MRI #1- Results

The day after my first breast MRI, I called my doctor's office to find out if she had received the results yet. Unfortunately my doctor wasn't in; "The results are probably sitting on her desk but she won't be in today."

Me- "Okay. So I shouldn't expect to hear anything until tomorrow?"

Receptionist- "No."

Alright. Expectations reset.

About an hour later, I received a surprising voicemail from the doctor's office, "The doctor actually wants you to come in to discuss these results with you."

Jesus. I thought I wasn't supposed to get any news until tomorrow. Now she's calling me. And she wants me to come in?

Ugh.

My heart sank and a knot in my stomach instantly formed.

Fuck.

I tried hard to not rush to conclusions. But hell. That's way easier said than done.

I called back and set up an appointment for lunchtime the next day.

To recap:
MRI- bright and early Monday morning (3/12)
call from doctor saying they want me to come in Tuesday afternoon (3/13)
doctor's appointment scheduled for lunchtime on Wednesday (3/14)

Before I hung up the phone I said "Is there anything you can tell me about the results?"
I was placed on hold for a few minutes and then the receptionist came back on the line and said "Your breast results are normal. Something else showed up that the doctor wants to talk with you about." She led on that it wasn't anything that major. And since I was going to see my breast oncologist the following Monday, I opted to not go in the next day, and wait to speak with the breast oncologist.

In the meantime, because my breast oncologist is not at UCLA, I had to get a copy of the MRI images and the report. So even though I didn't have a doctor's appointment anymore, I was able to see what was causing the suspicion when I picked up the report. Here's what was on it: 6.0 x 4.4 cm fluid signal in the region of the right lung base adjacent to the pericardium may represent a pericardial cyst or pleural effusion. Chest radiograph is recommended for further evaluation.

Once I saw this, I decided to go back in and see the regular (UCLA) doctor on Thursday (3/15).

So on Thursday morning off I went to speak with Dr. Gorwara. We both felt that since I've been sick and have been presenting bronchitis type symptoms, that's what likely showed up on the report. But to rule anything out, off I went to the outpatient facility to get an chest x-ray.

The chest x-ray, was very quick and painless. Between the first doctor's appointment, then the short car ride to the other side of town, the chest x-ray and the short drive back home, I was back home and working within an hour. Which far exceeded any expectations that I had.

Now I wait to find out what shows up on the chest x-ray.