Needle Biopsy 2/12
Grateful and scared at the same time - it makes you appreciate everything more when you know you are not necessarily safe! It puts me in perspective how lucky a healthy person is! I am grateful to have a family fully support me. Jia called in the morning to apologize not coming with me for the core needle biopsy. I think if we will know results right away I would have preferred him to come. But since we won't, I didn't ask him to come with me at all.
I did some research about the procedure and even though it is a small procedure, it still hurts quite a lot. So I have some psychological preparation for it. The doctor will use Ultrasound to guide the procedure, and put some local anesthesia. In my case the doctor debated a bit as my ultrasound looks a bit normal and a bit suspicious so she at one point was doubting the need for the procedure. But then she talked to me and if after I gave birth and the lump would still be there, it would be hard for them to take samples as I will be lactating then. So we went ahead to do the procedure.
It really did have the super stingy sensation when the needle went in - It is a very sharp pain even though it disappeared right away when the anesthesia took effect. The doctor needs to put it a couple times so it stung a couple times but the first one definitely was the worst. Then she used a device to take sample which had the needle pointed end and a trigger - when taking the sample, the device made a very loud popping sound. I could see the whole procedure in the ultrasound - where the needle goes in and when it took the sample. My body tensed up even though I didn't feel the pain. So I later just closed my eyes and didn't look at the screen. She took three samples and it was under 3 minutes. Then she pressed hard on my breast to stop the bleeding. She said the most important thing is not to have blood clots so I also try to put more pressure for 5 minutes.
After the procedure, I took it easy this time (normally I would go straight back to work) and come home to use cold compress. Grateful in-laws cook me lunch and prepare dinner for us. Grateful Jia took over to take bath with Caius.
Life is beautiful when you appreciate it.
Overall the doctor was very good and I didn't bleed much so the recover was fast. The second day I started using hot compress and went to work. I can still feel discomfort but it was nothing unbearable. Luckily it was cold so the clothes I wore are roomy to hide the hot compress.
