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How do I know the surgeon took enough lymph nodes during my surgery?

Breast Cancer | Last Active: Oct 29 4:24pm | Replies (33)
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@traci999

Thank you so much for responding to me.

I actually had a biopsy and mine did not show then. The dr. knew something wasn't right so she did another biopsy (punch) and that's when they found my cancer. Since my surgery I've had alot of swelling and I had a rash that came up a month ago but it was found to be fungal. I guess I worry so much because mine was not found easily.

I see my oncologist a week from this Friday and I go to the breast center next month for mammogram and ultrasound. I had an MRI in January and from what they said it was most likely benign findings. I did not like the wording on the report so my oncologist went to bat for me at a meeting they have and apparently that is the wording they use. I think its just to cover themselves in case they miss something.

I will keep you posted.

Thank you,
Traci

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Replies to "Thank you so much for responding to me. I actually had a biopsy and mine did..."
Rubyslippers | @triciaot | Aug 26 5:44pm

In your situation I’d suggest you send the radiologist a message 2 days before the upcoming scans reminding them that your original mammogram was inconclusive, that the type of cancer cells you had were not clear on that scan.
And then at the beginning of the mammogram/ultrasound tell the technician the same thing.

It doesn’t hurt to politely alert them that extra attention may be needed in your case. The mammogram technician at my follow up scan thanked me for the info and told me I should always share anything that might help them - at the beginning of the scan!

My original scans were also inconclusive (they wanted me to come back in 6 months). My intermediate grade DCIS did not have many/any calcifications which is what a mammogram is good at detecting. A couple of months before my year and a half mammogram I received notice through the message app that a MRI was added. Which actually scared me because I thought they found something that was missed.
I messaged the radiologist and she said she remembered our conversation about no calcifications and decided to add the MRI.
Depending on the facility, and your insurance, the follow up protocol may be a mammogram. They may need to justify a MRI to get it paid for, and an ultrasound may trigger that. So even if you don’t have a MRI scheduled now, it may be part of what’s next.

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