Went for a follow-up recently to one of my BC team (surgeon).  On the
breast exam -- if you can call it that after a bilateral mastectomy! --
he found a moveable lump below my surgical scar, within the area of my
radiation field.

We both thought (hoped) it was some scar tissue, but he decided to do a
fine needle biopsy . . . right before the July 4 holiday long weekend,
of course, so the results take longer.  (I'm notorious for fretting
after a test happens, until I get the results, no matter what I think or
even *know* the results must be.)

So, no results when I call the following Wednesday as agreed.  In fact,
the pathology lab has just gotten the sample to analyze.  Fretfretfret.
 Munch Xanax.

Surgeon's nurse calls me Thursday, basically says: We have the results.
 The didn't find any malignant cells, but it says 'no diagnostically
useful cells in sample' (or something along those lines), so I need to
have the doctor look at it and decide whether another sample is needed.

Big sigh from me, more fret.

Couple hours later, he (surgeon) phones me.  Everything's OK, no need to
worry, no action needed.

"What about 'no diagnostically useful cells'?", I ask.

He says:  "I don't know why they put it that way!  There were no breast
cells in the sample from the lump.  It was fatty tissue.  That's what we
were hoping for."

Hmmm. Reflecting on all of this, I thought:  For those of us with
mastectomies, the surgeon tries to remove all of the breast tissue.  It
gives a whole new meaning to that perennial question after BC surgery,
"did they get it all?".

In retrospect, I thought the whole thing was pretty funny.

Ann T.
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