Out of nowhere it was suddenly there - a lump in the breast. It was about the size of a cherry stone. My gynecologist recommended that I get it checked out. This is my breast biopsy testimonial and what you need to know about it!
Imagine taking a normal shower, lathering up with shower gel, and then suddenly discovering a lump in your breast.
The heart beats faster, fear spreads. What will happen now? Is this something malignant?
In any case, you should have it clarified. I did the same and even had to go to the hospital for a punch biopsy.
If you're facing the same or you're interested in the topic, this post is for you.
In my breast biopsy testimonial, I tell you how I fared and what you need to know about the procedure.
Table of contents
What should I do if I feel a lump in my breast?
First, take a deep breath and don't assume the worst. There are many reasons why lumps form in the breast. My gynecologist reassures me right at the beginning. Every second woman has small lumps in her breasts, most of them so small that you can't feel them.
In my case, the lump is very deep - that is, at the transition from the breast to the upper abdomen.
If you can feel any hardening, have a gynecologist palpate the breast! And as soon as possible. The best thing is to call today and make an appointment.
He/she will look at the lump, tell you if it needs to be checked out further. My gynecologist sent me for an ultrasound and the doctor from the ultrasound sent me to the breast health center at the hospital where a punch biopsy of the breast will be done.
What is a punch biopsy?
If there are abnormal findings in the breast, a biopsy is performed. This makes it possible to examine the tissue pathologically. For this purpose, the doctor simultaneously uses the ultrasound device and a hollow needle.
After the breast is locally anesthetized, a special needle 1.6 millimeters thick is placed over the lump. Now the nail is inserted into the tumor under high speed.
The doctor takes three to four tissue samples and places a small metal clip at the site. This allows the lump to be detected immediately during a future ultrasound or surgery.
At the end, the puncture site is bandaged.
The tissue is examined and the results are available a few days after the procedure. During a discussion of the findings, you go through the results together with the doctor. It is now clear whether the lump is benign or malignant and what will happen next.
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When is a punch biopsy of the breast done?
Your doctor will recommend a biopsy if he discovers an abnormal change in the tissue in the breast. Only when the tissue is removed can it be determined for sure whether the change is benign or malignant.
Mere palpation examinations or an ultrasound are not sufficient for this.
Is a punch biopsy painful?
No, the procedure is not painful. The punch biopsy is done in a few minutes and is performed under local anesthesia.
So much for the theory. Now comes the exciting part - my personal experience. Is the biopsy really painless? Does it really only take a few minutes and how does it work?
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Breast biopsy: the preparations
My biopsy is split into two appointments. On the first day, a doctor does another ultrasound and a week later I have the punch biopsy. I'll explain step by step how it was done for me. And don't worry - it's half as bad.
Part 1: the ultrasound
After my gynecologist sent me for an ultrasound, I had another one at my first appointment in the hospital. Here, the breast is first palpated again and examined for abnormalities. The doctor makes notes and asks me questions like:
- Is there breast cancer in your family?
- Did you have an accident or get hit in the chest?
- When did you first notice the lump in your breast? Has it grown since then?
- Do you have any pain or discomfort?
- Have you noticed discharge from the breasts?
And much more.
Then it's on to the ultrasound. Here, the doctor calms me down right away and explains again that a great many women have cysts, all of which are benign. "Let's take a look."
No sooner said than done. I free my upper body and am allowed to lie down on a lounger.
The cold ultrasound gel is spread on the upper body and the examination begins. The doctor measures the nodes and takes 20 minutes for both sides.
The lymph nodes are also subjected to another ultrasound.
The doctor stays longer with the one lump in the breast. He pushes the head of the ultrasound scanner back and forth from all sides. Sometimes with little pressure, sometimes with a little more.
Part 2: the conversation
"We should take a closer look at that. Get dressed and I'll explain the process to you."
With a queasy feeling, I wipe the gel off my body and slip into my clothes. He gives me an information sheet to read through at home.
"So, the node doesn't look very dangerous so far. The lymph nodes are not swollen, which is a good sign. I want to take a closer look, though. I'll see you next week for a breast punch biopsy."
