puckering causing a change in breast shape

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Hi,

I am going through the menopause and have got to the stage of irregular periods, often gaps of 3-5 months between them. Last moth I had extremely painful breasts and a heavy period, the ‘hormonal’ pain did not really subside, 2 weeks after my period stopped  my breast were still painful. My right breast was particularly painful and I could feel a swelling which felt like a large spot/boil. I wasn’t too concerned as I associated it with hormone changes. However I noticed a change in the shape of my right breast and went to see my GP. It transpires that the change in shape is caused by puckering on the underside of my right breast, which is not easy to see, I do have fairly large breasts. My GP told me she would refer me as urgent due to the changes I had spotted and the puckering under the right breast. The puckering is quite a large hollow/ridge on the underside of my breast.  The pain in my breast has subsided but the puckering has remained. Clearly I am now extremely anxious,  as I know puckering can be a sign of BC. I am keeping busy but obviously my head is all over the place.  I feel lucky that I only saw my GP Wednesday and my appointment is first thing Monday morning, so will have only had 6 days to wait, although it feels like 6 weeks, goodness knows how people cope waiting 2 weeks.  My husband has been very supportive and is attending the appointment with me. Unfortunately my best friends husband, who is also my husband’s best friend has terminal cancer and we are supporting them. My husband went to all his oncology appointments with him. So cancer has been a big feature in our iives over the past few months. I am avoiding contact with friends and family because I do not want to worry them unduly.  I cannot think past Monday and feel as though I have a large cloud hanging over me. Keeping busy helps but I have blips of anxiety and tears. I am avoiding googling but do find this site informative, helpful and reassuring. The information section and publicatios are particularly useful, I found the pdf about referral to a breast clinic very good in preparing me for my appointment on monday.

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Hi W ,it’s a horrible ,anxious time ,waiting for answers is awful.There are other possible explanations for your symptoms so you may well walk out of the clinic on Monday with a great weight lifted offf you .If you are diagnosed there are very good outcomes these days for the vast majority of women with breast cancer .Let is know how you get on.Jill.

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Don’t go near Google in the meantime ,it’s not helpful !!!Every women’s situation is unique and the information is very general .Try and keep busy .Come back and talk to us if you are diagnosed ,lots of us here who just getting on with our lives and perfectly well after treatment for breast cancer .

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Hi W ,I kept my potential diagnosis very quiet only telling a handful of people ,infact I kept it pretty quiet afterwards too to be honest .The waiting is very hard and only advice I have is to keep busy ,don’t google BC and get support from this forum.Something like 3/4 of biopsies turn out not to be cancer so there is still a chance of a good outcome for you .But as the Consultant said this is very treatable caught early and most women with breadth cancer have good outcomes .