Hi. I’m new and just looking for somewhere to post and see if anyone with more experience has any info for me.
I have had pain in my right breast on and off through Nov and Dec. I just put it down to overdoing it at the gym or picking up shopping funny. About a week ago I was sitting at work when I got a real pain again - clearly this couldn’t be a muscle pull. This persisted for a couple of days which was when I got to thinking back and realised it was odd to pull one boob and not the other. On my regular exam I noticed a sort of thickening in the right breast. It’s sort of lumpy and hard where the other one isn’t. I saw my GP this week and she had a good old prod. She said she could definitely feel a thickening that was not present in the other breast and noted it was sore when she poked (not a very medical term!) the thickened area on the right. She has filled in a referral form which should have been faxed to the breast clinic yesterday. My husband was at home yesterday afternoon and took a call from me that he thinks was from someone medical but they would not tell him who they were as it was confidential and just said they would call back. Nobody called back and he can’t really give them my mobile number as I teach and can’t take calls in class.
Gosh I am waffling a bit. What I want to know is will the clinic write to me as I am unphoneable? I know thickening and pain can be normal but how worried should I be? Will a clinic appointment be an all day thing or is it a quick job? I need info to mentally prepare myself and some of the websites out there are quite scary!!!
I am sorry that you are having a worrying time right now. You might find it helpful to speak to one of our nurses on out helpline 08088006000 which is open between 9 - 5 Monday to Friday and 9 - 2 Saturday. In the meantime, I am sure that other users will be posting messges of support very soon.
Hi Geeky,
so sorry you are going through all this. I am a secondary school teacher and know how hard it is to take calls. I think they will try again but if I was you, would phone them at lunchtime or after the kids leave and say you are returning their call. It is tricky to say what they will do next but I would guess post an appointment to you with possibly a leaflet telling you what to expect. On the day they will most likely do a physical examination (so be prepared to be topless but keep the rest on), ask lots of questions, take down medical history, do mammograms on both sides, an ultra sound and possibly a fine needle excision. That is when they suck a few cells out to test. They may or may not do biopsies that day, depending on whether they think the area looks suspicious. Bc shows in a particular way on the ultra sound. The biopsies are a little bigger than the needle but you get some local numbing for that part, but the gadget is noisy like a stapler.
You will not necessarily have the last 2 parts done if the data from the mammo and ultra sound look ok, depends on individual circumstances and consultants.
Hoep this has not scared you and lots and lots of luck to you. Just shout if you want to know anything else but already worried I might have overloaded you.
Lily x
The clinic sent me an appointment which came through the post yesterday - it is for next Thursday. I couldn’t call the clinic as they wouldn’t leave a number. They did call back yesterday when my husband was in. He asked them and once they confirmed he knew about my being referred they said they could talk to him. The appointment is with a consultant surgeon and I have to take any meds I am on (birth control pills). She said I would see the surgeon and likely have a scan and then they would take it from there. She said to expect a morning.
My boss was awesome. She said she has had a problem before and it turned out to be nothing. She has given me the whole day off - she said I probably won’t sleep the night before and after she had her appointment she was so relieved she needed to go home for a good cry! It makes it easier knowing that I have support there.
I know that it is most likely nothing but there is still that little nag at the back of my mine - and in my boob. I’m trying not to worry but I am a little snappier than normal and not sleeping too well.
I never expected this to happen - I thought any abnormalities in boobs were lumps so this kind of threw me. I expected my GP to say it was nothing!!
Hi,
no problem, mine was thickening and I had thought the same as you. Just wanted to wish you lots of luck, most people are ok and I hope you are one of them. Please let us know how it goes if you get a chance
Lily x
hi geeky - sorry you’ve had to join us here but there is a lot of support etc - you’ve done the right thing having it checked out and so many people have reassuring news too so its not all bad news, you don’t say how old you are but some conditions are considered “normal” at different stages of your life ie young or peri-menopause (around that time) etc and everyone has a different story to tell so don’t judge yourself by what you read as its amazing how similar and yet so different various people can be…take care
ps I rang the helpline and had a good chat with a lovely lady that really helped…
Went to the breast clinic and the Dr had a feel and said he could feel a thick, lumpy area on one breast, he used a portable scanner and said he wanted to send me for an ultrasound. I had the ultrasound and there was a thickened area but it was diagnosed benign. The Dr was really nice as I was quite embarrassed at wasting time. He said it was fine and that any pain or changes should be reported and checked and didn’t make me feel silly like I thought he would. He said it was probably age related changes to my breast and to just take paracetomol for the pain. I was very relieved. Although I can still feel the thickened area the pain has now subsided - lasted about a month in all and it does seem to flare up when I am over-tired or stressed.
Thanks for those who gave advice and all whose posts on here helped me understand what to expect at the clinic.