Slightly Panicked

[Dani04]

Hi H20 and Kess

After the scan the woman only said everything looks normal, no explanation of why the lump was showing or any reason as to why my left breast is swollen. I was just dismissed lol I have no idea if I will get recalled to the breast clinic for a follow up or anything.

I did go alone, I now realise that was a mistake. She only scanned the small lump and couldn't seem to find it. Never checked my lymph nodes or anything else.I feel like I'm no further forward, still have no idea whats causing my sudden breast problems.

I think I will give it a couple of weeks, see if I get recalled to the breast clinic and if not I'm going back to my GP. I just don't understand why a lump, felt by both a GP and breast doctor didn't show on an ultrasound? lol

[Kess]

If you have a lump that is growing that they didn't check out you should go back to your GP and explain that. Did you go on you own? It's generally a good idea to take someone with you who can ask anything you forget (talk to them before so they know what you want covered). This could be a family member or a close friend.

[H20]

What was the conversation at the end of the scan? What have they said about the size difference ?

[Dani04]

Thought I would leave an update. Had my ultrasound today, the woman only scanned one side of my breast and 1 of the lumps? Which I though was a tad odd. Anyway....the lump wasn't showing on the ultrasound...anyone ever had this happen to them? I got sidetracked by it not showing that I forgot to ask why the never checked the other lump. So I have no idea what's going on lol my left breast is still swollen, and the other lump is still slowly growing. Don't know what to do now. Do I just leave it and see what happens or go back to my gp? So damn frustrating lol x

[Dani04]

Hey Beck,

Sooooo glad everything went ok for you 🙂 I've seen a few things on here about evening primrose oil, hope it works for you 🙂 x

[shelly79]

Hi Beck76,

Glad to hear it went well, I had in 2012, and I started taking evening primrose oil and after a couple of months the pain went, so it's worth trying it!, now you can relax and take it easy. Take carexx

[beck76]

Had a mammogram and ultrasound at the hospital today and everything is fine. The breast consultant said my breasts both look normal and that there is nothing wrong with the skin or the veins which had appeared. She said breasts do change with age. The mammo was actually not painful but when I had the ultrasound which was to scan the left side of my breast where the pain is it did hurt. She said something about the glands there and hormones could be the cause of the pain and said although it sounds daft to try evening primrose oil. Consultant also said to use it. So now I tell myself that there really cant be anything wrong with my breasts and feel happier. x

[Dani04]

Good luck tomorrow beck, will be thinking of you. Let me know how you get on please.

I'm just fed up because I've already had my appointment at the breast clinic and now I have to wait for an ultrasound, if my first appointment had been in the morning instead of the afternoon it would be all over by now lol x

[beck76]

Freaking out now as got my appointment at the clinic in the morning. Hard to relax.
That feeling of having to wait 2 weeks for your appointment is a nightmare as I had to do the same. Seems like forever. x

[Dani04]

Eventually got my ultrasound appointment through....6th of March!!! So another 2 week wait 😞 Getting mighty fed up now, my left breast is now noticeably bigger than the right and the hard lump at the top of my breast has double in size over the past week. The rash at the top of my left breast has now went very dry and scaly so I think that's probably unrelated and just an odd coincidence. Hope everyone is doing ok and having better luck with appointments than me lol

[Dani04]

The waiting is the worst part, hope everything goes ok for you Beck, keep us posted. I've just phoned the ultrasound department and been told my appointment won't be until the 2nd or 6th of March!!! I don't think I can wait another 2 weeks to find out what's going on. A rash has suddenly appeared at the top of my left breast now too, I've no idea if that's a bad thing or not lol

[beck76]

Hi Dani

You are not alone. I am waiting to have my appointment at the breast clinic a week tomorrow so dont even know what I will need to have done. I have not found a lump and neither has my GP but I have some other changes which I am worried about. Its going to seem a long week waiting till next monday and its half term as well so got to try not to show how anxious I am feeling for the kids sake.

xx

[Dani04]

Sorry to hear that emily, hope everything is ok. I was the same when I went to my GP, was expecting to hear 'its nothing, don't worry about it' and got an urgent referral to the breast clinic. When your GP does that it makes you worry more lol Good that your GP is taking it seriously though. Let me know how you get on. I'm just getting frustrated waiting for my ultrasound appointment. Has anyone else had one breast suddenly get larger?

