Concerned I might have IBC

dalston93

I was put in the hospital for 4 days and was treated for a breast infection in March. My left breast swelled to twice the size, redness and warmth on the left side and tremendous pain in the breast especially at the nipple area. The doctor seemed to think that it was an infection caused by the milk duct. I am 48 and have gone through the change so I am not breast feeding It seem to get better while I was being treated with IV antibiotics. It never really went away and has gotten really tender again along with some swelling and denseness and it is now June. My breast surgeon has scheduled surgery to remove the milk duct and said that should take care of it. She is also going to do a biopsy when she does the extraction. Is there a possibility it could be IBC or am I blowing this way out of proportion?

stacey2930

No your not blowing this out of porportion at all. Unfortuately IBC is misdiagnosed as mastitis and other benign conditions the only way to truely know for sure if by biopsy.I would definately insist on the biopsy. take care and keep in touch.

LiveForToday

If you are seeing a breast surgeon he should know what he is doing. The biopsy is a good thing, that will solve the puzzle. Best of luck with your surgery and biopsy, keep us informed. You will be in our thoughts and prayers!

huggs, Sherry

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I will stand my ground.....and I won't back down

dalston93

Do you know how long after the tissue is sent to pathology before I get the report? Just wondering if I have to wait a while. Thanks.

Debbie

dalston93

Maybe I am just imagining it but it seems like the stabbing pain in my breast has gotten worse and sometimes it feels like the stabbing goes all the way to my chest wall. Is that a bad sign? I guess I am getting a little more concerned or scared the closer it gets to my surgery date. I guess another concern I have is I don't even know what to ask the surgeon. I will definitely let you know as soon as I get the results from my surgery.

Thank you so much for your response.

Debbie

Mary-Lou

Mastitis is where all mine started, for years I thought that was all there was to it....When my nipple started to to invert , I knew something was really wrong. Stage 3B and 4 nodes later I found out.

Best of luck and keep us posted. Mark the little finger with the string at the bottom of this post...that way you can find this post easy and let us know what you found out.

Best of Luck!

stacey2930

Hi Debbie,If it were me the only question I would ask the surgeon at this point is "how long will it take to get the results of my biopsy? You are not going to rest easy until you hear the results of the test. The results of the test should not take long. My biopsy results were given to me the next day. I am not sure about the breast pain your experiencing but if your breast is swollen and there is infection in the duct then that could explain the pain your having which could be a good sign that its an infection. IBC is a rare entity so the odds are in your favor this is a benign process but you must insist that your surgeon rules it out first. So many women that are diagnosed with IBC are given antibiotics for weeks and valuable time is wasted before a biopsy is done. I dont want to frighten you I just want you to be informed that the medical community can make mistakes so you have to be your own advocate in some cases. The odds are definately in your favor that this is going to be nothing but there is only one way to know for sure.I will be thinking about you my friend. Please let me know how it turns out. Praying for a great report. Stacey

stacey2930

BTW I saw in your profile that your a runner. So am I, running for me has been so helpful. Its been an outlet to relieve stress. What's your running routine? Stacey

dalston93

Hi Mary Lou,
I have not had my nipple to invert thus far but it is very tender. I feel that we all know when something is not right with our bodies and that is what I am feeling right now. I don't believe it is just mastitis. I believe there is something else happening with my body. Thanks so much for your response and I will keep you posted.

Debbie

dalston93

Hi Stacey,
I sure hope you are right and this is nothing serious. As far as my running schedule I have just gotten back into it. I lost my 21 year old son in a house fire on Dec. 23 and just haven't had the energy to continue my routine. I am trying to run at least 2 miles every other day right now. My goal is to run about 3 miles a day. I am very competitive and like to run in 5K's so maybe I can get back into that also. Running is a good stress relief for me also. Thanks for your positive response.

Debbie

DragonladyTina

OOOOH Debbie

I am so sorry for the loss of your son

I hope that this biopsy shows nothing more that an inflamed duct.
Let us know ASAP.

best wishes, Tina

Mary-Lou

I understand, it is true we do know when things just aren't right. I will check in here from time to time.

Hugs

pstanislaus

Hi Debbie,

My Mom got diagnosed with IBC in April and she just started her Chemo in June. Did you have a mammogram or and ultrasound done on your breast? Also do you have the orange peel skin affect on your breast? My Mom had a Mammogram, which showed a lump, which was confirmed by an Ultrasound. The second her surgeon saw her breast she confirmed that it was IBC. If you surgeon thinks it’s a problem with you milk duct I am sure you will be fine. All the same the best way to confirm it is with a biopsy. Good luck and keep up posted

Patricia

clh1128

Hi Dalston93:

You're story sounds like mine. In March my Primary Care Doc gave me antibiotics to take for ten days, because my breast was red, swollen, and very painful. He diagnosed it as cistitis. I went to my ob/gyn this last Monday. She found that it was still swollen and a lump. I go to see a breast surgeon on Monday. Any information I've gotten is what I've extracted from the internet. I'm 48 as well. I'm trying to stay positive.
I need clarification on this: Has anyone out there heard of IBC is inoperable because the cancer might spread?

dalston93

I will be interested to hear what your surgeon tells you. I am having my surgery tomorrow and will let everyone know how it went but I'm sure I really won't know anything until after the pathology report comes back. You are in my prayers.

Debbie

clh1128

I'll be praying for you as well.

dalston93

I had my surgery today and one of the milk ducts was removed and sent to pathology. The surgeon didn't do another biopsy on the breast because she said the tissue she removed would tell her what she needed to know I won't know about the pathology report until Friday. I am doing okay just feeling a little weak and sore at the moment.

dalston93

Should have I insisted on a different kind of biopsy? I have been thinking that I probably should have. Any opinions?

Anonymous

Thanks Mary Lou for the link and how to use the ribbbon finger at the bottom of the page. I am also very frighten about IBC. I will be having surgery Friday. Jean

dalston93

Just wanted to let everyone know that my pathology report showed no cancer. All the problems are due to the infection I had in February and March. Thanks for all the feed back I received on the discussion board. It was a comfort to hear from others on breast cancer. I will always use this discussion board with any concerns I may have in the future. Hopefully there won't be any! God Bless all of you!

Debbie

Anonymous

I so happy all is well with you. Good luck and may God keep you in his hands.
Jean

dalston93

Okay, it's back again. This time the breast is not as hard but is swollen and very sensitive to the touch with a stabbing pain. I went back to th surgeon on Friday and she has requested an ultra sound on Tuesday and then she wants to see me on Friday again. When she did the surgery to remove the milk duct she thought that would take care of the problem and it did for about 6 weeks. Should I insist on another biopsy?

mrs_X_Sunneedazee

I am sorry that you are still having problems.  Is there redness on your breast?  From my reading about IBC the discoloration of the breast is one of the tell-tale signs of IBC.  I hope that it isn't cancer, but I wouldn't rest until you find out exactly what is causing your problem. 
Hope you are well, and that it isn't anything serious!