I walked into that first mammogram room without the least bit of nervous energy. I chatted with the technician as she performed the test. She was a nice older woman who told me she loved her job and performed more mammograms than she could count in a day.
When the test was over, I thanked that smiling tech, put my bra and shirt back on, and cheerfully went about the rest of my day. I never thought I’d be back in that same exam room for a follow up mammogram.
I didn’t expect a mammogram call back on the same day of my exam. Although I was being scanned for cancer I honestly didn’t think the test would reveal a problem.
Mammogram Call Back Same Day
So when my cell phone began vibrating on the table beside me I glanced down at the screen, but didn’t think much of it. I didn’t recognize the number, so I choose to ignore it. I flipped the phone over and returned to the game of Monopoly Junior I was playing with my four-year-old.
If the caller ID doesn’t show one of four numbers (my husband’s cell phone, my parent’s house, or one of my children’s schools), I assume someone is trying to sell me something. If it’s important, they’ll leave a message.
At that moment, my brain didn’t register that it could be something essential, something I didn’t want to miss.
The Dreaded Mammogram Call Back
Later that day, a bright red #4 appeared on the phone icon on my cell. I clicked on it and found two missed calls and two voice mails waiting for me.
I fully expected them to be SPAM. The first was a young woman offering to lower my debts. Yup, SPAM, just like I thought it would be, but the second message was not the robotic voice I expected to hear.
“This is the radiology department…,” the kind, melodic voice said. My heart started to race, and I immediately took a seat.
I restarted the message from the beginning. “This is the radiology department. Please call us regarding your recent mammogram,” the voice said.
Then the caller provided the call back number, a string of digits I couldn’t write down as quickly as she recited them. I returned to the beginning of the message over and over. By the fourth time, I’d gathered them all.
Before I called the radiology department, I tried to settle myself. I took a deep breath. I reminded myself that no one in my family has ever had breast cancer. Then I slowly and carefully dialed the number as though I was entering secret, nuclear launch codes. I paused after I pushed each button on the phone.
A Follow Up Mammogram is Necessary
The kind receptionist can’t provide many details. “I’m not a doctor. I can’t tell you what they see, only that you need to come back in for a follow up mammogram and ultrasound. Would you like to schedule that now,” she asks?
“Yes,” I say without a moment of hesitation. “That will cost $371,” the receptionist says. “Fine, fine,” I tell her as if money matters at all at this moment.
“Okay,” she says. “You are scheduled for a follow up mammogram and ultrasound, but on the day of your appointment you’ll need a referral.”
I hang up and immediately call my gynecologist. Of course, the nurse isn’t at her desk, so I need to leave a message. I say my name twice, spell it twice, and then repeat my phone number incredibly slowly three times.
I want them to call me back immediately, so I make damn sure they know who I am and which number to call.
I Am Waiting for Mammogram Results, and I’m Terrified
I wait, as the world keeps on spinning. I wait for mammogram results that might change everything, and I’m terrified.
I sit in my basement, watching my four-year-old race marbles. After each race, my son walks over and shows me the marble that won. I fight back my tears as I watch him and wait for the phone to ring.
Two hours later, the nurse calls back. “You were next on my list of patients to call,” she says, sounding surprisingly chipper. “Let me pull up your report and read it to you.”
“There is a focus of architectural distortion in the left breast,” she says, “and suspicious microcalcifications.”
I’m immediately scared and anxious. My mind swirls with frightening thoughts.
“They want you to repeat the test with a follow up mammogram. The technicians will get a closer look and then perform an ultrasound. The doctor already took a look at your results. He thinks it’s a good idea to get retested. I’ll send in the referral for you.”
That’s it. The nurse hangs up the phone. She can’t provide any other information. A minute passes, and the phone rings again. It’s the nurse calling back, “Oh, sorry,” she says. “I misread the report. It says it’s NOT suspicious. I thought you would like to know that.”
There is a HUGE difference between suspicious and not suspicious. I’ve never been so grateful to hear the word NOT used in a sentence before. At least now, I’m only dealing with one abnormal finding on my mammogram report.
Dr. Google
I take a deep breath, one of those deep, deep breaths where it feels like your lungs sucked in all of the air around you.
Then I pull out my laptop and immediately consult Dr. Google. I have so many unanswered questions.
- How often do people get called back for a follow up mammogram?
- How often are forty-year-olds diagnosed with cancer?
- Where in the breast is cancer typically found?
I find the answers:
- Did you know that breast cancer occurs most often on the left side of the body?
- Or that 50 percent of malignant lumps appear in the breast’s upper, outer quadrant, extending into the armpit, where tissue is thicker than elsewhere?
- Did you know that younger women tend to get more aggressive cancers and have a lower chance of survival?
No? I didn’t know any of it either.
The tissue in question is on my left side, in the upper quadrant, and I am younger than fifty, so I’m batting three for three.
Mammogram Call Back Fear and Anxiety
This isn’t my first medical crisis. I’ve faced medical traumas in the past. I nearly died of a pulmonary embolism at age twenty-seven, but this time it’s different. An embolism occurs quickly. You don’t have time to worry about it. You barely have time to get to the hospital. Cancer is not like an embolism. It’s drawn out and painful, plus this time I have kids.
I am anxious and terrified. Having kids changes everything. I look down at my four-year-old and feel hot tears pouring down on my cheeks. I put down the laptop and snuggle my little one into my lap. The tears drip onto his face, and he looks up and asks why I’m crying.
“I just love you,” I tell him because it’s true.
The Facts: Architectural Distortion
Later that night, I decide to search Google again. This time I’m armed with specific questions about architectural distortion. I’m terrified. I mean, scared right down to the bone.
