I have posted before but I will re-cap the ‘highlights’. I am losing trust in Doctors and would welcome additional input from you.
2 years ago had removal of lipoma.
Since then my mother (bi-lateral) and sister have both had BC. My father died young of bowel cancer (54) and my maternal aunt died very young (39) of ovarian cancer.
2 months ago I went to the doctors with vaginal and one-sided nipple discharge - had referrals to each clinic. Had a mammogram on 7th sept - nurse told me in waiting room that it looked fine and a letter would follow. When the letter did come it said all OK and that I was ‘heavily reassured’ and given advice - neither being true as I didn’t see the Dr after the mammogram.
The day after the mammogram I had an emergency admission to hospital with severe abdominal pain. I won’t go into all the details of the tests and fuss I have had since then but I have a cervical polyp causing the vaginal discharge and a ‘massive’ (8.5 x 5.5 x 3.5) ovarian growth which will be removed surgically soon with my ovaries - waiting to hear if it is cancer or not as it does not look like a cyst on ultrasound.
My gynaecologist reckons the growth didn’t cause either the abdominal pain (he thinks irritable bowel) or the nipple discharge so with the polyp that makes 4 different unrelated conditions flaring up at once?!?
This is going on too long - let me ‘cut to the chase’
I still (8 weeks) have a constant pale yellow drip from my right nipple causing me to wear a breast nursing pad. My GP is re-referring - have any of you got ANY ideas at all?
If no-one answers your questions, it may be an idea to ring the helpine here. I am so sorry you are having all these worries. It is the not knowing that is so awful, as we all understand.
Hi Jane
Just read your post.I dont really have any advice except to keep persevering with your GP/Doctors untill you get some proper answers.I feel so sorry for you.It must be awful coping with all the different symtoms and you must be finding it very worrying.You would think that the symptoms were all related wouldnt you.They sound ‘female hormone’ related.
Sorry i cant be any help.All the best.
K xx
Hey there. I am certianly no expert but hey thought i would suggest something!! ( i am a midwife so know bits and bobs!) . Could it be hormonal? That would fit more with the discharge from nipple if your oestrogen levels are high from the cyst/growth on your cervix?
Just a thought. Keep bugging those dr’s . Both could be entirely different probs altho i wouldnt be surprised if they are related.
The gynaecologist completely dismissed my suggestion that the nipple discharge was linked and said I should go back to the breast clinic. He found the other 2 things on internal ultrasound so I know I have at least 2 problems - seems strange though that the nipple discharge would be around the same time? I have had hormones measured in a blood test though.
The discharge is always from one duct and my research says that I should have a smear test of it and a ductogram - going back with printouts from American Cancer Society - that will piss them off!
Spoke to the secretary yesterday - Dr not bothered because discharge is pussy, not bloody.
He says a duct excision could cause more problems (!) so - as I asked the woman - I am just supposed to go through life now with a leaking nipple wearing a breast feeding pad as I have for the last 2 months!
Giving up on Northampton - my GP is referring for a second opinion to Coventry.
Jane, sorry about all your problems - I don’t know if they are related or not but what I wanted to say is that before my DX in June last year, I had had a bleeding nipple for several weeks (and had to wear a breast pad), a smear was taken of the blood which came back negative, finally after 5 doctors had looked at mammo/ultrasound it was decided it was coming from the ducts and NOT cancer.
Of course it turned out to be cancer - so please push and push (I know you will) and I really hope I haven’t given you something else to worry about, but I am sure you prefer honesty.
Hi Jane
I first noticed something odd with my breast in April, went straight off to the doc who ordered all the usual tests. After 2 weeks the bleeding started so I went back to see the dr who referred me to a specialist.
I went to see another specialist mid May who believed it was a problem with ducts, and said it was a simple operation which in France they call a Pyramidectomy (I believe a similar op in the UK is called a Microdectomy).
In I went for the op (under GA) beg of June, only to be told by the same “specialist” that it was carcinoma later that day. They had obviously opened me up to remove the ducts and once they did that they realised it was more serious and a biopsy was taken instead.
It later was revealed that I had IBC, stage 3 with a mass of 8 cm +.
This all happened in 9 weeks from finding the first strangeness of the breast.
Good luck Jane, fingers crossed its just a hormonal thing which is much simpler to deal with I am sure, but still nonetheless unpleasant.
Evening,
Went to the GP tonight and showed her my breast pad (!) She has done the urgent referral to Rugby. She read a letter she had received from the Northampton guy - it said the only treatment for discharge was a duct excision which (due to listed possible complications) he could not recommend to ‘young ladies’! He never discussed this option with me at all. He then said he would be happy to see me ‘next year’!!!
I am pretty unhappy about my other referral - the gynaecologist told me on October 5th that I needed the cyst and ovary (in fact both with my family history) removed within 6 weeks as he couldn’t be sure if it is OK. I have been telephoned by his secretary who has told me that there is no theatre space due to the 18 week operation time everyone has been promised! She said that decisions were not being made according to clinical need - I am being bumped by people who have already waited 17 weeks for varicose veins and ingrowing toenalis!
Pretty fed up as I left my paid employment 31st August and was admitted to hospital 8th September so am not earning either!
I wonder if it would be worth getting in touch with the PALS (patient advice liaison service) at the hospital where your Gynaecologist is based and getting someone to look into this.If the Dr said you should have an operation within 6 weeks then a routine op should be cancelled to make space on the theatre list for you.
I will be having the operation to remove the ovaries and cyst on the 17th November.
Went for the pre-op booking today and the phlebotomist did something which gave me an immediate swelling like a satsuma inside my elbow - I am not looking forward to the canula as I have such stupidly small veins that they had to go to the children’s ward last time to get a tiny one!
The fun continues!