New and Should I be more worried

AFwifeMOMof3

Hi everyone, I'm new here, and have been lurking around reading many of your posts this week.

Some info about me, I'm a few weeks shy of 39, mother of 3 (20, 17, 8), and I am a military dependent living overseas. I had a hysterectomy (prolapsed uterus, bladder cystocele, fibroids and endometriosis) when I was 31, but they left my ovaries. I've studied and worked in the medical profession for many years prior to moving overseas. My mother was diagnosed with Fibrocystic Disease when she was 25 and has had mammograms yearly since then, and my mother's sister has Paget's Disease not related to breast at this time. There is no real genetic linkage to breast cancer. The only area that puts me at risk is that I started my period at age 10 and a ½ .

At the beginning of this month, I did a self-breast exam ahead of my monthly schedule because my right breast and into my lower armpit region were sore, tender and warm to touch. It was so achy to even palpate the right breast, and when I pressed and palpated the area just below the nipple it felt as though I had a bruise in there (no visible sign of bruising on the surface). Then, I moved on to the left breast, and in the upper right outer quadrant I palpated a lump the size of a kidney bean, and there seems to be a pocket that has formed around it. So, I decided to wait a week to see if the symptoms left, remained or anything new cropped up, mainly because I do not know when I am on my cycle (I have my ovaries) or if maybe these are some signs and symptoms letting me know I am entering into menopause, and probably because I will now be able to tell the doctor I've already done the monitoring we do not need to wait it out any longer. However, the aching and the pain in the right breast remains though not as bad as it had been, but the left breast has now developed the same aching and pain as the right breast. At times, the left breast feels extremely hot and now down the side of that breast has that bruised-like feeling when I palpate and press on it and it feels a bit hardened, not like soft breast tissue and I do have an intermittent burning sensation in actually both breast just not at the same time. Both my nipples, when I manually express from them, leak a yellowish to very dark green (almost blackish looking) sticky secretion but it doesn't leak out on its own-not sure if this is anything. Now when I sleep, there is definite pain and discomfort from the pressure of the bed against my breast. Also other symptoms I have noticed in the last maybe almost 2 months, I'm so tired like the energy has been drained right out of me. I find myself wanting to nap the whole day away, and I'm actually sleeping at night-I've had insomnia since I was a teen. I find myself wanting to go to bed at 8pm if I could and if I do, I still wake feeling not-rested and wanting more sleep. The breast bone area (left breast), on cleavage side, feels bruised when I touch it, and I'm starting to have a backache (center and more toward right side between shoulder blades). Does any of this seem similar to any of your experiences?

I have made an appointment, which is for the 23^rd and is the earliest our clinic can get me in. It's weird, I'm not worried so much about what I've found because I don't want to get so worked up over it till I know if I should, and because I know that a majority of what I may have found could be benign, and if not I will cross that road when it is presented-have to think positive thoughts. However, I'm dealing with military health care and I'm going to be honest-at times they suck. It worries me more to have to deal with them and have them not take me and my concerns serious. I'm not going to even get seen by a GYN because according to our medical plan these days, a woman no longer enjoys that luxury, UNLESS something is found to be suspicious by the family practice doctor-this means all yearly female checks (paps and breast exams) are done by the family practice. I had my last breast exam end of July and was told all felt good other then a cyst that the doctor said he felt on my ovary but that I have not felt any symptoms of. I know what the protocol should be for my symptoms, but whether it will be their course of action is another story. I mean, I'm nearing 40 and have never had a baseline mammography and when I asked I was told, it's not necessary. I've often had to remind the family practice doctor to do my breast exams because they are just fine with doing a pap and sending me on my way. So yeah, I'm more apprehensive to deal with them, which is some ways takes my mind off of probably worrying about what is wrong with my breast.