I’ve received questionable results from blood tests in the past, but I’ve never felt this frightened before. Every website tells me architectural distortion is the third most common sign of cancer and that the most aggressive types of cancer are often discovered this way.
I promise myself I can only search the Internet for a few more minutes. I’ll drive myself crazy if I keep reading about breast cancer. I search one more time and come across an article published in May of 2019 by Moose and Doc.
It says, “Breast cancer commonly causes architectural distortion.” It also says, “Architectural distortion uncommonly indicates cancer. More common is for architectural distortion to be ‘imaginary’ in the perception of the radiologist.”
An article about mammogram abnormalities also says, “Specialists estimate that around 4% of women who undertake a screening mammogram present with an architectural distortion. The number of those women in which the architectural distortion would represent invasive breast cancer is very low, perhaps 5%-7% of the 4% with architectural distortion, which becomes a much small number.”
My heart stops racing. I have a 93% chance that this abnormality won’t be breast cancer. Why couldn’t I have found that link earlier?
Another helpful piece of information. According to the American Cancer Society, radiologists will call back 10% of women who have a mammogram for further testing. Some women will be called back for a mammogram on the same day they took the initial test. It all depends on how quickly the radiologist reviews images.
The good news: Doctors will give 90% of women returning for a call back mammogram the all-clear after subsequent tests are complete.
My Mammogram: Architectural Distortion
I open my digital mammogram images and scan for the architectural distortion. I’m not a radiologist, but I find the spot immediately. It’s a small, bright white piece of tissue surrounded by four or five long strands. It doesn’t look like any other part of the mammogram.
I take a snapshot of that image and obsess over it for ten days. I look at it once every morning and once every evening before bed. Oh, and another fifty times throughout the day. I can’t stop thinking about that bright white spot on my mammogram. What is it, and what does it mean for me?
The Follow Up Mammogram
On the day of my follow up mammogram and ultrasound, I try to remain calm. I find ways to distract myself. I try to think about anything other than this test or what a positive result might mean. But, no matter how hard I try, my mind starts to wander, and the anxiety builds.
Will they perform a biopsy? Will I find out if I have cancer right there on-site? How would I find an oncologist if I needed one? How quickly could I schedule an appointment to be seen?
My mind is racing, but I keep thinking back to that 93% number. The odds are definitely in my favor.
I’m perfectly fine until I go to get undressed. As I place that pink hospital gown around my bare chest, I feel the tears drop down my cheeks. I brush them away. I try to act brave.
My husband jokes about the urine colored walls and other fabulous decorating choices. Then I hear my name being called.
The technician shows me an image from my first mammogram. She points to that bright white spot of tissue that looks unlike the rest of the image.
She explains that she’ll take a bunch of pictures, and if everything looks perfect, I won’t need to undergo an ultrasound. I start to cry. She tells me to try not to worry.
Then she places my breast on the imaging machine and presses a clear piece of plastic against it. She moves my body, rolls my breast one way and then another, squeezing it each time between the plastic plate. She asks me to hold my breath while she takes the pictures and then says, “You’re all done. The doctor will look at your images now.”
Called Back for Ultrasound After Mammogram
I’m led back to the hallway. I return to my pea-green seat and quietly hope that everything looks okay. Here I am, waiting for mammogram results for the second time in two weeks. The terror begins to overtake my already shaky composure.
The technician steps out a few minutes later. “They’ll need an ultrasound,” she says, and I feel the panic set in.
She just told me they wouldn’t call me in for an ultrasound unless they saw something on my latest mammogram. Clearly, they see something on the new film.
This time my husband can come along. He jokes about the ambiance in the room, the dim lights, the fact that I’m taking my shirt off, and lying on a small bed. I’m thankful he’s with me that he’s able to take off work to sit beside me and crack jokes to ease my mind.
The ultrasound technician squirts gel onto my chest and then starts to move the wand across my skin. I can see the monitor as she moves it over me. A small, black, circular spot appears. She measures it once, twice, and then a third time.
She moves the wand further up and down my breast. Then she abruptly stops. “All I see is a lymph node,” she says, “nothing more. I’ll call the doctor in now.”
Within a minute or two, the doctor appears beside my bed. He shakes my hand, introduces himself, and says, “I don’t see any cancer. I didn’t see anything on your follow up mammogram, but I wanted to be 100% sure with the ultrasound.”
I suddenly realize I’ve been holding my breath. I slowly and calmly exhale.
Calming Mammogram Call Back Anxiety
If you’ve been called back for a mammogram you are probably feeling overwhelmed and terrified. I understand that anxiety all too well.
Not so long ago I scoured the Internet in search of happy endings. Now readers stumble across these words and leave their stories in the comments below.
I wish you the best of luck as you undergo further testing and I hope that your future scans are all clear.
While I cannot predict what will happen in your particular case I can offer you one comforting piece of information. According to the University of Rochester Medical Center less than 10% of women will be called back for a mammogram. Of those who are called back less than 1% will be diagnosed with cancer.
If you are feeling anxious reflect on that number for a moment. The majority of women who return for a follow up mammogram will be given the all clear!
—
** Part two of this story can be found here: Life is Fragile: Make the Most of Limited Time.
Ugh, I know that feeling. I had a mole on my back biopsied, and they promised a postcard in the mail if all was well.
So, when I discovered a phone message from the dermatologist, I well and truly freaked out.
Mine turned out to be moderately atypical cells, not cancer, and I was massively relieved. But the waiting is HORRIBLE.
I’m so glad that you are going to be ok. <3
And I meant to say…this mole scare just happened to me at the beginning of October. So it’s nice and fresh in my memory, which is giving me major sympathy for you!
