After living in fear of having a second ultrasound biopsy, it turned out to be so much less awful than the first one, despite the basic procedure being the same.
I had the good fortune to have a radiologist who actually listened to me and was very careful about how he administered the local anesthetic. This time, no searing pain! Less bleeding, too.
Although I will now have even more bruising, at least I was not traumatized by the procedure. It wasn't as hard on my husband, either, who was there with me both times.
So the two additional "suspicious" areas have now been biopsied and maybe the results will get to my oncologist before my Monday appointment.
An aside: I was told that if the areas in question did not show up well on the ultrasound, I would have to have an MRI biopsy. I cannot imagine how that would even be done with the patient lying face-down in an enclosed tube. I had this vision of a doctor sliding underneath on one of those creepers that mechanics use to work under a car.
At any rate, I went home, slept for a few hours, and am now looking forward to a weekend respite before getting back on the medical treadmill. Normally, because David and I are both self-employed, we don't really have "weekends." This will be an exception.
Many people have offered help, and I will gladly accept it, when I find out what I need.
I am struck by how many women I know have been on this journey before me. Thank you so much for your words of encouragement!
Breast cancer research seems to have been going on my entire life, yet we still don't know how to prevent the disease itself. At least the treatment and survival rate are improving.
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