hi folks
sorry to bother all you good people again. the 5 week wait for my tests are starting to get to me.anyway i posted earlier about thickening on my left breast which i went to the docs for and have now noticed something else.my nipple has lost its erection(if you know what i mean).it isnt excatley inverted but is flat where as it used to be normal.it has a different feeling like a numbness.has anyone else had this happen to them.many thanks in advance.thoughts to all those that are going through it at the moment
regards karen
Hi Karen,
I am not wanting to alarm you but I think you may know the answer to this one. I really think you should go back to your doctors to ask for an urgent appointment with
the breast clinic.
Obviously I hope that this is nothing sinister, just cysts that want aspirating. But, IF and only IF it turns out to be the onset of breast cancer the earlier it is caught the better outlook for you. By outlook I mean less invasive treatments. Remember BC is treatable, but cross one bridge at a time, find out what is causing you these problems.
Take care
Carol
hi carol
thanks for your reply. i was wondering if it could be IBC but i don’t have any other symptons i.e red,sore breast. i guess i’ll have to bat out the waiting…but oh my isn’t the waiting a killer.
regards karen
Hi Karen
I agree with Carol and you should really go back to your doctor and get an urgent appointment. Doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad but your symptoms show enough to be able to get an appointment for a biopsy and mammogram as soon as they can arrange it.
Very good luck to you
Cecelia. x
Yes, go to the doctor ASAP.
I had a strange swelling in the area of my solar plexus for nearly 4 weeks before by breast turned bright pink and I realised it was IBC. By the time I started chemo I had red patches in several places including 2 on my back.
It’s all OK now, but the sooner you find out the better, if only because you sleep better.
Lots of love,
Lynn
hi cecelia and lynn
thanks very much for your info.i now only have to wait a week today so hopefully that will soon pass.i did ring up the clinic for any cancellations but she says they don’t get many.i can understand that.
regards karen
hi lynn
what is your story with IBC…you say all is alright now.
The story so far:
The Inflammatory Breast Cancer was my 2nd cancer, the 1st having been the ordinary sort: Diagnosed in November 2003, lumpectomy with lymph nodes in December, not enough margins so mastectomy in January, infection in the wound delayed healing so didn’t start FEC chemo until April, radio therapy in July, all sorted and back to work in September 2004. After diagnosis of the IBC in June 2006 the chemo was started immediately to stop it spreading. Taxotere & herceptin worked a treat and all the red patches except the one on my breast disappeared within 5 days of the 1st treatment. I was very happy about this progress, but my body responded to the taxotere as extremely as the cancer did, so I developed neutropenia (low fighter white blood cells) and on day 10 after chemo was admitted to the oncology ward for 5 days with septicaemia. I developed neutropenia every time I had taxotere, but the antibacterials, anti-virals, antibiotics, white blood cell boosting injections and one blood transfusion (for low red blood cells) kept me out of hospital. Sore mouth, constipation, diarrhoea, etc. were all problems at various times but all treatable.
Initially the oncologist had said that there was no point in a mastectomy because the cancer had already escaped from the breast area, but the chemo worked so well that, as the chemo was finishing (October 2006) he suggested that a mastectomy could now be an option & I jumped at it. I had the mastectomy and 29 lymph nodes removed in early December, developed a seroma and then an infection in the wound (Boxing Day in A&E) but managed to get that sorted with antibiotics, and at least the infection cured the seroma.
When the pathology results came back the cancer had completely disappeared and everyone was delighted and rather surprised that chemo had been such a complete and total success. I now have herceptin every 3 weeks ‘indefinitely’ and arimidex every day with minimal side effects. I had been contemplating reconstruction (nothing flashy or ostentatious, just a b or c cup, but something perky to replace the increasingly saggy pair I had lost) but my oncologist said that surgery might stimulate the cancer to reappear, and I’m not that desperate.
So other than being rather flat chested and having a lifetime pass to the hospital car park, life goes on much as before and hopefully will continue to do so …
Ask away if there’s anything else you’d like to know.
Karen, I do hope that you don’t have IBC, but it’s not the end of the world if you do - just the start of a rather ‘challenging’ period.
Lots of love,
Lynn
hi all
had a letter this morning from the breast clinic…they have put back my appointment another week due to insufficient cover.do they not know what we are going through.i am going back to my gp to show him all the breast changes and see if i can get an urgent referal now.aggghhhhhhh
regards karen
Hi Karen
Do you have any walk in breast screening services near you? At the local hospital or anything?
You must go back to your gp if not, this should be treated as very urgent for you, it’s shocking they expect you to accept another weeks’ delay
I am so sorry you’re going through this.
Cecelia. x
Cecelia. x
hi lynn
many thanks for posting your story…you make me feel very humble.i will keep you posted on how i go on at the breast clinic…if i ever get there lol.and if it is the worst outcome i will read your story again and again
regards karen