Thanks Kristen. I wish none of us ever had to face a phone call or letter like these. I’m so thankful I checked my voice mail. I would have been even more freaked out by a letter in the mail three weeks later. That mail just showed up today!
You had to wait TEN days for the follow up!? I’d be a freaking nervous WRECK. So glad all is well.
If that appointment hadn’t worked out it would have been a two week wait! At least the radiologist was in the room just after the second mammogram and ultrasound. I can’t imagine waiting for the results of the second test!
I got the call back phone call yesterday. Today is my follow up mammogram. I’m going through all the feels, and trying to remember that I’m undiagnosed. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the architectural distortion they found is not cancer. I’ll know soon enough.
Lately I’ve had a nagging feeling that I’m running out of time. I have just turned 64 and my mortality becomes a bit more focused on the horizon of my life. I’m going to try to remain positive today, and to remember what I’ve read here today- how fragile life is and always will be, to savor my life’s moments each and every day. No one knows how much time we have on this good Earth. We all need to spend it in whatever way brings us joy.
Oh Vicki, I am sorry that you have to go through this. I will be thinking about you and hoping for the best. You are not alone. Many of us have faced or will face a follow up mammogram at some point in the future. I love your attitude about your upcoming test. We must savor life’s moments each and every day. What a beautiful sentiment, because you are right. We have no idea how much time we have “on this good Earth.”
I could have written this post. I went through this a few years ago. Add a biopsy to make it more nerve wrecking. It took five days to get the results back from the biopsy and, fortunately, it was benign. The waiting in between every step was awful– total of 12 stressful days.
In the meantime, my friend’s dog had a suspicious lump that had to be biopsied. The whole process from start to finish was 48 hours?! He’s fine 🙂
Glad that everything worked out well for you. During this experience, I learned that so many women go through this– it’s not uncommon. Thank you for sharing your story.
Thank you so much for your comment. I actually wrote this post because I couldn’t find anything similar on the Internet. Everything I found about follow up mammograms was so clinical. I was looking for a story like mine. Someone who said, I’m scared and this sucks and I wish that I could see that it was normal and that most of the time everything works out. The chances of finding cancer is quite slim according to the articles I found.
I’m sorry that you had to deal with this and wait for so long to get an answer. I do feel like we handle animals so much more humanely sometimes. Think about putting a dog or cat to sleep. We make it such a peaceful experience.
Thank you for letting me know I’m not alone. I hope others can stumble upon this post and realize that they are not alone.
I am so scared right now. I delayed having a mammogram by 2 years even after having a scare 5 years ago. I was called back after a 3 D mammogram. I was told it was a technical error on their part. But I had 2 more images done yesterday. Today I received a call to schedule an ultrasound of my right breast. This is the opposite breast from the last scare. I had to pull it out of the nurse for more information. There’s a suspicious area behind my right nipple. That’s all I know for now. I was told I’d get a call next week to schedule an ultrasound. I can’t wait that long. I was given a number to call to try to set up the appointment earlier but due to the Covid situation the staff is less. I’ve called twice and left messages. Nobody has returned my call. I’m absolutely terrified. Nipple! That can only mean cancer, right? I’m 66. I had my first and only pregnancy at age 42! Started my period at age 11. I’m slightly overweight. I had a hysterectomy at 52. I’m convinced it’s cancer. I’m beside myself with anxiety. How do I wait this out?
I’m sorry you are feeling scared. I felt the exact same way. Keep in mind that many women are called back, but very few actually receive a cancer diagnosis. Find someone who you can talk to about your concerns. Ultrasounds are often used to double check the tissue that may appear suspicious on mammograms images. I had an ultrasound performed after my second mammogram and I still received the “all clear.”
I have been re-called after my mammogram showed a distortion, with no mass. Dr Google is not helping but your post certainly has eased my worries. I hope I have the same outcome as you. Thank you for your article x
Hi Susan, I hope your follow-up mammogram turns out just fine. I wish you the best of luck!
I go in for my callback tomorrow morning. I’m 45 and I have never had this happen after a mammogram before so I have been terrified for the past three days. 🙁 The waiting and overthinking and Googling….and Googling….and Googling…it’s enough to drive me nuts! Thank you for posting your story – so many of us can relate. Especially me tonight praying for a similar outcome tomorrow!
Hi Nicole, I will be thinking of you and hoping for the best. I hope that your second scan looks perfectly normal! All the best.
Thank you for this article. I feel a little better but am still concerned. I have a biopsy scheduled for tomorrow. Reading your story has helped me look at the big picture and see if I have enjoyed my life to the fullest. I’m praying for good news and will treasure every day with my boys and husband.
I’m glad you found this post comforting. I hope your tests were all clear!
Thank you for sharing your story. I went for my annual mammogram and sonogram on August 9th and received a call on August 10th that I need to come back in for a diagnostic mammogram. The screening mammogram showed a new possible architectural distortion in one view of the mammogram. The sonogram showed No malignancy. First appoint for follow was September 1st. I immediately took yo google which scared me. I am happy I found your article and I hope my outcome is the same as yours. I’m 54 and this is my first call back. My nervous are a mess.
I’m glad that your sonogram did not show a malignancy. I hope that your new scan also shows the all clear!
I am lying here very early in the am and unable to sleep. My callback mammo is in a few hours and I am also a nervous wreck. To compound my diagnosis (architectural distortion) I am in the medical field and I also have saline implants. My most frustrating experience has been scheduling. How can you urgently call back for follow up testing and ultrasound then say I’ll see you in 11 days? That’s just cruel in my mind. My husband is super supportive and I’ll fight my way through this but ladies I agree, Dr. Google will give you a cancer diagnosis if you read long enough. My prayers to everyone fighting their own battle. We will survive…God Bless.
