<p>I just got the call 5 minutes ago- your mammogram results need to be repeated.
We can’t schedule you 'til next Tuesday. It will be a long few days. Good to know
there is a place to “talk” about this.</p>
<p>Where was the mammogram done? If it was done in your doctor’s office go sit in the waiting room and wait until they see you. Many people cancel last minute, they need to keep those machines busy. If the mammogram was done at a facility where your doctor has a relationship (monetary or friendship) call your doctor and tell, what I assume to be true, that you are in crisis mode. The doctor can make a phone call and get you in. The one thing that I learned was that I had to be assertive, and not in the negative way of screaming. You need answers, you’re in crisis, and you have the right to help. </p>
<p>Good luck. Repeating a mammogram does not mean that you have cancer. If can simply mean a change in the tissue. Talk whenever you want to…to your husband, your family and here. Those of us who did the “waiting” and had treatment know the drill.</p>
<p>thinking of you, sixties – am glad that everyone has been pretty helpful so far. My sister was the primary caretaker for my nephew --now 17 – when he was diagnosed with bladder cancer at age 3. She had a huge notebook – once section for MD appts, another for test results, another for meds/names/dosages/frequency, and another to record telephone conversations. Since she and my brother-in-law were preoccupied, a friend – a lawyer with insurance experience – collected all the bills, reviewed the bills with them, and followed up on questionable/duplicate charges. My sister is a terrific advocate and has been there for a few friends who have had medical crises. I’ve learned a lot from her experience.</p>
<p>Cornmuffin
Did you have your mammogram done where they have digital mammography and a dedicated breast radiologist reading it?
If you don’t know call and find out. If not, go somewhere where they have those things. I found out the hard way that all mammograms and radiologists are not equal.</p>
<p>If you had mammograms taken elsewhere, get copies of those for your current doc/second opinion to see. Having copies of those prior screens for comparison can be very helpful in assessing changes.</p>
<p>I bought a purple binder today because I’m not really a pink person. I had no idea binders came in so many styles and colors. See, I’m already learning new stuff. I have two copies of the questions I want to ask tomorrow, one for me and one for my husband so he can write down the answers. I would not trust myself to do this. Yesterday I dialed his work no. and when the VA recording came on I just looked at the phone and couldn’t remember his extension. He’s only had this no. for about 12 years. jHad a fun lunch with a friend today. Really helped pass the time.</p>
<p>All of my mammograms for about the past 15 yrs were taken at this place so they have all the old films and all the digital stuff from the past few years. They automatically forward them to the drs.</p>
<p>sixties, I am so sorry tohear of your cancer diagnosis. My wife is in the same situation, but further along. She had a mastectomy in April (she chose a double) and started chemo 2 weeks ago. She also had the genetic testing done to determine if she had the breast cancer gene (she doesn’t). It isn’t fun, but with today’s medicine, it is curable. One thing I can recommend to your husband is to get the book by Marc Silver called “Breast Cancer Husband” I wish I had read it earlier in our treatment phase, but it was still very useful to read. My wife loves her team of doctors, and that helps her get through everyting. I will keep you and your family in my prayers.</p>
<p>sixties, I can’t remember whether someone already suggested this – but you might have a binder section for notes about all your phone conversations and messages (what time you left a message, when your call was returned and by whom, what they said). It can be easy to lose track of such details when you’re dealing with several different people and offices. Also, if you’re told to “call the office” for results or assistance, ask ahead of time what number to use and what to do if your call goes to voice mail.</p>
<p>The binder is a much better idea than what I used - one of my 5th grader’s cheap “composition books” . I just taped the extra pages in. But then I had a 3 year old running around so I wasn’t very organized…</p>
<p>Agree with everyone who says to record everything… phone calls, labs, results, tests, appointments, etc.</p>
<p>Hoping you can get to the place where the binder seems like a remnant of a past life.</p>
<p>Prayers to you and all who are working on beating this disease!</p>
<p>To add to that, on Sunday, my D1 rode in the LiveStrong Challenge - 100 miles in just over 6 hours. This was my pretty pink princess kid… now bio PhD. We will beat this disease!</p>
<p>I got a small day timer type book and kept track of all appointments, phone calls - EVERYTHING. This year’s version is a Moleskin with a week listed on the left and a place for notes on the right. I carry that little book with me everywhere and have it handy anytime I make a phone call. I enter appointments as I make them, and grab extra business cards that I stick in the back. I have many years worth of these books - an easy way to flip back and see what was going on when. </p>
<p>The big medical file does NOT leave the house - it contains all details of all the procedures, results, billings etc. I will make copies of pertinent pieces and take them along if it seems appropriate. Any questions I write out or notes I take at an appointment are added to this file later.</p>
<p>Small becomes better - I rarely do a purse or bag anymore.</p>
<p>rhy, Thank you so much for the title of the book for my husband. He keeps going to work every day and having to rearrange his schedule so he can be with me at appts. There’s a lot ahead for him too and I don’t think it will be easy for him. Everyone has given me so many wonderful ideas on what to add to my binder. I see the first surgeon today and am going to the pool this am to unwind.</p>
<p>Good luck sixties. I was diagnosed early last year. Ended up only having to do radiation everyday for 6 weeks after a lumpectomy. Oddly my whole family including myself decided it was no big deal …a blip in time…and that’s how we handled it. Even after losing my own mom to the same thing. It was and continues to be a weird state of denial. I had it…it’s gone…that’s that.</p>
<p>I hope things go well for you.</p>
<p>sax, thank you. I do have good news. The consensus is that this is the kind of breast cancer they want to find, very small and well behaved with no lymphatic involvement. Of course they will still do a sentinal node biopsy during surgery. It will be an outpatient lumpectomy followed by some course of radiation. I am now, apparently, a walking advertisement for mammograms and why you don’t skip a year (I never have) and why you don’t stop when you get older. The reason I was so very concerned was because in the original call I received Monday from my primary care with the report she said it was a concern because it wasn’t seen last year and could be very aggressive since it grew so quickly. I couldn’t reconcile this is my mind with what they told me at the breast care center, including the radiologist. The surgeon I talked to yesterday was amazed that I was given that information and gave me a copy of the report and went over it with me and even I could see there was no indication of this at all. She said these usually have been growing for 5-8 yrs. and finally show up and it was so small and certainly not aggressive. So now I think I need to find a new primary care dr. My H switched from her a couple years ago when she gave him incorrect info about a medication. I’ve just never had anything serious before. Thank you all and I’ll keep you informed.</p>
<p>sixties, I am very glad to hear your good news!</p>
<p>Wonderful news, sixties! You must feel such a sense of relief. Hope all goes well with your upcoming treatment plan. Let us know how things are going; there are always a lot of lurkers-supporters following this kind of thread. I am usually one of those but came out from the woodwork to celebrate your news!</p>
<p>Thank you and feel free to lurk and support anytime. It’s greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>Great news! Happy for you!</p>
<p>sixties, that’s terrific news! I’m sure you must be very relieved, and it does sound like a good idea to change doctors. None of us needs a doctor who is going to alarm us unnecessarily.</p>