Cancer Support
Related: About this forumI'm so grateful this group is here and wish good health for all of you.
I hope it’s okay that I post here. I haven’t been diagnosed with breast cancer yet but I’m scheduled for biopsies on both breasts July 18th because additional imaging found suspicious areas.
My first worry is simply about the procedure itself, which sounds like painful torture.
I understand they numb up the skin with lidocaine, which will make the initial incision painless, but the deeper tissues will obviously not be numb.
They are going in to almost my chest wall through dense breast tissue to get multiple samples with that thick needle, and although they told me it would be painless….I don’t believe them for one minute.
The other breast has calcifications that aren’t terribly deep in the tissue so I suspect that biopsy will be only mildly painful, but the other one, I am worried about.
I don’t understand why they don’t at least offer IV sedation to women during this procedure, or one pain pill for the procedure.
Frankly, I am thinking of calling them up and asking for the strongest sedative they will prescribe for me (my husband will be driving) because I can handle pain a little better when I am calm.
And if I had any Percocet in the house, believe you me I’d take it before the biopsies because I am that certain the one will be severely painful.
Thank you all for letting me post and vent some about my fears.
I’m scared of the cancer, too, of course…runs in my family and docs have estimated my lifetime chance to be 1 in 3 so I am thinking, yup, this is cancer…but my most immediate fear is of the biopsies themselves and the pain I know I will experience.
They don’t expect us to have dental work done without being fully numb…why do they expect us to be fine with what is essentially surgery with only the surface skin being numbed? Is it just, you know, we are women, so we don’t matter, our comfort doesn’t matter?
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niyad
(122,093 posts)LiberalLoner
(10,591 posts)Walleye
(37,678 posts)And they weren’t that deep, it was kind of painful when they did the first one they didn’t go deep enough and it wasn’t conclusive so I had to do it again that was a bitch. Eventually they found cancer with a different kind of biopsy I got a lumpectomy, chemo, and radiation and am clear for the last three years so stay optimistic. I know it’s hard not to worry and be anxious.
LiberalLoner
(10,591 posts)Doubt they offer it. I will call Monday and see what they are willing to do for me. Keeping my fingers crossed.
I’m so glad you beat it and are okay now. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with me!
❤️
murielm99
(31,663 posts)I have two friends who have overcome breast cancer, even though it got into their lymph nodes. Cancer isn't what it used to be!
Cancer sucks. You will kick cancer's butt. Please, please keep us informed, no matter what.
LiberalLoner
(10,591 posts)sinkingfeeling
(54,028 posts)complete neck dissection did put me in the hospital for 3 days and took awhile to get over. (I was completely out during that major operation.)
LiberalLoner
(10,591 posts)Dissection…wow…hope you are okay now
woodsprite
(12,329 posts)With my nurse during both my biopsy and port placement surgery. My biopsy was through my back to get to where they needed to be. I was very worried about that. Don’t know what they used, but it wasn’t an epidural or anything like that. They were aiming for the top of my vaginal vault and sigmoid colon area. I remember they gave me two shots of lidocaine, but not sure what the 3rd shot was before they started. They took 5 samples. Maybe it was all the same med just injected at different depths.
I asked for a relaxant/anti anxiety med before an MRI and PET scan once. They gave me Xanax - 2 small pills. One I took an hour before the procedure, the other I took to the hospital with me and took it as they prepped me. You would definitely need someone to drive you to/from.
I hope they can do the same for you. My mom had a breast biopsy near her chest wall and said all she felt was pressure during the procedure.
LiberalLoner
(10,591 posts)I had a lumpectomy where I was put under about 15 years ago and it was no big deal and the recovery was quick and nearly painless for me….wish they would do that again to me instead of this…
I think Xanax would help me some but honestly I want it to be mild at the most, not severe pain….
I hope and your Mom are both okay…
❤️
MontanaMama
(24,241 posts)I’ve had one surgical biopsy procedure on my left breast and into my armpit. A mass was removed as well as several lymph nodes. I was completely out for surgery because the surgeon didn’t know what she would find. Recovery was more painful than I anticipated.
Please ask your provider for what you think you’ll need in terms of paid meds and help with anxiety. You cannot advocate too much for yourself. I’m glad you have a ride from someone close to you. You are asking good questions.
Keep us posted. I’ll be holding you in my heart. You can do this.
LiberalLoner
(10,591 posts)For me it was easy as could be, easy recovery etc. but this being awake during surgery doesn’t make me happy at all…
Thank you so much…
lamp_shade
(15,123 posts)Other than a bit of injection discomfort, it was a piece of cake. It was a harmless cyst.
LiberalLoner
(10,591 posts)Rebl2
(15,564 posts)biopsies on both breasts and I didn’t find it painful. You might feel pressure, but I had no pain during procedure or after.
LiberalLoner
(10,591 posts)Lidocaine…have had that before so no big deal to me…it’s severe pain as they suck out tissue that terrifies me…
Oh boy I am hoping my experience will be like yours…
moonscape
(5,439 posts)hip bone and extract) and as a needle phobic I was terrified! They wouldn’t sedate me but arranged for me to have the person most skilled to do it. Gave me tranquilizer before and the pillow I asked for to scream in to
Was it fun? No. But I was surprised that it was fairly quick and not the torture I expected.
Ask for a tranquilizer in advance. I mean, even dentists prescribe/give for anxious patients. Would be surprised if they won’t. My guess id that afterwards like me you’ll say “that wasn’t so bad …” but this is about anxiety more tyan pain which is just as important to treat!
LiberalLoner
(10,591 posts)Bad as you feared it would be!
I bet they will give me a tranquilizer, I will call on Monday and let you guys know.
Thank you so much, I hope you are okay now and won’t have other problems!
❤️