. It wasn't incredibly painful, but he saw me flinch, and I explained that I was feeling more than I had the last two times. He insisted I must feel NO PAIN! and immediately gave me more Lidocaine to numb my breast. By this time I'm barely holding it together. It's just hard to stay calm for that long when you're uncomfortable, even if there is no real pain.
He took a third and fourth sample, and said he was done, but then realized the last extraction didn't actually get a sample, so he had to do a fifth. Then finally, sweet Jesus finally, he said he was done. But he still had to insert a small clip to mark where the samples were taken from. Ann had shown me earlier what it looked like. It was a teeny tiny piece of metal shaped like a breast cancer ribbon. I didn't feel that happening either.
Then he pulled the needle out and I felt so much relief. I felt like I was breathing for the first time in about 30 minutes. Ann put pressure on the injection site for five minutes. It was a little uncomfortable because she was pressing down on my breast, but she and the doctor talked to me the whole time. The doctor gave me his card, said a kind farewell and left the room. Ann helped me sit up, got me a cup of water, then put steristrips on the injection site. I was still feeling really weak, so she had someone come in with a blood pressure cuff to make sure I wasn't going to faint when I stood up.
I had to walk to the mammogram room, and Ann just took two films - one from the top and one from the side - to have evidence of where the metal clip was. She only had to close the mammogram panels about halfway, so no pain. She dressed the wound and I was lead back to an exam room, where a nurse took my vitals again, redressed the wound, and explained how to care for it over the next few days.
I have a refreezable ice pack I can use inside my bra today, and I can take Tylenol for any discomfort. I took some when I got home and some more four hours later. I've only felt slight discomfort. I can't get it wet for two days, and I have to take it easy for at least 24 hours.
I arranged to work from home today, and thank god. By the time I left the hospital, I was almost crying and I was completely exhausted. Holding yourself together for that long is emotionally draining, and I felt on the verge of tears for about an hour afterward. I got home and laid down for an hour. Some women I'm sure can skip out of there and go about their days, but I needed to recompose myself first. I feel fine now. I've been using the ice pack, taking the Tylenol, and being gentle around my left boob.
I think the hardest part is that I was unprepared. I thought it would be pretty easy and fast, and I was not mentally prepared for what it really was. Anyone with more experience with medical procedures would probably think this was no big deal, but for me it was more of an ordeal than I had bargained for. All in all, I was there for two hours. Two hours of holding my shit together! As far as the actual procedure, I'm sure time was warped for me, but from the time the numbing needle went in till the time the extraction apparatus was removed, I'd say it was about 15 minutes. Though I almost said 30 because it felt like an hour, so that seemed generous!
The doctor was pretty confident that the results will come back with nothing to worry about, but I won't know for sure for 2-3 days. I really hope everything is ok because a) obviously I just do! and b) I don't think I can handle any more procedures for awhile.
Reader Comments (17)
It is a big deal. Your experience and how you're feeling are normal responses. Having to recompose yourself is totally ok. I would have been a wreck, myself. I'm glad you'll know your results soon. I've got my fingers crossed that everything comes out ok, as I'm sure it will.
Way to be brave!
Holy crap - I got clammy just hearing the description so I'm pretty sure I would've reacted the same way!
I am glad this part is over!! I am keeping my fingers crossed for you!!
Jesus. That sounds just miserable. Way to be brave and kick ass!
Sending good thoughts your way.
Good job getting through it. I know how hard that must have been for you.
Wow, Shannon! That sounds like such a painful ordeal! I'm sorry it wasn't what you expected, but I'm glad you made it through.
Now, I will share my biopsy story, which I would never have shared before. It was not of my breast, but of my uterine wall... long story if you ever want to know. Pretty much same thing, but apparently they can't actually make your uterine wall numb. I screamed and cried through the whole thing. I held onto two nurses hands with my legs apart and the doctor having plier looking things inside me... and yes they did give local anesthesia to numb the cervix. They do insert it at many angles, to make sure it's as numb as possible, but the uterine wall was not numb. I had to have that done three times. I did not hold my composure. But once it was over I was fine with just normal PMS type cramping and light bleeding.
It sounds like overall your biopsy went really well and about what I would have expected. It also sounds like you handled it really well as well! Great Job! I'm glad to hear that! I'm sorry you didn't feel like you were prepared for it. What you had was a surgery though. I'm glad to hear that the doctor felt it was most likely nothing. They usually have a pretty good idea immediately afterward!!! By the way who did you have (as in the doctor), you can email me.
I'm sorry it didn't go as you expected, but I'm so happy you're able to get the health care that you need.
It's scary to have this done, but scarier if you needed to and couldn't.
Best wishes for your recovery, and you'll be in my thoughts!
I'm so glad you got it done and it's over! I hope that you feel better soon!
Oh Shan. I'm so sorry it didn't turn out as expected. I totally wish you had had someone there with you. Though, I will say that it doesn't take away the sudden warm, sweaty feeling that takes over your body and the urge to just freeze and hold your breath. But having someone there that you trust to hold your hand and try to help calm you is definitely a plus.
I had a similar reaction when I had a cyst removed from behind my ear. Fifty thousand pokes around the area to numb it. Actually being able to hear what was going on (the cutting), but not by the sound traveling into my ear but from it being so close to my ear canal. Then the twanging sound of the stitches was enough to do me in. I would have fainted if it hadn't been for my dad rubbing my hand and distracting me. And this should have been a piece of cake after two knee surgeries.
I am hoping and praying for the best. You are so brave for following through and taking care of this immediately.
I feel like I'd be in the same state you were in. I hope I never have to have this done. And I'm glad you're done with it.
I had a cyst removed from my jaw two years ago and it was only discovered during a followup x-ray at the local dental hospital. The technician asked if they could do 'a quick biopsy' to determine what kind of cyst it was.
Obviously I was totally unprepared for the five injections it took numb me, plus the scraping of the bone in my jaw and the two stitches it took to close up the site of the biopsy. I was totally disoriented when I left that I just headed back to work as I'd planned. Of course, the more time passed the more upset I got, until when I arrived at work it took all I had not to cry. Until I ran into a co-worker, who took one look at me and said, 'oh my god, what happened?!' At which point I completely burst into tears. At work. My boss had to drive me home I was so upset.
Long story short, biopsies are VERY distressing and you were very smart to arrange to work from home. Your reaction was totally normal, at least in my experience. I know biopsies are a necessity of modern medicine but I do think doctors tend to gloss over how difficult they'll be. But, you got through it! Which is definitely the best part.
I hope you feel better soon and had a nice long hug from the giraffe and a night of pampering. You definitely deserve it!
Wow, that sounds terrible. I'm so sorry. {{{Shannon}}}
You're so brave! I'm glad it's all over for you.
I appreciate this level of detail! It will prepare me for if I ever find myself in that situation!
But seriously - I was feeling woozy just reading what you went through. I'm glad you made it!
[...] haven’t heard from my doctor yet with results from the biopsy, and since it said 2-3 days, I called a little bit ago. But I had to leave a message, and I have no [...]