To be precise, there are 9 days between the ultrasound and the biopsy. So it can't be that tragic, because then I would certainly have gotten an appointment right away - that's what I try to tell myself to stay calm.
Part 3: Preparation for the biopsy
When I get home, I realize that I have to go back and that it will be less "fun" than the ultrasound alone. But I try to look on the bright side. With my breast biopsy experience report, I can take away some of the fear of the procedure. Because I'll say this much: it's anything but bad, but more about that in a moment.
The procedure is outpatient, so I can go home directly afterwards. I can eat and drink normally and have no other restrictions before the examination.
I read a bit more about the subject and look at the educational leaflet. I try to stay relaxed. I can't change it now anyway - I have to go through with it. And it's better to have too much clarification than too little.
What you need to take with you:
A comfortable T-shirt, the documents and very important: a tight fitting bra. The bra ensures that no bruise forms by compressing the puncture site.
You also need someone to take you to the appointment. Driving a car is not an option now, and whether you want to take the public transport alone afterwards is something you have to decide for yourself. Let a loved one accompany you, that is reassuring, even if he/she can only sit in the waiting room.
Otherwise you can't do anything yourself, except make sure you arrive early enough for the appointment. I pay special attention to that and am in the waiting room 20 minutes early. It's better not to do that, because it increases the time for thinking, which is not very helpful.
My breast punch biopsy experience
So that the knowledge is still very fresh, I write the breast punch biopsy experience on the same day. That way I really can't forget anything.
At 8 o'clock I hop in the shower again and get dressed. I decide on comfortable leggings and my denim shirt. The shirt seems practical to me, because I do not have to pull it over my head and can easily put it on again later.
At 9 o'clock in the morning, the time has come. As usual, I'm much too early and go for a walk through the park near the hospital. At 8:50 a.m., I go to the information desk and register. Now my experience report on the breast biopsy can begin. I take a short breath and hand the employee the documents I had to fill out.
"Take a seat, someone will call you in a moment." With this information, I now sit on a blue and well-padded armchair, waiting and staring holes into the wall.
9:10 a.m.: My name is called, take a deep breath and let's go!
The preparation for the punch biopsy
I uncover my upper body and am allowed to lie down on the couch. The assistant covers my upper body with a cloth. Now I have to wait until the doctor arrives.
With a smile and a friendly "Good morning! Do you have any questions?" she greets me. The only thing I can think of is, "No, eyes closed and through."
In the first step, the breast is examined again with ultrasound. The doctor quickly locates the lump. "Oh, that's a stupid spot. That could be painful with the anesthetic injection now." Great, just what I want to hear at that moment. But what the heck.
I have to lie down on my right side so that she can get to the lump in my chest better. The left arm comes over the head.
Now the assistant applies a disinfectant to the entire chest with a sponge. The orange disinfectant spreads over the skin. Finally, there is a cold spray and then the syringe is used.
"This is going to pinch and burn," the doctor warns me. I take a deep breath and then she starts with the anesthetic injection. My eyes fill with tears and the moment just won't go away.
If you know injections from the dentist, then you can double this pain - that's about right. At the end it burns again properly.
When the time comes, I have to wait and wipe the tears from my eyes. After about 30 seconds, the doctor asks me if I can still feel anything. And yes, I can still feel something. We wait another 30 seconds. "How is it now?" I feel absolutely nothing anymore. My entire chest is numb, which feels very strange.
My breast biopsy experience report
On the ultrasound, the doctor shows me the lump again. If I want to, I can watch the needles of the biopsy device boring into the breast on the ultrasound. I decide against it and prefer to stare at the wall.
"I'm going to put the device on now, I'm going to count down from 3 and then there will be a loud snap. Please don't be startled, you shouldn't feel a thing."
I can't feel the ultrasound machine is on my breast the whole time and I don't notice anything from the punching machine either.
3, 2 I breathe in deeply and out at 1. Clack. I'm so startled that I wince and we both have to laugh. So I can answer whether the punch biopsy hurts: No, I feel absolutely nothing.
The procedure is usually repeated twice more, the doctor explains. But because so little tissue can be removed during the third removal, I'm allowed a fourth time.