Hi Sherry, I hope your tests reveal that this was just an error and not something significant. I totally agree about the call back process for a mammogram. The radiology department will tell you it’s urgent to return then make you wait a week or two to be scheduled and rescanned. I wish you the best and hope you return here to tell us it was all clear!
I just went in today for follow-up. After 3 rounds of pictures they called for ultrasound. I was too scared to look at screens so I didn’t. I have to go for biopsy on Tuesday. Architectural distortion is the name of the game. I’m freaking out but trying to be brave, hoping its nothing or benign.
I hope it’s nothing too! Please come back and tell me after you hear. I will be thinking of you.
I also just got a call back yesterday after my mammogram on Monday. I was told that the dr has seen a density and they want to do an ultrasound to “make sure it’s clear tissue.” I’m trying not to worry… but it’s hard
I hope your appointment went well. I went in for my yearly mammogram today. After my prior experience I am crossing my fingers the radiologist doesn’t see anything.
Got called back for architectural distortions last week. My follow up is November 3, 2020. My question is “Do we have the right to request our images and to compare them to previous images?” I would like to be a proactive patient who advocates for myself. So when I go in for the diagnostic I want to see what “they” are looking at.
You should definitely be able to get access to your films and I applaud your desire to advocate for yourself! My mammogram images were uploaded to a website where I can view and compare them, but if your location doesn’t do that they should be able to provide them to you on a disk. After my previous medical issues I always pick up my films after tests are performed if I cannot access them digitally. As a patient I think we all need access to our information and I make a point to hold onto all of the images and results I receive. Call your radiology department and ask for copies of any years you would like to see. They usually make you return to the office with identification to receive them, but they should definitely be able to offer them to you for free. Best of luck with your next exam.
Thanks so much for this article. I completed my baseline a couple of weeks ago. They told me to prepare for a call back, it’s more surprising not to get a call back after the first one. Ok, so when they called me back, no big deal. UNTIL my chart released the full findings. I honestly thought it was because one is bigger than the other. But then I googled it. More than half or 2/3rds, or uncommon, and malignant and non invasive, and dense tissue and on and on. Like it’s overwhelming. But I just finished your story and what Relief to find. Thanks so much for just saying these words. I needed it.
Ugh, I’m sorry you are going through this, but I am glad you find my website and that it is putting your mind slightly at ease. I hope that your future tests are all clear and I wish you all the best!
Hello, I did not receive a call back yet and I am really surprised how that didn’t .
I read my results on my chart which indicates that I have architectural distortion and they are recommending more imaging or an ultrasound! I am really stressed out especially after googling what architectural distortion is! I called my doctor today but they told me to leave a message and they will call me back!
Thanks for sharing your story, it gave me hope but I am still worried. Hope all of us will get through this
I hope you are able to get a call back shortly. As I mentioned in this post, (according to every website I can find), most cases of architectural distortion do not appear in subsequent screenings. I hope that’s the case for you and everything is all clear!
Hello, I received my letter from my mammogram. It says distortion , with no suspicious mass or Calcification Are otherwise indentified within either breast . . Impression questionable distortion in the left breast .BI-Rads 0. I am a little freak out . Have to go back for more imaging and ultrasound. Help ..
Take a deep breath and try to relax. My initial image said the same thing and my follow up tests were all clear. Hopefully it’s just a mistaken image on the scan and nothing more. I wish you the best of luck.
Just a up date , I went today for my follow up mammogram and ultrasound. I was never so scared . My anxiety where high . Today . But, my outcome came out great no cancer no issues . I can breathe again . Thank you for your blog . It really help me . I was sitting waiting for my results today. When the Dr. came in and said everything is good . I started to cry. And Thank her . It was the best news and birthday 60th gift Ever . ❤️
I cried like crazy when I heard the good news too! I’m so glad your scans were all clear. Thank you for returning to comment. Your words will provide relief to others who search for similar happy stories.
I just wanted to comment and say how much your story helped me while I was thinking about my mammogram call back.
I went in for my first mammogram 2 weeks ago. 2 days later it came back “questionable distortion”. I had a lot of anxiety after getting that news from the screening mammogram. I had to wait 10 days for the diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound. I went in to that appointment and they told me everything was completely normal. I just have dense breasts. It was very hard to go through all the waiting, but in the end it was worth it. I know healthy and can resume my yearly mammograms. Hope this story helps someone else too.
Thank you so much for returning to tell your story! I always hope for the best when people leave comments, but no one ever returns to say what happened. I’m so glad you were given the all clear!!!
I read you blog so many times while I was waiting I told myself if everything was ok I needed to comment. I hope others will return to comment too.
Thank you again! I think that’s the scary part of the Internet. You hear the first part of a story, but not the follow through. That’s why I wanted to share my experience. I wanted to let other women know that I was clicking around the Internet in search of uplifting stories just like they are doing when they stumble upon this post. I am so glad things turned out okay. Your comment will help others who read it.
So as I sit here at 12:13 am, my follow up mammogram is in roughly 12 hours. I told myself I would not stress out about this, but here I am “googling” architectural distortion. I really wish the hospital offered counseling or something as you wait for results. Wish me luck tomorrow if you would. I’m truly freaking out! Also, I had never heard of this term before now. Anyway, hopefully everything goes well for me!
Tina
I had never heard of the term until I received my results last year. I do wish you the best of luck! I hope that your test results are all clear tomorrow!
