Breast cancer and me - discovery and biopsy

NOTE: This is my particular experience. Everyone's cancer journey is different...

Back in September I had a standard mammogram. Had had no problems and there were no unexpected lumps or bumps. 

I did think that it took a little longer than previously, and the radiologist took a few more "snaps" than usual, but I've got fairly small breasts, carry a bit more weight than I should, and am clumsy as anything so just assumed she was having problems getting a clear picture.

5 weeks later I got a phone call calling me back to the hospital for further analysis. This isn't uncommon - around 10% of women are called back for further analysis, and in the majority of cases, there will be no further problems. I knew this, so went into the biopsy both telling myself there was nothing wrong, and telling myself it was cancer (weird how you really can manage to hold two contradictory beliefs at the same time)

After a bit of smooshing around by the doctor and nurse (both of whom were lovely) and several comments along the lines of "I can't feel anything" (yep, you and me both), the doctor did an ultrasound and there it was...a small white mass, who I'll call Leonard the lump. He looked enormous (he wasn't, so don't let ultrasounds panic you)

There was then a biopsy, which was a bit painful (the worst bit was getting the local anaesthetic in, once that was done, I didn't feel a thing).

The doctor passed a fine tube in, through which they took out a small sample for testing. She then put in a small titanium clip around the size of a microchip that you would put in a dog or cat, which would stay in situ and mark out where the material had been taken from as Leonard proved to be unexpectedly small (around 8 mm, or fingernail size).

Then I waited...