Anxiously waiting results!!!

Have I got breast cancer? Appointments and waiting for test results
1

Hi everyone, 

So my story so far is I noticed a few weeks ago I have a bit of a bump on my collarbone that moves, didn’t think anything of it… then had my Covid booster in my left arm and my god the bump was twice the size and so tender and I could barely stand to have my arm by my left breast, so a week after the pain subsided but the bump on my collarbone was still there. I told my husband and he thought it best I go to see our GP. 

My GP saw me the next day after I told her everything on the phone, she said she would see me again in 5 weeks and it was probably due to the Covid booster, she also said even if the collarbone lump goes she still wants to see me and will do a breast exam as well. 

Now, I have a family history of BC and I am normally pretty good at checking myself… I hadn’t for a few months. So, after seeing the GP on the Friday I thought I probably should check myself and sure enough I felt 2 lumps. I called the GP on the Monday and went to see her again and she examined me and agreed there was a definite lump, she did an urgent referral to the breast clinic and I was seen Friday 21st Jan. 

I went in to see the consultant who examined me and she said not to worry she was pretty confident it was just cysts but I had to have a scan anyway and she marked where the cysts were and after that I could leave. So whilst waiting to go in for my scan I text my husband who was sat outside in the car and said it was nothing to worry about and just feels like cysts, I had to wait a while for my scan so we were having banter back and forth about how all these poor men were sat in the car waiting for their other halves to come out and that we would go back to work (we run our own business).

I don’t know how or why but the radiologist put the doppler to one side of where the x’s were and I was explaining the lumps were actually further round and she nodded and she put another mark with a pen where she started. Sure enough the lumps I felt she wasn’t worried about and she went back to where she marked me and said she had found a mass that she was quite worried about, the nurse then started unwrapping next to me and my heart was racing. The radiologist said she wanted to take some biopsies and also scan my lymph nodes in my armpit… they were also enlarged. I had 3 core biopsies taken from the breast lump and 1 core biopsy from my lymph node she also said I could call my husband in when they were done and I would be going for a mammogram (I am 37 so originally it was thought best not to mammogram because of density) and back to see the consultant and at that point I burst into tears and said ‘But I’ve just told my husband it’s fine’. I had a titanium clip inserted as well, the radiologist said it’s about 8mm so it’s early. 

I text my husband and told him to come up to the waiting room and he said he knew there was a problem as I was almost an hour for the scan. Whilst I was having the mammogram the BC nurse went out to my husband and said we have found ‘something’. I came back up and we both got called in to see the consultant and BC nurse and they said how shocked they were that something was found as it wasn’t expected, the BC nurse said she was stood outside the door wondering what was going on as I had been so long and they thought I would be out within 10 mins. The nurse and consultant said they really aren’t sure either way and they are ‘sat on the fence’ but have scored me a 3 and also said that if I need treatment it would be quick and I would be in within 2 weeks. But I am so confused because the radiologist was holding my hand as I cried reassuring me its only 8mm and early days and she said I scored a 4 on ultrasound.

I have an appointment to go back on 03/02, I have 2 kids, a 17yr old son who is autistic and a 14yr old daughter who’s best friend lost her mum to cancer last year. I haven’t told my kids anything at the moment because if it is cancer I know my son will bombard me with a million questions and need answers to what happens next and my daughter will automatically fear the worst because of what happened with her friends mum. 

I feel myself fliting from thinking the worst to it’ll be absolutely fine. I have no appetite at all which is not like me. My GP called me yesterday to see how I got on (we live in a small village and she has literally treated my whole family from my grandparents to my children). I told her everything and she said the hardest part is the wait, once I know either way benign or malignant we can move forward. 

Has anyone else had a similar story? Or anyone had Covid jab swelling of lymph nodes 3 weeks after?

 I have just read that back and it’s an essay!!! Sorry for anyone reading.

Laura x 

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Hi Laura,

You will find stories from either direction, those who had a raised node from the jab and those who have from have a form of BC, so I’ll be perfectly honest with you neither will provide you with the answer - and unfortunately only the biopsy results will do that. I know its hard as you are searching for something or anything to resolve the painful feeling of not knowing the answers yet, but as your consultant is currently ‘sitting on the fence’ (as they know only the biopsy will give the answers they need) then that will leave you in a psychologically very difficult place whilst waiting - I remember it very well. It is very tough, horribly terrifying, waiting on results and most people say it is the worst part of their emotional ‘journey’- even if eventually they are diagnosed with BC. Of course at this point the ‘flitting’ with your thoughts, the complete rollercoaster of hope, negative thoughts and panic, to thinking the best outcome, are totally natural and something that most people feel at this point. There is a mid-way point to think about it though - even if it is ‘the worst’ (i.e. a bc diagnosis) then the worst isn’t what it used to be and modern effective treatment plans will make this very treatable for the vast majority of women. It is awful that you had the situation whereby you thought everything was ok, and then a few minutes later it wasn’t. Thats really unfortunate you heard one thing, then the opposite, but if something was found this early (and 8mm is v small) then it is actually lucky it was found ! I know you have just over a week until your next appointment, and all you can really do at this time is distract yourself and expect to feel afraid at times, but resolved that you have done the right thing in getting this all checked out.

Regarding your children, and their potential difficulties with processing information - only you know them and can decide what is best. People’s choice to tell or not tell at the time of undergoing investigations is entirely personal. If there was to be a diagnosis of something that needed treatment then there are lots of resources availiable to help you in having that discussion with them, however, at this point it would certainly raise more questions and uncertainty with them (being autistic) and maybe you think that might be unneccessary (if its all benign) and stressful for them. Its a tough one.

I truly hope that you get some benign results when you return, but in the meantime the forum and helpline on this site will be here whenever you need them. :slightly_smiling_face:

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I am also going crazy, I am waiting for an ultrasound appt. I found two lumps on my left breast and i have pulsating or throbbing pain through the day. I have a 5 yr old, I am terrified.