Hi,
I will try to keep this brief and will bullet point things:
I had triple negative breast cancer with full mastectomy.
Reconstruction Feb 23 and reduction on healthy breast Sept 23.
Discharged from Oncololy May 23 (no follow ups planned). Discharged by surgeon in Dec 23 as no ongoing problems or issues. No pain or soreness. I had healed very well.
Joined a gym in Dec 23 for first time. Go about 3 times per week and do a total of two hours over those three visits on treadmill, bike and rowing machine. I do about 10-20 mins on rowing machine each visit.
I am 52 and not menopausal yet. In January around the time of my period my reduced breast felt sore and firm at one side. I put this down to joining gym or my period. It resolved.
It came back again next period. Then resolved. Then it came back again but did not seem to resolve. I had my first post surgery mammogram booked not long after so waited for that.
At the mammogram I told them about the firmness. The radiographer went to speak with someone. She had spotted something and said they thought it was post surgery changes. She also explained that I was not being fast tracked (as it was not conisdered necessary). They conducted a further mammogram to get more tissue on the scan. The result were to take 7 weeks - we are still in that waiting period.
Since the mammogram I have been sore (3 weeks now). The breast is quite solid at one side - but not an actual lump. A couple of times it has been faintly red - not like an infection or inflammation, just slightly red.
Do I need to be worried. There are many things this could be - is it sore because of the mammogram. It’s three weeks now though.
My husband thinks it is not a lump and I should not worry as it is probably muscle I am building at the gym.
It is worse when I am on the go all day and wearing a bralette or sports bras. would my bra be causing the firmness and soreness?
Do I contact my breast care nurse? Or do I wait for the mammogram results? They would have fast tracked me if it was necessary.
I have contacted my breast care nurse a few times since treatment ended and I don’t want to be the boy crying wolf all of the time.
Do I contact my GP?
I am sure it could just be scar tissue or maybe fat necrosis. I am not concerned about recurrence as this is the healthy breast and triple negative tends not to recur in the opposite breast. But during my initial treatment I had assumed that my biopsy wound was infected but it transpired that the tumor had grown and thanks to the vigilance of my team it was spotted.
I am sure things are fine, but I am unsure what the correct thing to do is.
Advice please - thank you.