Video Game Sounds Now with Real Tissue Samples

Today was the MRI biopsy on the left. It started with the same nurse for the ultra sound biopsies. Needless to say she shared the same reaction most people have when she saw me. "What, 30 years old, dietitian, that just doesn't seem right." She got me prepared for more fun and confirming name and date of birth 12 times. We chatted about life and good substitutions for sour cream (non fat greek yogurt).  Then the Radiologist came in. She told me that this mass was so close to the chest wall that she wasn't sure she was going to be able to biopsy it. Great, missing a full day of work to have a metal clip placed I could have done this on my lunch break. But, she wanted to give it a try as long as she wasn't going to be at risk for getting the needle into my lung. Yes, I agreed with her, please lets leave my lungs out of this.

After the IV is put into my arm, we are ready to have me lie face down again. This time there is a wedge on my right side to have me rolled as far to my left as I can then one arm by my side and one arm up over my head. Again, super comfy, but next up not only do we have loud banging noises but needles are involved and I have to answer questions as we go along. Today, however, they put in a mirror which acts as a periscope and I can actually see what is going on around me (minus the biopsy part).  The radiologist feels she has found the spot and proceeds to numb me up good. I have to say having your entire breast numb is really odd. And then it got weirder. Once I was totally numb she took samples. All you can feel is vibrations going on inside your body with clicking noise.

And this in my sick and twisted head is all I can think about as she is pulling samples (Yes, it is from Spaceballs):

MRI and biopsies complete and now a matching metal clip left on the left side to match the one on my right (to ensure during surgery they remove the correct mass). The Radiologist informs me that she had to go pretty deep and that I will be sore, but was impressed by my ability to hold a weird position for an hour and not move (thank you sports!). I however am a bleeder, so she is telling me all this while the nurse has my boob in a vice grip to try to stop the bleeding. Thank goodness for numbing medication. The nurse also leads me into the next room while holding on to my boob, has me lay down so she can put pressure on it (which means nearly trying to shove it into my left lung). The bleeding slows enough that she can put steri strips onto it and I can go have a mamogram to confirm the placement. And first ice pack of the day. I get squished and then have the steri strips replaced and more vice grip and pressure into the lungs to again stop the bleeding. Then I get to go home (and ice for 6 hours). Guess what comes next? More waiting and a PET scan.