Zed's Bad Day...

[przed]

...or why medical tests suck.


So last week I get a call from my doctor. Which wasn't good, because I hadn't seen him for a while, and wasn't expecting to hear from him at all.

Turns out that the mammogram I had in August showed something they wanted to check out. They didn't think it was anything, but they'd booked me for a biopsy today.

Not fun, but I figure they'll turn me into a human pin cushion, send me home, and tell me it's all fine a week later.

Nope.

They tried to turn me into a human pin cushion. They really did. But I've got this little problem with my right arm. It's got crap mobility, and it couldn't do what they needed it to do to get me in the damn x-ray machine and then stick me with the damn biopsy needle. Two very nice technicians tried for an hour and a half. Repeatedly. A bunch of different ways. And all they succeeded in doing was stiffening up my right shoulder, and ripping the muscles in my neck from the crazy contortions they tried putting me in.

In the end, the very nice doctor decided it wasn't worth it trying to do the biopsy when he was pretty sure they weren't going to hit the right spot. He figures there's a low chance it's malignant (20%, which isn't bad, except that I have this talent at getting things that there are long medical odds on me getting), and the best alternative is to watch closely and see what happens. I'm now on a schedule of mammograms every six months, and if the damn spot grows, they "get aggressive." Which means they cut the damn thing out.

I spent the rest of the day at home with a heating pad on my neck, catching up on Eureka (which is still my happy little show, thank god) and The Mentalist (which I'm now deciding whether to ditch or not because there's not nearly enough Cho being adorable this season!).

I could totally have had a better day. And I now need to not worry about this in six month increments.

Oh joy.

Comments

[halotolerant.livejournal.com]

They biopsy you under x-ray guidance in the USA? Huh. I really need to read up why that is so (we do all ours with just an ultrasound probe, which requires almost no contortions - could that be an option for you? Though from what you say it sounds like you have something very subtle and thus maybe it does need a different imaging type - I'm just raising it in case this leads to an easier solution)

How utterly crap and frustrating a day that must have been. I hope your muscles are feeling better now at least ♥

[przed.livejournal.com]

Canada, actually. They sort of lock you, or the relevant portions of you, into this cage attached to a digital x-ray machine, and use it to image the part they want to biopsy. And then since you're locked in, I suppose it means they have a greater shot at getting the right bit without it shifting around.

They mentioned trying an MRI, but no one mentioned an ultrasound. I might raise that with my G.P. when I discuss this with him. Thanks for the idea.

The muscles are still bloody sore, but I'm trying to keep them moving so they don't seize up on me.