I’m sitting here waiting for my follow up mammogram right now. Thank you for your post, the numbers were very helpful Happy to hear that you are ok!!
I hope all of your tests come out clean. I wish you all the best!
Thank you. Am so tired of mammogram callbacks and have been convinced this one I have tomorrow is *the one* where they will find something. First time I’ve had the reason “architectural distortion”. Ugh the process and the waiting absolutely sucks. Thanks for taking the time to write something positive for people to find. I do feel a little better.
I’m reporting back to let everyone know that today I had my callback mammo and ultrasound and they found a cyst. All is ok. So an architectural distortion can be as simple as a cyst. It’s really a torturous process. Good luck to all and don’t spend too much time googling.
Hi Marilyn, Thank you so much for returning with an update. I’m so happy your follow up mammogram only shows a cyst! I hope all future tests are also clean from this point forward!
Thank you for writing this. I don’t think I’ve ever commented on a blog before but I felt compelled to this time. My experience is almost identical to the first part of yours. The hospital called me for a follow up mammogram and ultrasound, told me they couldn’t tell me anything and then told me to call my doctor for a prescription for the ultrasound. The nurse called me back and told met that the radiologist saw architectural distortion and needed follow up imaging and then she told me not to worry. Of course I immediately got online and have spent the last 3 hours obsessively googling architectural distortion and getting more and more upset by the minute. As you outlined above everything online makes this sound like a very grim finding plus it’s all in very hard to understand medical jargon. I tried to scour reddit for other women whom have experienced this and came up with a total dead end. Your blog is the only thing I’ve found that has calmed my nerves a little bit. It was also nice to read the comments from other women who have experienced this. Fortunately my follow up is tomorrow so I don’t have to wait too long to get some more information. I don’t know if the radiologist will give me the results immediately but I sure hope so. Fingers crossed it’s nothing to worry about.
Hi Lindsey, I’m sorry that you need to return for a follow up mammogram and ultrasound, but as you can see there are a lot of success stories on this blog. Most women who comment here have experienced the same calls and came out days later with completely clean results. I hope that the radiologists and technicians don’t see anything abnormal tomorrow. Thank you for letting me know this blog was comforting. That’s why I wrote this post!
Just coming back to update after my follow up appointment. They did the mammogram and told me that they might not need to do the ultrasound. I waited a little while and they called me back for the ultrasound. At that point I got extremely nervous. We went back, she took some images and then said, I’ll go show these to the radiologist and let you know what he says. After the longest three minutes of my life she came back in to let me know he didn’t see anything other than my breasts are very dense. She let me know I can just follow up for my regular mammogram next year. I feel very relieved. I wanted to be sure to post my results here for other women looking for reassurance when facing the same thing.
Hooray!!! Thank you for returning with another positive story!
Lindsey, I am exactly with you. Tomorrow is recall for my arch. distortion. I wasn’t that worried until I just did the googling and became terrified. I was comforted to find this blog. Will pray for us both as we are together in this tomorrow. I am 70. When I was 54 I had recall and needle biopsy and it was fine. Praying for us both! I was told I’d get results tomorrow.
Hi Terri, Thank you for leaving a comment and for letting readers here know that a previous recall and biopsy turned out okay. I do hope that your test results don’t show anything abnormal and that you and Lindsey, (the commenter above), return tomorrow to let us know that everything was fine.
Had all the tests today—the second round of mammograms and then needed an ultrasound. Anxiety through the roof of course. Then radiologist came in and was very kind and not concerned: she is thinking she sees something that’s not cancer, like what happened to me in 2005; but they need to do a needle biopsy to be sure. She really put me at ease, and I’m scheduled for the biopsy on Jan. 21. They do it at the breast lab where the tests were, so that will be easy to navigate. They were very kind, and I’m not worried about the biopsy since I had one before. Those results can take up to a week, but my anxiety level is much better now.
Thank you for returning to comment Terri. I am glad the radiologist was able to ease your concerns. I was amazed by the compassion of the radiologist that I met during my experience. It’s nice to know they recognize our anxiety. Wishing you all the best!
Terri, I’m happy they were able to ease your mind. I hope that your next results are good and that you get them as quickly as possible. Thank you very much for the kind words yesterday!
Thank you Lindsey! And I’m so glad your results were good! I was thinking of you the whole time I went through my ordeal today.
I finally got the results from my biopsy last week and all is good, benign, just fine! The needle biopsy was very quick and painless, but am I ever bruised! So after three weeks of anxiety, just like I went through in 2005, all is fine. Thank you for easing my mind after I went down the google hole:-)
Yay! Hooray! I’m so glad it all turned out fine!
Dear Jewels,
I’m so happy to have found your blog. I am experiencing the same thing as you and many of your readers: architectural distortion. I’m terrified. Google searching only makes things worse. Your blog post is so comforting. I go tomorrow for more imaging. I will try to remember your words—only 1%. Still, it’s so scary. It’s hard to be calm.
Hi Randy, I do hope your repeat mammogram turned out okay. You are right that 1% is still very scary, but the comments on this post have made me so hopeful for those who stumble upon it. I want more of the 99% to come back to say they were fine. I wish you all the best.
Hi Jewel,
I wanted to tell you and your readers about my follow-up mammography after having an architectural distortion. As you have mentioned, the experience is scary. The entire waiting was full with social-distancing in place. I was called back for the diagnostic mammogram. An hour later I was called back for another mammogram. I was getting more stressed. About twenty minutes later, I was called back for an ultra-sound. Stress level is peaking. The tech told me that having 2 mammograms and ultra-sound is common. She reassured me that she saw nothing suspicious. She told me this two times. The radiologist also performed an ultra-sound and didn’t see anything suspicious. But, based on my family history, she wanted me to have a MRI because this test is very accurate. I’m relieved that nothing was seen on the ultra-sound other than I have dense tissue. Now, I only have to get through the MRI.