After the second time, I already have a routine. I inhale firmly at 2 and exhale at 3. During the exhale it clicks, I feel nothing.
"We're almost done, just the metal clip." On the ultrasound monitor, I can watch her insert a clip into the breast with a needle. This later helps to find the lump again. Again, I don't feel anything.
The association
While my arm is still above my head, the assistant wipes me dry with a cloth. Immediately afterwards, the doctor presses a large ice pack onto my chest. "We have to leave it like that for two minutes," she explains. No problem, I don't feel anything anyway.
Now the skin is dried again. And then it's time for the bandage.
The first layer is formed by small plaster strips. The next a large plaster that sticks to all sides. Now I have to stand up. "Hands up and keep your hair away," the assistant instructs me.
Now I'm being wrapped for all I'm worth. I get a pressure bandage missed, which can be seen. For many rounds I am wrapped with a bandage and tied up. This is how it must feel to wear a corset or a bra that is much too small.
Breathing deeply into my stomach is very difficult for me.
"We'll be in touch as soon as the results are in. You may now get dressed and go home. All the best." So that was it - all half bad.
I took the bra for free, until tomorrow the bandage remains on the chest.
Things to keep in mind after the breast biopsy
I may remove the pressure bandage after 24 hours. The plaster strips remain on the skin for 7 days. As soon as the pressure bandage is gone, I should put on the bra over it as quickly as possible. The doctor advises me to wear a tight sports bra. I should wear it for the first few nights and then decide for myself.
Now I'm not allowed to drive a car or operate machinery for 24 hours. Good, I can live with that. In the next three days but wait a few small Restrictions on me, like
- No sport
- No sauna, do not sweat
- Do not lift heavy
- Do not bathe or swim
- Do not wash the wound
- No housework - great, I like that!
I therefore did everything possible before the appointment. The day before, I worked out, cleaned, and recharged the battery of my robot vacuum cleaner. Now let's chill out for a while.
How am I doing a few hours after the punch biopsy?
My breast biopsy experience report is not over right after. The question is, how will I feel when the effect of the anesthesia wears off?
About two hours later, the injection begins to lose its effect. It is just 11 o'clock and I feel a pulling sensation spreading over the spot where the biopsy was. I have painkillers ready in case of emergency, but I don't know at this point if I will really need them. Let's wait and see.
Seven hours after the procedure I feel very good. I have no pain and the pulling has also passed. Only when supporting myself with my left arm or if I accidentally lift something, I feel the spot. However, I would not call it pain.
The night is restless. I love to sleep sideways, which is of course not possible today. Therefore, it means for me to sleep on my back. A horror.
I have no pain either before sleeping or afterwards.
In the morning, the bandage finally comes off. I wrap what feels like 10 meters of bandage from my upper body, then I take off the oversized plaster. Underneath are the plaster strips and a purple bruise about 5 cm long along the chest.
Now I have to be really careful so that the effusion doesn't get bigger. I make sure not to lift anything with my left hand and take it easy.
How long do I have to wear the pressure dressing after the punch biopsy?
Immediately after the biopsy, the dressing is applied very tightly. Now it is important to take care of the wound. You can remove the pressure bandage 24 hours after the punch biopsy. Underneath you will find small plasters that will remain on the skin for 7 days.
When showering, you have to be really careful not to accidentally wash away the strips and wet the wound. I therefore opt for cat washing for seven days so as not to risk anything.
Today the plasters come off. I was even normal at the training before and shower afterwards.
The plasters still stick quite well to the skin and are not easy to pull off. When I finally managed to do it, only a tiny puncture mark is visible. No redness, no scar.
My conclusion
A punch biopsy of the breast is not pleasant, but it is not painful either. It is performed under anesthesia and is done quickly. You should definitely make the appointment if a doctor recommends it. Only then can you be sure what the lump is all about.
The most unpleasant part of the whole process is the anesthetic injection. You won't feel or see the rest. After the procedure, you should take it easy and not do any heavy lifting or exert yourself. I hope that my breast biopsy experience report could take away some of your fear and nervousness before the examination.
I wish you from my heart the best and that it is a benign node!
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