[June_BCC]

Hello Emily

Welcome to the forums, this must be a very difficult time for you. 

As well as the support you will receive on the forums we also have a free helpline where you can talk things through with a member of staff who are there to offer emotional support as well as practical information. The free phone number is 0808 800 6000 and the lines are open Monday to Friday 9.00 to 5.00 and Saturday 10.00 to 2.00.

With best wishes

June, moderator

[emilyxx]

New poster here-- sorry to hear what you're going through Dani! I'm in the same boat right now. I'm 26, I have a lump and a rash in one of my breasts and am waiting for an ultrasound. My GP was concerned immediately upon my breast exam and sent me in for a stat ultrasound... I had been expecting to have it brushed off as "probably nothing" so it was a surprise. It has been a stressful weekend.

Hope we both get some good news soon.

[Dani04]

The waiting is driving me mad, still not had my ultrasound appointment, hopefully hear tomorrow. In the meantime my left breast is getting bigger. It was slightly larger but it has gotten worse since my appointment on Thursday and it's now noticeably larger than the right breast. So after calming down last week and being confident that everything was going to be fine, I'm now back to panicking.

[Dani04]

Hope everything goes ok shelly, keep us posted.

Thanx everyone for all your good luck messages yesterday. I was so disappointed with my appointment yesterday, I just felt like i wasn't being taken seriously because of my age (28). I was really nervous and kept mixing up my answers to her question, my brain just went blank. Now realising I should have taken someone with me lol 

After reading that a few people have had to go back for scans I don't feel quite as let down my the doctor but her manner was so rude I found it shocking. Now back to the waiting game for my scan appointment, the nurse ( who was great ) said it shouldn't be more than a few days. After the Doctor had examined me and asked a few question she just let the room without another word and the nurse tried her best to explain everything to me. I'm confident that everything with me will be fine, but this experience has seriously put me off ever getting anything else investiagted again. 

[Kess]

so sorry to hear both your updates Dani I really hope they see you quickly and sort it out. Mine was so kind and helpful its shocking you were treated like that. ~Shelly sorry to hear you have a mammo to go - odd they didnt do on the day but hopefully they will fit you in soon so you can find out what is going on...

[shelly79]

oh no dani04, I had mine, he thinks something going on sent me for mammogram but they had no spaces left today got to wait, and then ultrasound. sorry they made you feel like that, I had that when I went back in 2012. If you are not happy speak to your gpx

[Dani04]

Ok, my appointment was a bit of a waste of time. Got taken pretty quickly but then had to wait in the wee took for 20 because they were really busy.

Doctor came in and was a tad on the rude/couldn't be bothered side. Out of nerves I kept mixing up her questions or rambling a bit and she kept telling me to stop and treated me like a child. She then proceeded to examine me and said it was nothing to worry about but she wanted an ultrasound. Clinic was too busy for ultrasound to be done today so I've to go back in a few days time.

Only then did she ask me about the changes in my left breast. 'Has your left breast always been bigger?' .....NO! 'Has the swelling changed?' ....yes! It's got bigger!

I feel massively let down by the doctor today. I've never been to a breast clinic before and I'm not someone who goes to the GP for the least wee thing and I got made to feel like a fool 😞

[bushy]

Thinking of you, Good Luck!!

[bushy]

It's my first post, but wanted to wish you good luck!!! 

[gazzlyn]

Good Luck Shelley and Dani today with your appointments   Hope its good news xx

[storminadcup]

A bit further down the line than you. Be strong and fearless (HUG))

[storminadcup]

Thinking of you ((HUG)) be strong and fearless xx

[Dani04]

Thanx shelly, you too. X

[shelly79]

Hi Dani04,

I have my appointment today too 3.10pm, and have been feeling strangly calm all week but not so much today, hope your appointment goes well.

[Dani04]

Well, today is the day....breast clinic at 3:50pm. I'm feeling oddly calm about it now, and I have convinced myself there is absolutely nothing wrong with me and I'm just going to be wasting everyones time lol 

[Dani04]

Thanx Gill, I know what you mean about examining yourself all the time, I'm the same with these lumps, constantly checking them to see if they've changed.....I'm getting a tad obsessive lol

I was at the Nurse in my GP suregery today for my thyroid check (Dx Hashimoto's Thyroiditis 2 years ago) and I asked her if she could check my referral letter just to make sure it had been sent. I got a glimpse of it and in bold capital letters it said URGENT CANCER. Safe to say I panicked. The nurse told me because it had been through urgent I should hear today or tomorrow and she was right, go a phone call tonight, my appointment is Thursday afternoon. 

