I go in for a needle breast biopsy tomorrow. Leftie is getting jabbed a few times, two spots they're concerned about.

I'm not even worried about the results. I am, however, really really worried about the biopsy.

My mom had a needle biopsy 26 years ago, when I was 19. I took her to her appointment. I wasn't allowed to go in with her during the procedure, but after, in the car, she just started crying, told me it was the most painful thing she'd ever gone through. I won't list all the things, surgeries, tests, and other, that this woman had gone through, but suffice it to say that she'd been through a lot in her life, and for her to cry in pain because of this, was a very big deal. It meant that it hurt a lot. A really lot! Also, that was the first time she had breast cancer. Yes, the first time. They did a lumpectomy, and radiation. She was clear, and after 5 years, she was considered to be in remission. Then she got it again, and this time it killed her. So you, that's a major fear as well.

Now I know that things have changed in the 26 years since she had her needle biopsy. I know that there's been progress. But my only reference, the only person I actually know in person that's been through this, happens to be my mom, the strongest woman I've ever known, and she cried, she was in extreme pain. She swore she'd never go through that again.

I'm scared. Really scared. Not about the possibility of having cancer, although I will worry about that after the biopsy. But right now, the major fear is the biopsy itself. So many people have been reassuring me that it's not that bad, but all I can see is my mom crying tears of pain in my car after her needle biopsy.

I'm pretty tough, but not as tough as my mom. I'm just scared.

So, if you've had a needle breast biopsy, what was your experience? Did it hurt? How bad was it? Be honest. I need to know what I'm in for tomorrow, and I really have no idea. I just know that I'm not looking forward to it.

Yup, had one on my right breast in 2009. A local numbing agent and a very fine needle were used. If the doctor hadn't told me what he was doing and when (I had insisted, since I like to know what's happening), I would have had no idea I was getting a biopsy. It was over before I could get halfway through the Lord's Prayer (or the chorus of "Amazing Grace").

Ask for the area to be numbed with a topical cream and make sure the needle is fine. You'll be peachy-keen okay.

I already told you on FB of my experience 18 years ago.

It's really a cake walk these days. Things have come a long way in 26 years.

No personal experience with it Alty, but want you to know prayers and positive thoughts are being sent for comfort and peace of mind. Know that we'll be thinking of you tomorrow.

I'm pretty tough, but not as tough as my mom. I bet you are! My wife has had some, after numbing, said it was like a pinch and then pushing. Hopefully all will go well.

Oh Alty. I'll be thinking of you. My friends say that having a mammogram is worse than a biopsy because you don't get any type of numbing. I hope everything goes well and that your results are all good.

Alty, I will be with you in mind and sprit tomorrow!

Love you kiddo!

Best wishes everything turns out fine.

You got this Alty, piece-a-cake.

Thanks all.

I'm back from my biopsy, and like J9 and WG said, it was a piece of cake. The worst part was the funny uncomfortable positions I had to lay in for all three people to be able to work on me.

I didn't feel a thing, not even the needle for the numbing.

They took four samples, 3 on leftie and one on rightie. The entire thing took a little over an hour and a half. Very accurate. The ultrasound tech finds the lump on ultrasound, the radiologist numbs the area then cuts a hole to for the biopsy needle. The needle is found on ultrasound and the ultrasound tech guides the radiologist to the lump. Then the suction machine is turned on and the sample is taken.

I'm told that because I had 4 samples taken, I'll be in some pain once the numbing wears off, but so far it's all good, I'm still nub and feeling no pain.

I get the results in a week, hopefully by next Tuesday. Two weeks tops. So now I just have to cross my fingers that it's all clear.

Thanks again everyone for your support. Sorry for being such a worry wart. I just hate things like this, things where I don't know what to expect. Now that I know, if I ever have to have another one it will be smooth sailing. :)

No need to apologize... it would be unusual if you didn't feel some worry! Glad it all went so smoothly... continued prayers and good thoughts for clear results.

Glad you had a painless experience. And just think! -- you made some new friends today!

I've got my fingers and toes crossed for you. Thanks for,explaining the procedure. Hopefully you're not hurting tonight.

I'm a bit sore, but it's not bad, not really pain, more like an ache. Now the waiting game begins.

I can't wait to remove the bandaids on Sunday, they're itchy and a pain in the boob. ;)

How did everything go? Did you get results back yet? Sorry if you posted them elsewhere...

No news yet. Tomorrow will be 2 weeks since the biopsy. So much for 1 week, 2 at most.

If I don't get a call tomorrow I'm calling my doctor to schedule an appointment to find out the results.

You must be a saint, because I'd have been yelling at them every day. I'm not patient when it comes to results, although they don't get them any faster to me. I hope that no news is good news!

You must be a saint, because I'd have been yelling at them every day. I'm not patient when it comes to results, although they don't get them any faster to me. I hope that no news is good news!

Not a saint at all, just trying to be patient, and dealing with a lot of other things that actually, surprisingly, put the biopsy results on the back burner. Strange but true, because the other events don't really add up to dealing with cancer, but they involve my kids and my pets, small things, tiny things, but things that still need to be dealt with, and that pushed the biopsy results out of the running when it came to the things I'm worrying about.

If that makes sense.