Hi Randi, Thanks for returning with an update. I’m glad that the radiologist and technician didn’t see anything on your ultrasound or mammogram. If they didn’t see anything I can’t imagine the MRI will turn anything up either. That’s great news!
Hi. Yesterday i found some sort of relief reading this blog as i was terrified one day before my tests. So i just want to contribute now to ease the anxiety to all the women that are in the situation i was yesterday.
Some months ago i did my annual mammogram and results came back as abnormal. They saw architectural distorsion on my left breast. As you can imagine I panicked. They asked me to do a MRI to find out more about it.
Since I am extremely claustrophobic i knew i could not do an MRI. I chatted to my gynecologist and she was very rude. Telling me things like you dread an MRI? Wait till you have to fight cancer and see what it is. All those comments left me devastated and more anxious than before. I decided to go with public system ( i live in Spain where we have an excellent free public health system for everyone) instead of continuing with my private dr. I had to wait almost 2 months for the additional tests due to Covid situation here in Spain and the saturation of hospitals what was really a nightmare. Finally the day of my appointment arrived and They decided to do a 3D mammogram ( tomosynthesis) and depending on results an ultrasounds they told me. Last night i thought i was about to have a panic attack due to all the stress. Finally today i went to do my tests. They did the 3D mamo and after waiting one hour while dr revised the results ( it was a nightmare waiting for so long) they called me for an ultrasound. At that point my anxiety was extremely high.
The result: ALL FINE!!!!! :-).
Dr told me she didn’t see the architectual distorsion in the new mammo and explained that mammogram is like a picture where images are sometimes disorted like in a picture where sometimes you see a shadow, or a blurred part. So for those waiting in anxiety like i was till today, let me tell you to be optimistic . I suffered so much in anticipation for something that at the end was perfectly fine and normal. Do not panic as i did. I wish everyone reading this to have the same favorable result as i did.
Thank you so much for returning to tell your story! It will bring another reader a little peace of mind.
Hi all
First a little disclaimer. I’m not judging.
I’ve been battling mysterious health problems for many years and many doctors and zero diagnoses. Last Oct while suffering one of these episodes (wake up vomiting at wretching, choking, abdominal pain, back pain, nausea, dizzy, and even pass out on the regular, I was seeing my PCP when she said I was overdue for my mammogram…by idk about 6 yrs. So we scheduled it and I went in and did it. Next day I get the call. The dr. wants a core-needle biopsy.
Ok. I go in and get it done. They even leave a marker. I go home and 4 days later, I get the call. Just lumpy see ya in a year. What a relief!! Side note: I was also referred to another doctor for my other symptoms. Well come Dec. I get a letter the day after the 2nd dr had cancelled and rescheduled my appointment. I thought the letter was that confirmation and I pitched it. I mean my biopsy was normal, right? Well come January I receive a certified return receipt letter from the doctor telling me I failed to follow-up on their directive to follow-up with a surgeon for a mass that could be cancer. So I call with my apologies and several phone calls later, I speaking with a surgeon. I tell them what my situation is and they say, csn you be here tomorrow at 8:15am? I did that and now I’m scheduled to have an architectural distortion removed thats about the size of a golfball in 9 days. While working through this the other doctor called. Meet with them. Now they have me scheduled for an esophageal biopsy of a carcinoid not followed up on from 2017, 4 days later. I didn’t even know it was there.
I’m a train wreck playing the waiting game. Bp yesterday was 180/100. Scared….almost to death right now. ;(
Oh Joan, I’m sorry you are going through this. Thank you for sharing your story. It speaks to the importance of annual or bi-annual mammograms.
I recently wrote an article about the importance of maintaining medical records. From this point forward make sure to gather all of your medical documentation and take it with you to all of your appointments. You must advocate for yourself and make sure you understand what the doctors are saying.
I do hope that your test results are okay.
Me too. On Jan 26 I got engaged and within 30 minutes, got a callback. When I spoke to the doctor she shared that it was in inconclusive report and showed focal asymmetry with questionable architectural distortion. I have dense breast tissue. My conversation with her lasted less than two minutes. I am mediately started worrying. My follow up appointment was not for another 3 1/2 weeks. That was the first available. Meanwhile I researched everything on Google and scared myself to death. Today at my follow up I was fully convinced that they were going to deliver the news. After they mammogram the tech came back and gave me the all clear. She said that the diagnostic compression which is a more concentrated area spread the tissue out in such a way that the architectural distortion disappeared. They canceled the ultrasound. I’ve cried from relief. I am a single mother with a 15-year-old and a 20-year-old daughter. My fiancé and I are going through the process of adopting a seven and eight-year-old whose parents are Adickes. There were so many people counting on me to be here and I was literally feeling that it was going to be all over before I could really get started. She said it was simply that I have very dense breast tissue and that it often shows up as architectural distortion on mammograms. During those weeks of worry and fear, I can across your blog. This was the only thing on the whole Internet that gave me comfort and let me sleep at night. Barely. I just wanted to share that I am another case of dense breast tissue causing architectural distortion to show up. All my best to anyone who is out there waiting. I happen to be on the board of directors at the local hospital and today suggested an idea to them that we are going to pursue. Since 10 to 20% receive a callback, we are looking into saving 1 to 2 appointments per day for callbacks. That way someone would only have to wait one or two days and not 3 1/2 weeks of torture. I’m also asking the hospital to prepare an information sheet with calming information that can be shared with anyone who receives a call back. Tammy
Oh Tammy, thank you so much for leaving this heartfelt comment. I’m glad you stumbled across this blog post and that it brought you comfort while you waited for your second test. It’s amazing how many people have been helped by the words I wrote and all of the amazing commenters, like yourself, who have returned to tell your story.