Suppose but Thursday I should have an idea at what I'm looking at. Its most likely nothing and I'm going to feel like a total idiot for getting myself all worked up over it lol

[ThePianist]

Hi Danio4

OK, firstly the doctors did exactly the right thing to send you straight to the clinic. That is the policy now and like someone else said, breast cancer is so complex and varying that you wouldn't want them to guess would you. 

Like you I google everything and could never understand why people said it was a bad idea as I always got what I needed in the end. But during this last year I have found out why the medical profession say not to google! Honestly the information is so skewed and every single persons situation is different so there is no one rule that applies. 

The other thing is try not to keep poking it and prodding. After I had surgery (lumpectomy) I kept examining myself but every 8 hours or so! Yes I know totally obsessive and in the end I felt a slightly lumpy thickened area. Eventually I made it sore and when I went back to the hospital they did a biopsy and said it was just scar tissue. So I don't prod myself now and I need the whole area to settle back into its new shape without being poked every 5 minutes!

Even if it does turn out to be something they can sort it. It sounds like you have found it early and the NHS are on your case. Excellent. They really can do so much these days - my doctors even dared to use the word CURED, and there's a reason for that!

You're not alone and there's always someone to talk to here!

Take care and let us know how you go!

Gill

[Dani04]

I know I should stay away from google but I seriously can't help myself....I think im now addicted to googling my symptoms lol Slight change tonight to a part of the thickened/swollen area, its now turned into a lump. No idea if thats good or bad and trying my best not to google it lol Sorry to hear about your disgnosis, hope you are doing ok 

[Boa]

Dani, don't google stuff! Most of the sites are not reliable. I'm rather older than you and was diagnosed last year. However, when I was younger I had problems and was sent to clinics. GPS aren't experts and will usually refer on. Breast cancer manifests itself in many ways so sometimes there are no lumps to feel. But on the other hand there can be lumps that are not cancer. You are in the best possible hands so try to relax.

[Dani04]

Thanx very much for your reply. I've just got myself a tad worked up because I was expecting to see the doctor and for her to tell me its nothing to worry about and to come back if I doesn't get any better. My breast cancer knowledge is pretty limited, but I thought that with cancer there would be a noteable lump and not the swelling/thickening that I have, and google just makes you more paranoid lol

[Janet_BCC]

Hi Dani04

Welcome to the forum where I'm sure you will find lots of support from fellow members.

As well as the support to be found on here you could also call our Helpline.  They will be able to offer you practical information and emotional support.  The opening times are 9-5 on weekdays and 10-2 on Saturdays.  The number is 0808 800 6000

Very best wishes

Janet

BCC Moderator

[Boa]

I can understand your concern but please try not to panic. Having decided to refer you to the clinic I think the GP probably wouldn't give an opinion or tell you not to worry. For the vast majority of women referred on to clinics there is nothing sinister found but most of us do worry. You were fortunate to get a doctor's appointment quickly and referred on. The waiting is always difficult but with a three year old there will be plenty to do! Try not to panic. Hope all goes well.

[Dani04]

Hi all,

I noticed a strange swelling/thickening at the top of my left breast about 2 months ago but just thought I had pulled a muscle so never really thought any more about it, until last week I noticed it was getting slightly bigger and I could feel a small pea sized lump to the side of the swelling. Phoned the doctor and got an appointment the next day (Wednesday). She could see the swelling easily, had a good feel around it but seemed to focus more on the small lump and my underarm then just said she was referring me to the breast clinic and I needed an ultrasound and a biopsy....never said anything more, no 'Don't worry, I'm sure it just a cyst' nothing lol So needless to say Ive been panicking ever since.

I'm only 28, with a 3 year old boy, but 2 of my aunts have had ovarian cancer (1 Died) and the other also had breast cancer because of that genetic testing was done and we have the BRCA2 gene in the family ( I haven't been tested)

My doctors reaction has panicked me the most and I was just wondering if I should panic or just calm the hell down lol