Struggling to keep it together and stay hopeful..

[Guest user]

Can I just add that the second time I went to see the professor he said I had dense breast!! But he wasn't concerned!!!

[Guest user]

Hi Kat, just found your new thread and just wondered how things were going for you? Did you request another appointment at the hospital?  Since I last wrote to you I have been back and forth to the GP. The first gp who put me on antibiotics said there was nothing she could do as I have been to the hospital and they said it was nothing to worry about.  I still said I was in pain and could still see what I thought is redness (but has now gone like a lightly toned greyish bruise) she just said everything looked normal but has put me on pregabalin. I went to the hospital that day as I already had an appointment (3rd appointment in 2 months - self-referred) and the specialist said the bruise was probably from were I have been poking (even thought I said it had been there about a month and I know I haven't been poking). and then she said in an indirect way to stop coming back to the hospital!! A week later I felt so annoyed and scared that nothing is getting done I made an appointment at my cities private hospital to see the professor of breast oncology, when I got there it turned out to be the same professor I saw at my teaching hospital!! He had a good look and said everything was pretty normal.  He seemed more concerned about a bug bite on my other breast (which was just a bug bite).  He told me not to worry as you don't get pain with BC.  I'm sure he was just telling me this to make me less anxious! Then two weeks later I was still in pain so I went to see my local GP (this time a different one!) who said the pain was probably just a pinched nerve in my back and this was causing my breast pain! There was nothing he could do as I have already been to the top person, and said he might think about referring me to the pain clinic! I am really NOT happy with the way this has been dealt with!! Yesterday my dad offered to pay for a private MRI and biopsy.  We rung the private hospital and apparently you can't have any of these without a doctors referral!!! Hence when I last saw my GP and tried demanding further tests he said there no reason for an MRI or biospy unless the professor thought there was something wrong.  I feel like I am going crazy about this!! I know what the pain feels like (they don't) and I know i can see something different on my breast!!! None of this seems like a big concern to them, and I am trying so hard to ignore my symptoms to stop myslef going crazy!I totally understand where you are coming from, Please let me know how you get on  xx

[glitterykat]

Hi everyone. Just an update really. Just to say I'm going to request another appointment at the hospital on Friday because I don't want to wait any longer. This worrying is making me even more ill. Hopefully they will refer me and hopeully it won't take too long. Fingers crossed.
Sigh.Hope everyone is as well as they can be. x

[glitterykat]

Thank you maggiemay. It is promising I agree but still odd to me that I'm still in pain. I'm just fed up of it now. Thank you for your support. xx

[SP0]

Hi Kat,
Thought it might help also to know that mammogram is rarely used on women under 40, as the breast tissue tends to be too dense to show tumours. So, echoing maggiemay's point, the ultrasound results are promising and it doesn't sound like you've missed out on anything.
Good luck, Sarah

[maggiemay22]

Hi Kat.

It seems like you're going through a lot at the moment and your hair loss might be due to stress.

I don't know anything about the condition you're suffering with but I think the fact that your ultrasound hasn't showed anything suspicious is good. My breast cancer didn't really show up on the mammogram but it did on the ulttrasound.

However, if you're still really worried I'd ask for further investigation when you go back in September. xx

[glitterykat]

Thank you SP0.

Sorry, it was an ultrasound diagnosis and I'm 23 years old. I even saw the diagnosis letter and they said that there were "no suspicious findings" and no "reasons" to have a follow up. But it puzzles me as I don't think I have recovered. As I've said, I still feel "odd" but I'm not good with describing the symptoms because they are hard to explain. It's just discomfort that is the most annoying and stressful. It feels like some kind of balloon in my breast that feels bigger than my other one but it doesn't look bigger and still moves somewhat normally, as my other breast does. Just feels fuller..
I've also asked a GP about my hair loss and he said it was 'probably' due to all the stress that I'm under right now as I'm going through a lot health wise (not relating to my breast) and that it will go back to 'normal' when it resolves itself. IF it does, more like.
Thank you for your kind, reassuring words. I don't know anything about further treatment as I was given none by the hospital (only a leaflet about the condition) as they said it was only a 'mild' condition.
Best wishes to you also, Sarah. x

[Lucy_BCC]

Hi Kat

Please feel free to call our helpliners to talk through your concerns on 0808 800 6000, lines are open 9-5 weekdays and 10-2 Saturdays and our team are here to support you

Best wishes

Lucy

[SP0]

Katx,

I can't help with experience of your condition, but am online and wanted to offer some support. It sounds a stressful and scary time for you and I can understand is hard to cope with making little progress.

You don't say whether you had mammogram / ultrasound / biopsy based diagnosis, or if it was just based on symptom analysis. If not, the next step is probably to make sure you get that in September. You can ask for a second opinion from another GP, without causing offence.

Either way, it sounds like you need some help with the stress and hair loss symptoms at the moment. So worth consulting a GP about that. Also make sure you're getting enough nutrients to support you, esp B vitamins and magnesium.

I imagine it's most likely to be what the first diagnosis says it is, but you may need different treatment to resolve it. In the unlikely event it's a worse scenario, I can reassure you, as a person with invasive carcinoma that treatment for is is more manageable than expected.

Good luck, Sarah.

[glitterykat]

Hi all. I've recently started a thread in the 'Benign Breast Conditions' forum about being diagnosed with Periductal mastasis/duct estasia a few months ago. I'm totally at a loss to know what to do right now so I hope someone can give me their opinion as I think it would help a lot.
I was diagnosed with that on April 30th but the uncomfortableness has still not gone away. I've been prescribed BC pills (Microgynon) last month as I was still complaining to the doctor of pain in the breast where the condition is. I think it's helped a lot with the pain but my breast still feels uncomfortable, feels like it's enlarged (I honestly really don't know if this is due to weight gain because of the pill or diet etc) and just not right.
I went back to the doctors saying I was concerned that it's not gone away, as it's been around 5 months from when it first started (first symptoms: nipple pain, breast pain, 'heat', nipple redness) and 4 or so months after diagnosis. He said to 'give it some time' and to finish the course of pills otherwise the breast clinic would not consider seeing me again for another diagnosis. I agreed and he said to come back in a few months (they've kept saying this) in September so they can organize another appointment.
This is so frustrating to me because I feel they are ignoring me and my worries/complaints. As the doctor said, not much is know about the condition but I know that it can 'mimic' invasive carcinoma so I'm very worried that it's been misdiagnosed and lots of time has been wasted.
I've not been getting a lot of sleep and my hair has been falling out to the point where a good 3/4 of it is now gone. I honestly don't know how to feel right now and can't get my head around the fact I might have cancer...Can anyone help with their own experiences possibly with this or maybe with doctors and clinics?

Thanks. Katx