I am so excited to know that you may be able to make changes at your hospital. How amazing would it be for patients to get an answer in a couple of days rather than waiting for weeks! If you are successful I hope that you will spread the word to other hospitals. I love that you are taking actions based on your own situation to better the world around you! It’s an amazing idea that should be implemented in other medical centers as well!
Hi,
I`m going for an MRI tomorrow for archit Distortion, I read your blog every day but today i decided to Google IT and now I`m convinced I have breast cancer because of an article I found with many cases of women having the archit distort that turned out to be malignant. I`ve been crying every day. I had 2 biopsies on my right breast 1 year ago, a follow up in August, benign fibroadenoma, so when I went for the screening mammogram in February I was convinced I was going to have a normal results. The distortion is on the same site as the biopsied fibroadenomas. I can`t catch a brake. Pray for me
Alessandra, I hope your test went well and that your mammogram showed normal results. I think about everyone who leaves a comment here and I wish you the best of luck!
Hi,
I just received the results of my MRI and It`s fine. I had to wait 1 month start to finish, I read your blog many times a day and It helped me tremendously. You are amazing, thank you so much.
Congratulations! I’m so happy to hear that everything looked fine on the repeat tests!
I to have read the blog from start to finish while waiting to go for my Diagnostic Mammogram. It comforted me to know that it is quite common to get a call back. I went for my screening mammogram the day before Easter and received an email on Monday saying that a new deep density was noted in my left breast that was not there before. I was given a follow-up appointment for Friday and I was fearing the worst the whole week. I googled non stop and came across this blog and reading the stories in the comments I felt calmer. I am happy to say that the density turned out to be an ordinary blood vessel and I am fine. Best wishes to all!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for leaving this comment Debbie. Each time a positive comment is left behind I know we ease another woman’s mind. Thank you for returning with your good news!
Just another note of thanks from someone who has a follow-up mammogram in a week with a note of architectural distortion and asymmetry. Your post and everyone’s comments brought me some peace. I will follow up when I have my new results and hope to share more good news.
Oh Erika, Thank you so much for leaving this comment. Every time a woman stumbles upon these positive comments I hope that they will put her worries at ease.
I just got a call back yesterday from my first mammogram. It showed some asymmetry in both breasts on one view, and the report says a *possible* architectural asymmetry in one area. I also apparently have very dense breasts. I am just turning 40 and feel better now than I did in my 20s. I’ve been paralyzed with fear and going down the google trail searching asymmetry and architectural distortion. I’ve convinced myself of all the worst possible outcomes when I go have a diagnostic mammogram and/or an ultrasound next week. I am crying all the time and I can’t focus. Finding this has helped so much and hearing from other women who’ve had similar mammogram findings that turned out to be nothing! Thank you for sharing!
I am sorry you are facing this. I wish you luck and hope that you will be like so many other women who have returned with happy endings.
My call back is tomorrow and I am really nervous, the posts on this site have really helped though.
I have dense breast and have a call back associated with left breast distortion. I had a mammogram and sonogram on Monday and will have a spot compression mammogram tomorrow followed by another sonogram if needed, I hope tomorrow I can add to this with some positive news.
I appreciate finding some information here because the internet has me very fearful.
Prayers
Kate
I’m glad this post has been helpful. I wish you all the best!
Just wanted to add another positive outcome from a fellow call-backer. The first results were vague – need a second look at an asymmetry in the right breast. It did take 10 days to get the next pictures done, but turns out the spot they were looking at was teeny tiny and the second look was all clear. The techs were really thorough and erring on the side of caution. Statistics are on your side, deep breaths, you got this!
Thank you for leaving another positive comment. I’m so glad that everything looked clean on your repeat mammogram!
Yesterday I got the terrifying call that my routine mammogram found something and I needed to come back for a repeat one and a possible ultrasound. (I am 51, turning 52 this weekend ) My mind went all over the place and I was terrified. I just became a gramma to a baby girl in march and am going to have another granddaughter in august, and all I could think about was my 3 kids and my new grandbabies and wanting to be around for all of them for a very long time. I literally freaked out and was so stressed, and of course I did what I shouldnt, I googled it…There were no masses or lumps but an architectural distoration found ( I have dense breasts and 1 is slightly bigger and my worry was that it had become a little bigger in the last year, so this was added to my stress) I am SO thankful that I ran into this site, it really helped put my mind at ease. I am lucky I got in within 24 hours of the call, so this morning I arrived and they did 3 different angles on the mammogram and my tech went to review with a radiologist. She came back to the room and smiled and said, get dressed., I wiill see you in 2 years! I did not even need the ultrasound! The immediate relief I felt was overwhelming and I wanted to share my story here because all the stories on here helped me get through my 24 hours. Please stay positive in the waiting, it is hard!
I am so glad your second test was all clear. Thank you for leaving this comment. It will provide relief to someone who is sitting in the same place you were in two days ago!
I have been called back for an architectural distortion and I am terrified… As a scientist, I immediately turned to the literature, and what I found was not encouraging. I am so happy to read your blog and see that many people have been called back and all has been well. I will go in Wednesday(after a 3 week wait) for additional mammography and possibly ultrasound. I am really worried, but what I have read here has given me some hope. Thank you for sharing your story.
