Fibrocystic Breast Disease

On September 9th I had my first mammogram in Saskatoon. A couple of days ago I saw the doctor for the results and was told they found several “calcifications” on both breasts. I have yet to figure out exactly what that means, but they aren’t fluid-filled cysts. They are solid masses of some sort that will require biopsy to be fully diagnosed. According to my GP, they will probably perform a wire biopsy, which involves guiding a wire to a calcification for the surgeon to follow in and remove it. I’m hoping to document the whole process for all concerned, maybe we can learn something from of all of this.

Fibrocystic Breast Disease sounds like a really nasty thing, but it’s not really a disease. Whoever named it should have called it something else, my doctor refers to it as Fibrocystic Breast “Changes”. Either way, this is apparently what I have. My Mother has it too, and she has been under regular surveillance for years. She has had several “lumps” removed for biopsy and fluid filled cysts drained, luckily none of them have been malignant. For more information visit the title link above. Some of you may have received my email with the funny mammogram poem in it. I thought that was really funny after having had a mammogram recently. Although I made a joke of it then, I urge all women now more than ever to have a routine exam done. It was not as awful for me as I heard it was going to be so don't let that be your reason not to go.

My doctor told me the other day that self-exams rarely turn up anything significant and that having you yearly “poke and prod” exam and regular mammo’s are the only fool-proof methods of detection. Especially with this fibrocystic thing when all you feel in there is a whole bunch of little lumpy things. There was a poster on the wall where I got my mammogram done which showed how big the average breast mass is by the time a person can usually detect it through self-exam. It was about ¾ of an inch across, I was shocked! That's the size of a grape! I thought we’d be able to find something smaller than that in there, didn’t you?

I guess I was expecting to have some trouble with the girls in the coming years due to family history, but I hadn’t imagined it would start quite this soon. I’ll try to keep you posted on my progress, and let you know what they find in there. The tour won’t take long, they aren’t that big! ;-)