Hi, I had surgery (lumpectomy) in April followed by 5 sessions of radiotherapy. It was for a DCIS. Yesterday I noticed on the surgery side where I have underarm fat there is a tiny skin tag. I’m not concerned about that as I’ve always been prone to have them. But in certain lights it looks like a slight dimple but it could just as easily be cellulite or just gravity or even shadow. There’s a slight pigmentation. I have cellulite on my under arm and that side has always been flabbier. I have no underarm boob on the other side but do have slackened skin so it is creased and dimply too. I’m 55 so my skin is naturally not as tight as it was. The more I look the worse it seems. My husband doesn’t think it looks concerning but he tends to say whatever he thinks will stop me spiralling.
We go on holiday next Friday and I’m already scheduled for a pelvic scan on Monday for some irregular bleeding (still not in menopause). I know the breast care nurses will see me but I can’t take the stress of maybe going on holiday with a potential new diagnosis hanging over me. Would leaving this until I get back be the worst thing to do? I will contact them for sure but I am afraid of bad news.
Has anything like this happened to any of you?
Please help, I’m scared
Are you on tamoxifen? I was put on that, like you, in my 50’s but still not gone through menopause. Tamoxifen does affect your periods, in fact it can stimulate ovulation. I remember when I started it, I took it a week before ovulation as I knew oestrogen would be on the rise then, that resulted in my getting my period a week earlier and it lasted for 2 weeks, though was fairly light. There was a large gap till my next one ( I then came off it for other reasons). Hopefully your irregular bleeding is just the hormones being messed about, but its good to get it checked as there are endometrial risks from tamoxifen also. A skin tag that is slightly pigmented, doesn’t sound too sinister especiallyas you tend to get them. Perhaps ask if your beast care nurses will take a quick look for you for reassurance before you go. Then enjoy your hol, avoid looking at it the whole time if you can , then see if any changes once you get back.
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My advice would be to contact your BC nurse before your holiday and indeed as soon as possible. The chances are very high that this is nothing to worry about and the sooner you have that confirmed, the better. If you had a DCIS, by definition, nothing from that can have spread. Also, we all have slight indentations around the surgery site purely because tissue has been removed and the skin subsides over it. You are clearly anxious about this so call asap as you have a considerably higher chance of having your mind put at rest so that you can enjoy your holiday than finding out that there is something wrong. If you don’t, how confident are you that the worry wouldn’t spoil your time away for you and your husband?
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Ok then, maybe perimenopause- chucks up so many issues, hopefully that if your smear tests are negative.
As Tigress says, DCIS hasn’t yet developed the ability to spread, so its unlikely you’d develop distant issues.
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Thank you both. I contacted the nurse. She has referred me to get checked out. It won’t be this week unfortunately. But I will be seen asap. She doesn’t seem too concerned but obviously says it’s needs checked out to be certain. For now she has calmed me down a little even though she hasn’t actually seen it. She told me to relax and enjoy my holiday and try to forget about it. Hopefully I can.
I echo what the nurse says, you’ve been through enough already without letting anxiety spoil your time away. The likelihood of something appearing visibly or palpably in the two months since surgery and rads, without having been noticed at the time, is extremely remote - and that’s an understatement! Have a wonderful holiday, this can be sorted out when you come back, until then, put it out of your mind.
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