Hi Casey, I am glad this post has given you hope. As you can see, many other women have returned for follow up testing and received good news that all is well. I hope that you are able to return soon to share a similar story. I wish you the best of luck!
I too had a similar experience with a callback for additional mammogram pics and ultrasound for architectural distortion. I was so happy to find your blog and despite still feeling scared, your comments and information were calming and a wonderful comfort. After waiting 12 excruciating days for the second appointment, I was lucky and relieved to be told everything is OK. I repeat in six months.
What I would like to do here is to say to radiology centers (hopefully somebody out there in that world will see this) – please have compassion for your patients and hold open some emergency appointments every day so people don’t have to wait sometimes weeks to find out if they are OK – or not. I’m sure you could still fill them at the last minute if they were not needed. Do they realize how stressful this is? After my initial 10 day wait I even got a call to reschedule my second appointment the day before it was due. Something about machine being broken down. This was a bit suspect since they have literally lines of rooms with “Mammography” and “Ultrasound” signs on the doors. I squawked a bit and was rescheduled from the Saturday to Monday. 2 more days to think the worst and agonize over it. I realize that in the big picture it’s all about packing schedules and making money, but compassion should factor in there too.
Thanks again. Stay strong Ladies!
Hi Janet, I wish I could find a way to speak to coordinators about this and ask them to keep appointments open. I haven’t figured out how to make that request in a way that would actually make it happen. I keep hoping hospital administrators and radiology centers will read this and figure out a way to make it work! I am glad you received good, clean results on your follow-up. All the best!
I got the call back for a follow up mammogram and ultrasound on Friday. I asked the person who called to make the appointment if there was anything she could tell me, and she was reassuring saying that they just want to check to see if it’s an overlapping image, dense tissue, or if there’s actually an issue. I breathed a sigh of relief because I was told on my very first mammogram that I had dense breast tissue, so I wasn’t very worried or anxious for my Tuesday appointment. Then today (Monday) I got an email from my pcp who said that the radiology office should be contacting me for a follow up, and if they haven’t already then I should contact them. She then said they found an architectural distortion. So my first thought was, well i’m sure glad they did already contact me because I’d totally be freaking out right now. And next, I went to Dr. Google. So after calling my husband and having a total meltdown, I returned to my computer and found your link. I wish I would’ve found it first because even though I’m still really anxious and scared, I feel a little better with the stats you had from the University of Rochester. Of course it seems like everything google finds is the worst case scenario and all of the misunderstood stats (like the blanket statement that says 75% of all architectural distortions are malignant).
So anyway, thank you for posting your experience so that so many other people can find comfort in reality and not be sunk in the “what-if” doom spiral!
Hi Allison, I hope your test results don’t show anything troubling. Thank you for your kind comment. This post has helped many women like yourself. I only wish it ranked higher so more women could find it first and suffer less stress and anxiety.
One week ago I received the news that I needed a follow up diagnostic mammogram with ultrasound due to possible architectural distortion. Today was my appointment and I was given the great news that everything looks completely normal. I read this blog post with all the comments yesterday, and it really helped me calm down. I just wanted to add my story to help anyone else who might be reading your blog for reassurance. Thank you!
Thank you for leaving this comment. It will help those who read it. Congratulations on the good news!
I have to go in tomorrow for a follow up mammogram and ultrasound for ” subtle area of questionable architectural distortion” they found yesterday. They found no other masses or abnormalities . I am so worried… I cant find much information online about this and what I do find sounds really bad. :/
Hi Jamie, I hope this post eased your worries at least a little and that your mammogram came back all clear!
I am facing this today! My doctor said the radiologist noted “possible architectural distortion” and I’m falling apart. This is brutal. Any recent stories of this being nothing after undergoing the diagnostic and ultrasound? I’m literally clinging to every positive outcome I can get possibly read. I’m terrified. I’m 42 and no family history but not sure that really matters these days.
Hi Kelly, I was roughly the same age when I had my mammogram scare. Hopefully everything will turn out okay. There are a lot of all-clear stories on this post from women who were just as scared as you are right now. I wish you the best of luck and hope that you can return to add your positive story to this post!
I am in the waiting game as well at the moment. I went for my mammogram last week as it was 2 1/2 years since my last mammogram (delayed due to COVID and lockdowns – screenings are backed up here in Ontario). I went on Monday and received call back on Thursday for another mammogram and ultrasound scheduled for July 23rd. I was able to log in and see the images but had to call my doctor to find out why. There was mention of a small cyst and architectual distortion in my left breast. Of course I googled and saw the statistic about 75% of architectual distortions are cancer and have been scared ever since. My left shoulder and arm have been sore for a while now and I thought that it was just from age as I had a frozen shoulder 3 years ago. Now I am worried that I have cancer and it has spread. I had one callback before in 2016 but it was the right breast and I received the all clear after the second mammogram. There was no mention of architectual distortion in 2016 and I had a mammogram in 2018 which did not require a call back. I do not know what to think and am just trying to take one day at a time until my appointment. Thanks to all of you for your posts.
Hi Jane, I’m glad this post has eased your mind ever so slightly. I do wish you the best and hope that you can return to add another ‘all-clear’ story after your follow up testing.
I’m 55 with no history of cancer in my family. I got my first ever call back this week to go back Thursday because of a “distortion”. I pressed for what that meant but they cannot tell you the one thing you want to know…..a guarantee that it’s not cancer. This post and the comments help. Everything online is medical jargon and scary. I’m thinking about all the wonderful stuff in my life that I’ve been looking forward to – that it’s finally “my turn” – and now this. I’m still scared but I think I can get through to Thursday much more calmly. Please God let it be nothing.