Good afternoon all
Sorry for the long post.
i was diagnosed with TNBC early February this year.
At my initial appointment I had biopsies of two swollen lymph nodes, as well as the lump in my left breast. The lump was right down at the bottom where the breast meets the torso. The ultrasound measure it at 13mm.
After 3 x 3 weekly EC I had a scan before starting 12 weekly pax with Carbo added every 3 weeks. This showed it had shrunk to 6/7mm, so really pleased with this
I went to the breast clinic last Thursday to have a wire fitted, prior to lumpectomy and node clearance on Friday. The radiologist could not find the tumour, so said I would need to come back. Once I explained that I was being operated on in the morning, he went to speak to a surgeon ( not my normal one). She then sent me for a mammogram, and came to see me.
It seems it did not show up on the mammogram either. she asked if she could have a look and asked if I had had a marker put in. I hadn’t been aware that this was needed. She went on to say I should be pleased as it looks like I have had a full response to the chemo, and the tumour had gone. The next thing she said was unfortunately, it will make the surgeons job a lot harder the next day, as she would not really know where the tumour was originally. She would also need to remove a bigger area.I went straight into panic mode!
I went into hospital Friday morning, and a different surgeon came to see me before she operated on me. Her first sentence was the hospital owed me an apology, and I would get this in writing and an investigation would be carried out. Everyone should have a marker put in at biopsy stage, and this had not been done to me. She asked me to point out where I thought the tumour was originally, and marked me up .
I am now day 3 after surgery, a little bruised, but feeling fine in myself physically.
I am still very stressed about results day in 2 weeks time, as if I am told there was no sign of cancer in what they removed, did they actually remove the correct area!!
I really want to make people aware, that if you haven’t had a marker fitted, to speak asap to your breast care team to query this.
Has anyone else experienced this?