Women are strange. Oh, you may have cancer. Oh, your kid isn't doing good in math, so stop focusing on cancer and focus on the kid and the math instead. No longer worried about cancer, are you? Just worried about 8th grade math and your 8th grader now.

Mom's are silly. :)

Oh, and just an fyi, 8th grade math using the new math, will kill me before any cancer can. ;)

Not a saint at all, just trying to be patient, and dealing with a lot of other things that actually, surprisingly, put the biopsy results on the back burner. Strange but true, because the other events don't really add up to dealing with cancer, but they involve my kids and my pets, small things, tiny things, but things that still need to be dealt with, and that pushed the biopsy results out of the running when it came to the things I'm worrying about.

If that makes sense.

Women are strange. Oh, you may have cancer. Oh, your kid isn't doing good in math, so stop focusing on cancer and focus on the kid and the math instead. No longer worried about cancer, are you? Just worried about 8th grade math and your 8th grader now.

Mom's are silly. :)

Oh, and just an fyi, 8th grade math using the new math, will kill me before any cancer can. ;)
Well, I hear you! Just when life settles down around here, we've got a diabetic dog. Two and a half weeks later, no luck with insulin #1, so tomorrow if no change, we'll try another type. It's not cancer, but it still stinks.
Good luck with the math. Check out Khan Academy online for some help.

Well, I hear you! Just when life settles down around here, we've got a diabetic dog. Two and a half weeks later, no luck with insulin #1, so tomorrow if no change, we'll try another type. It's not cancer, but it still stinks.
Good luck with the math. Check out Khan Academy online for some help.

Oh no. Diabetes isn't fun at all, not for humans, or dogs, or any living being. So sorry. But I know you'll find what works for this pup. You'll do all you can. You'll make it work, and pup will be okay. I know it! Sucks that you have to deal with it, but you'll deal with it and come out on top. I know this.


As for math. Bah! Humbug! Math is stupid! There, I said it. I hate math, and the new math, well, you might as well just shoot me in the head now because I can't wrap my brain around it at all. Math was always my weak spot. I sucked at it. I barely passed it in school. Now there's the new math. Hello! I was just getting used to the old math and now you're changing it, making it harder to understand? Are you trying to kill me? I think they are. ;)

Worst part, the parents are apparently responsible for teaching this math. Why? Because the teachers don't get it! Well news flash, I don't get it either, so I guess everyone is screwed. :(

I'd take a look at the videos on Khan academy. It makes everything more understandable. Have you ride looking through the curriculum for internet links? If the math is new, most publishers are including helpful videos explaining how to solve problems.

I'll definitely take a look. Thanks Jenn. I need all the help I can get. Sydney is really struggling with math. She comes home and needs help, so I teach her my way. She gets it right away, long division the old way (the way we were taught), multiplication (the way we were taught), she gets it right away. But the new math, it confounds her, and me and Rod and all of us. So she takes a test, does the math the way I taught her, gets the right answer, and fails because she didn't use the new math. I don't think that's right. Who cares how you got the answer, as long as you got it?

Just frustrates me beyond reason.

It is frustrating Alty. On one hand, we want kids to understand that there can be more than one way to reach an answer. In fact, we would have class discussions about the different ways students came to their conclusion.

The newer way is thought to give students a better understanding of not only how to get the answer but why the various rules work... to increase reasoning. For example, knowing why we move a decimal in Division; what is actually happening, instead of just knowing and following the rule.

Kids do often understand once they get it, but it can take time, and it's even sometimes a challenge for teachers to teach a new way.

I can see pros and cons in both ways of thinking, but I do think too much emphasis is placed on problem solving in a specific way. There is plenty of room to present more than one way of thinking for students to build on.

Hope the videos help it to make more sense. We had a couple of parent math nights just to help parents better understand the changes.

It is difficult, but I think the bigger picture is that problem-solving has changed. We teach students to figure out why something is done, so they can solve math problems. We memorized in our day, but that doesn't teach much. My youngest knew all of his multiplication tables in Kindergarten but had no clue what they meant. We're teaching with counters in Kindergarten, and my kiddos know all the vocabulary that goes along with it. It's new to some, but teaching keeps going in cycles. We've done this before, moved away from it, and now it's back. It takes a lot of training, but that's because we have all the technology components. It scares so many teachers that many are retiring. Not me, I'm going to continue on until this Common Core stuff is a distant memory.

Common core won't be taught here next year! Yay!

Kahn Academy is great. Although, I've enrolled Little J in summer school. It's online and it's free. I think they have one in Canada, but I'm not sure. Check out Credit Recovery tutoring Canada. For us it's through a program called K12. The school will accept these grades and boost his GPA.

I'll definitely check it ou J. Syd needs all the help she can get with math. Next year she's in 9th grade, and then we go to 10th where math becomes even more complicated. If she doesn't have down the basics by the end of 9th, she'll be screwed, like I was, in 10th, 11th, and 12th. I don't want that for her.

She's a bright kid, but she's so much like me. If she doesn't understand something right away, she tends to give up. :(

Alty, any news? I've been thinking about you and hope everything turned out well.

No news yet. I was told that no news is good news, they normally only call if they find something. So I'm guessing that I'm okay.

Seeing my doctor next week for prescription refill so I'll ask him then. :)

Excellent!! Glad to hear it!