Ello all…I apologise for the length of this post, I am at my wits end and frankly frustrated & scared…
A little history first…I am 48 years old and at age 30, 34, 39 & 43 I had duct removals and at 43 I also had a lump removed & nodes removed.
The left breast acted up with bloody discharge, swelling, itchy/tingly feeling when I was 30 & 39 and my right breast followed suit when I was 34 & 43.
Family history was up until very recently pretty much unknown since I am the last family member (blodline) alive, however with the help of a friend and their internet assistance I was able to trace distant cousins and my dead sister’s ex husband who all filled in vital spaces in my knowledge.
On my mother’s side, her two older sisters died from “lady cancer” in the 1960’s.
On my dad’s side, his younger sister and mother died from unknown cancer in the 1970’s and 1980’s.
My late sister committed suicide in 1994, at the time I had no idea why. I have since discovered through talking to her ex husband that she had found a lump in her breast but was too scared to ask her GP about it until it was too late. She did eventually get help and was found to be stage 4 in bones, liver, lungs and brain…she couldn’t cope and she killed herself with an overdose.
Roll forward to about 6-8 weeks ago. My right breast was very tingly and irritated, initially I thought it was a change of washing powder but it soon turned out to be more troublesome. I started (and am still getting) heavy bloody discharge, I ache in the right shoulder down into the chest wall area, the areola has thickened and the nipple has retracted completely…the breast is also slightly larger than the left one.
I took myself off to the GP and was referred to the local breast clinic.
Appointment was today…I saw a consultant, she manipulated the breast, had both mammogrammed and the bad one ultrasounded.
Her verdict was that my breats are too dense to be certain of anything but to her the ductal area “was in some distress of unknown cause”.
I burst into tears when she told me that I needed to sit and wait to see if it cleared up on its own.
She then asked a breast cancer nurse to speak to me and I explained with the history of my own trouble…unsure diagnoses/no follow ups on any of the 4 previous surgeries…and the family history…I couldn’t handle having to wait and see. I have already had a stroke, I have COPD and arthritis and to have to wait and see if this breast problem was going to just go away was too much to bare…I have no family or support system.
I asked if it would be possible in the circumstances to have a preventative bilateral mastectomy…she said that many women in my situation ask and do get this but only after a panel has discussed it and counselling completed. I told her that I wanted it and that I could not handle any other way. She agreed that with my own history and that of my family I was a good candidate. She would talk to the consultant today with a view of discussing it at the panel meeting next week and they would write to me with their opinion and whether or not they would be willing to refer me to the oncology-psychologist for counselling.
I was upset by all this and she has suggested that I see my GP to see if she can circumvent it or pressurise the panel…the earliest GP appointment I couldget is Aug 22.
Has anyone else been through this…and has anyone got advice on how I can get quicker action, please?
Thanks
