So, what is a biopsy exactly ?

We have all heard of biopsy and know that it means that your doctor found something abnormal in your exam or mammogram. Scary, right ? Maybe it will be a little less scary if you know what to expect.

When I arrived for my biopsy, the nurse showed me the dressing room and instructed me to put on a gown, opening in the front. I then went to a waiting room for a short time. The nurse came back and showed me to an ultrasound room. She took my vitals and asked about my medical history as well as if I had any allergies. I signed a consent form and then we were ready to begin.

I hopped up on the bed and the nurse positioned me with my arm over my head. The radiologist and ultrasound tech felt my breast for the areas that we wanted to study. They marked the areas with a marker and then prepped the skin. I didn't watch what the doctor was doing with the needles because I think that I may have passed out ! The doctor began with a few small injections of Lidocaine, to numb the area. I did feel the pinch of the needle going in and then there was a slight burning sensation, but it only lasted for a few seconds. Once the area was numbed, the doctor began with the biopsy. Before he inserted the needle, he clicked the needle so that I would not be afraid when the first sample was taken. The sound reminded me of one of my son's toy guns. Each time he inserted the needle and it was in place, he told me that he was going to take the sample, then "Click". Immediately after, he explained that he was removing the needle and there would be a slight tugging feeling. I could not feel any pain, only the sensation of something moving. He did 3 samples in each of the questionable areas.

I was watching the ultrasound screen at first, but once I saw the needle on the screen, I had to look away ! Once we were finished with the samples, the doctor inserted small clips into the biopsied areas so that we would know that these areas had been tested. The nurse pressed down on the areas where the needles were inserted and then put a few steri-strips on. I was then taken to have a "gentle" mammogram to document the placement of the clips. This was a very quick one, only a few views were taken. When I returned to the room, the nurse redressed the area by putting some Bacitracin on the area as well as new steri-strips. She then covered these areas with a large, clear plastic covering (like the ones that they put over IVs).

We went over instructions about watching for heavy bleeding, showering, watching for infection and which meds were ok to take. The nurse told me that I should have my results in about 2 days. Overall, my appointment only took about 45 minutes. Now that I have been through it and know what to expect, it is not as scary as I thought. The most scary  thing is waiting for the results ! Horrible ! :(

Here is a great video about what to expect when you have a biopsy: