3 month waiting for breast clinic. So worried

Public Archive
1

Hi I am a 29 year old with ongoing problems.

Since about the age of 17 I have had lumpy breasts and discharge from both nipples but mainly the left.

January 2015 I started gettting more problems, originally it was the left side that was causing problems. I was on holiday in Poland with my partner and got an appointment at an ultrasound clinic privately. He scanned the left breast and said the breasts were like that because I hadn’t yet had children, he said once a woman has children the breast changes again becuase of the ducts and so on. He scanned my nodes on my left side but as I was only presenting with problems in the left he only briefly checked the right.

In June 2015 I registered with a new GP practice as I do seasonl work and the GP said he was going to refer me to the breast clinic as my breasts did not appear ‘normal’ had puckering on both just above the areola. I was seen in July 2015 at the clinic and the specialist did a brief breast examination and said I was fine.

In August I went back to my GP (a different Dr as we only get one day off a week) with a bruise on my left breast, she said my breasts were just lumpy but fine. I then went back again just feeling something was not right and a different Dr yet again said she didn’t have any concerns but would offer me an appointment in October to settle my mind and see how they felt at a different stage of my cycle. In October she also said she felt everything was fine but right breast was more lumpy than left, she did a exam of my nodes on both sides also.

In September I started getting pain in my upper chest, shoulder, pectoral muscle area also going in to the armpit all on the right side. I put this down to my housekeeping job, I make beds everyday and thought it could be with repetitive strain.

November 2015 my right breast got bigger than my left breast, the upper quadrent towards the armpit was where most of the lumpy tissue was. Still having pain in pec muscles and armpit.

Early December 2015 my right breast stayed slightly bigger than my left but does have more dense tissue in it and more lumps so could be from swelling. Also feels so much heavier and fuller than left. Had my physio referral about pain in shoulder and physio suggested I go back to GP about breast pain. Saw my GP end of Dec (a different one again as have just recently moved back home after working away and she agreed that the right did look a little different and that she would refer me to breast clinic but I shouldn’t lose sleep about it).

January 2016 was in bed with pain on the 3rd and 4th coming from my right breast mainly and also the shoulder and armpit pain. Went back to GP (again a different one as it was a locum) and she said she would try me on a course of anti biotics in case it was mastitis.

I called the breast clinic yesterday to see how my refferal was coming on and they said the consultant had reviewed my GP’s referral and had decided I was just to be seen as a routine appointment so will be 12 weeks and def not before end of March.

I went back to my GP this morning and showed my concern at this waiting time and how was I to control my anxiety, she did another breast exam and said in my age group with breast pain it will normally always be hormonal and I should continue wearing my support bra all day and to bed and start on evening primrose oil.

I just don’t know what to do or think, November/December is the first time the pain in the breasts has lasted all month. The right side is more painful, there was no decrease in the lumps at end of my period, and during ovulation my breasts were in such pain, I am around 5 days from this months period so will keep notes on what happens after this one.

I also have my physio review today so will mention again to her that the pain in my pectoral muscles feel a bit better with the exercises she gave me but the heaviness in armpit isn’t any better and it’s sore when I reach up and point.

My options are I guess try everything to lessen the pain, continue with ibuprofen stay away from coffee, alcohol, fatty foods so on and wait until my appointment in March or does anyone know of any ultrasound clinics I can attend here. I know there is a breast clinic in Glasgow that is private.

Thank you in advance if anyone reads this, I just needed to write it all down.

Any advice is welcome

2

Update of my physio

I have an appointment in another 2 weeks as physio seems concerned the pain has not gone since my last visit in December.

I am seing a senior physiotherapist as she’s worried about the pain.

I have been in a panic all day feeling like I forgot to tell the GP about the pain mainly being in right breast and sometimes it feeling like an electric shock type feeling.

I just told her today that the pain was in my armpit and pain can be in both breasts.

This is second time she has seen me but still says its nothing. I mentioned to her I can’t cope until end of March :frowning:

3

I’m not surprised you are Scotland, just like me the waiting times are horrendous and I’ve written to my MSP. I did pay to go private, it was about £500 with BUPA, I actually enquired with the clinic in Glasgow and they were about the same. It’s a lot of money but it might be worth considering if you can, like you I just couldn’t face waiting 12 weeks.

If you don’t feel you gave the GP all the information then go back, that’s what they are there for. My first GP appointment she couldn’t have been less interested but the 2nd time I went a different GP was lovely and I really felt she listened.

I completely understand your anxiety, I’ve had endless nights where I couldn’t sleep and days where I can’t concentrate on anything else. I’ve found meditation podcasts and just letting the panic/anxiety run its course has helped.

I really hope you can get an earlier appointment to put your mind at rest xx

4

Thank you so much for taking the time to read and reply it really means a huge amount to me. 

I have just been going out of my head with worry about it. 

I called the breast clinic again today and had said I went back to my GP twice with ongoing problems, my worry also is that because I work seasonal and am due to be away mid March until November which would mean re-registering with the another practice and having to wait to be referred again I am worried that if the appointment isn’t in before I go I will have even longer to wait. I explained this to them and the lady was so helpful. I asked if I could be put on the cancellation list as I would be able to attend very last minute as I am currently in the city that the clinic is. She told me because I have been allocated routine that wouldn’t really happen as they have people waiting since November. She asked if I could get my GP to write to the consultant saying I will be moving from the area and then agreed that she would put a note on the system and could I be offered an appointment before the 15th March which I did find very helpful of her, whether this happnes or not I’m not sure. When the GP I registered with while I worked last summer season away nd he did my new patient appointment and referred me to the breast clinic as he didn’t like what he felt in June I was seen within 3 weeks, (this was also in Scotland but in the Highlands so a different NHS). 

My other possibiltiy is becuase we are off season right now and don’t have work commitments until March,(currently my partner and I have house/dog sitting duties for friends while they are away for 3-4 weeks but are free from mid February in March again) I could go to Poland again and get scans and advice done there privatley and at the same time visit his famliy before we work again 7 months solid. My partner would be there to translate for me. 

My breasts arn’t that large, I am measured a 34/DD but I don’t think they are big, other people have said I have quite small breasts. 

I’ve always had painful breasts on and off over the years, last time something like this happnened and I had to wear a sports bra day and night was in 2010/11 and the pain eventually went away on it’s own. 

Since January 2015 I have had an ultrasound on the left breast (this was done in Poland as we were visiting his family) and numerous probably about 6 breast exams at the GP where they have just felt the breasts, one was by the breast specialist at the breast clinic and that was July 2015. I had presented with puckering of the nipples on both sides and lumps but he wasn’t concerened. 

The things that started happneing since early November was only the right breast getting heavier, fuller and slightly bigger than the left, I notice in certain tops that the right is bigger than the left for sure. Since November I have only really felt comfortable in my sports bra, I changed just last week to the ASDA soft and comfortable bra and took out the pads, I am wearing this 24/7. I tried to sleep without it last night and woke in severe pain coming from what felt deep behind the right nipple. When I touch my left nipple it is a little tender but nothing like what is going on in the right. I have a wide thickening in the right breast which the Dr has only really descibed as ‘lumpy’. If I lean forwards I can grab (gently) the entire area and it feels like a golf ball, thats really only been since Nov/Dec. It’s always been lumpy but nothing like it is now.

I think I am just more worked up about it because of the pain since Sept/Oct in my pec muscles and shoulder/armpit ect and now starting to think the two are related, and when the physiotherapist couldn’t really explain why I was having the pain it worried me even more. I really thought it had been caused by the workload in housekeeping and bedmaking. 

I am due my period within the next 3-4 days, since coming off the pill 2 and half years ago my cycle has been like clockwork, ovulating around the 1st or 2nd of the month and then my period following 15/16 days after. I kept a diary of what happened in Dec cycle and since finishing my period December 26h the lumps, thickeness, heaviness of the breast didn’t change on the days after my period, the pain got really bad around ovulation and has stayed until now. I will closely monitor during this period.

I have done pregnancy tests to rule out that for the reason of severe pain straight after ovulation and theyv’e all been negative and my partner and I have always been so careful and since the last two months we haven’t been having any intamacy beacause of the pain and stess I am feeling.

I am quite an anxious person and I have been told in the past that stress does highten any pain and make us more aware of it. I guess it’s like a constant cycle because the pain is there you are constantly reminded about it and therefore constantly worried about it.

When I have been out for a walk trying to relax becasue of how cold it is maybe that is making the pain worse? I am just trying to rule out lots of things. 

I just want some relief from all of this. It probably doesn’t help constantly feeling the lumps no matter how gently you try to do it. 

I’m sorry I’m blabbering on so much again just really need a place to write it all down as my family and that are getting irritated with me going on about it and not being able to just wait for the appointment to come in.