Calcifications at 40yo

Hello community. Wanted to make a post talking about my recent experience since I visited this community constantly during the last month navigating the horror that is an abnormal mammogram. I am so thankful to all that shared their experiences and thought mine might help someone else as well.

I went in for my first mammogram at 40yo after experiencing cyclic right breast pain for 4 years. Doctors kept telling me it was hormonal and nothing to worry about. I felt multiple lumps and developed high anxiety about the possibility of breast cancer. My results came back after two days:

1. Calcifications: There are calcifications in a grouped distribution in the right breast at 12 o'clock
2. Asymmetry: There is an asymmetry in the upper region of the right breast, posterior depth

I was called back for another mammogram two weeks later. That one confirmed the calcifications and also confirmed the lumps as needing further testing.

I then had an ultrasound to check the lumps- luckily this came back as simple cysts, benign. Unfortunately I was then told I needed to come back for a biopsy on the calcifications- another 2 week wait.

The biopsy was one of the most uncomfortable experiences of my life. Lying on my side while fully compressed for about 20 minutes as they numbed me, imaged me, sliced me, vacuumed the biopsy, placed the clip, more images, etc. No pain, but a lot of discomfort.

Finally the results came in - calcifications in benign lobules.

One month of stress. One month of anxiety. Happy it’s over, sad I lost a month because I was absolutely beside myself with stress and anxiety. I have 3 kids. I breastfed for over 6 years combined. I have no history of breast cancer or high risk associations. What a circus.