I've read many of your posts on here and I see how so many of you had drawn out ordeals before you were actually on the path to a proper diagnosis and treatment. I guess I want to be armed with some of your experience and knowledge before I go into combat with these doctors. Should I make sure they do a mammogram or would it be better to have the ultrasound, or should I push for both? What if nothing shows up on either, should I suggest they do another test or wait and see? I guess I am worried that I will go in and be told, "Oh, your breast feel fine, this is normal, you're probably starting menopause-hormonal changes, or it's just an infection (they are so antibiotic paranoid I doubt they will even prescribe it), or any other number of we're really not concerned responses." I'm a believer in knowledge as a positive weapon-I just want to be prepared. I just hope I am proven wrong this time, and I am seeing one of the newer doctors so, maybe that is a good thing.

beastybabe

Hi there

Im glad that you have come here, hopefully more ladies answer your post.

I must say that Im concerned on your behalf about the discharge and the fact that your breasts are so tender and that you have a burning sensation.

I think that usually a burning sensation is a sign of an infection, along with the discharge.  I would be tempted to go to a doc as soon as I could.

As for the ultrasound or mammogram, I would do both.  I was lucky as here in New Zealand they do the mammogram and then an ultrasound.

As for only being 39 and the doc saying not to worry, I was 38 when diagnosedd with breast cancer...Please get yourself checked.  If its nothing then that good but if its something then the soon they get onto it the better.

shrink

I agree with Beastybabe asap.   I'd also have them do a biopsy on any lumps or thickened areas.  Please keep us informed of what happens.  Wishing you the best.

Anonymous

Don't wait! And if you don't get satisfaction from a PCP or OB/GYN, find a breast specialist. This may be necessary as IBC is rare and not all docs are familiar. It is commonly misdiagnosed as mastitis, but if one round of antibiotics does not clear it, it is not an infection and needs to be checked out.

IBC does not show up on mammograms, an ultrasound, or even a PET scan may be necessary to confirm or rule out. Also get a biopsy, to include the lumps and also the skin where you are red and hot and bruised. IBC is in the skin and lymphatic system of the affected area.

There are good websites for IBC. Just Google for more info.

Bette 

AFwifeMOMof3

Hi everyone,

Thanks so much for your responses. I had my doctor appointment yesterday, and was armed and prepared. It went a little better than I expected, maybe because it was a new female doctor and she was more inclined to be attentive. Anyway, she did the breast exam and the right side felt fine, and then she got to the left side and she found the lump that concerned me, but she also found a thickened mass below the nipple area and to the side of the breast. I had not felt that. She told me she was putting in for an ultrasound and I asked about a mammogram, and I think because she is new she may not know the protocols at this base clinic so she wasn't sure. She told me when I go down to schedule the ultrasound to ask if they will also do a follow-up mammogram. I get there and I asked the tech that was scheduling my appointment about the mammogram and he said, "How old are you?" I told him 2 weeks shy of 39, and he said, "Boy these doctors are dumb you should have the mammogram and then the ultrasound." So, he called the doctor and had her re-input the request. So, I have a diagnostic mammogram scheduled for Oct. 29th. The good thing is, that unbeknownst to me, our base clinic just put in a mammogram center within our radiology department so I do not have to use a facility in our host country--making it a little less stressful.

Also, I started having this weird numb-ish ache in the upper right arm going into the arm-pit. I told the doctor about all my symptoms and she just said, "let's see what the ultra-sound shows."

So, I'm waiting again.

Anything I should make sure to ask or do when I have the mammogram? This will be the first time I have one. 

Again, thanks for your responses.  

ibcspouse

Afwifemonot3

First, I will give you the scary part.  In so many ways you story is my wife's story at her start of her ordeal.  She was being treated at a Veteran's Hospital so some of the same protocols.  The only good thing about the VA, is once they find something suspious they tend to test forever.  She had a warmth in her breast, pain in her left breast.  She also had a decrease in entergy and some pain more of a tingle pain in her back.  She also had cyst on ovary.  It took her over two years from first filling the warmth in the breast and the finding of a small lump in her breast to get her dx of bi lateral IBC and ovarian cancer (still do not know if the ovarian and breast are two primaries or not).  But, the same symptoms are more likely b9, a blocked lymph node, a clogged duct, mastitis, or an infection in or about the chest cavity. 

As many will tell you, IBC is not always found on Mamm or US, but if a radiologist is looking for the symptoms, many can show.  First the lump you feel will be seen if breast are not too dense.  The skin thickness can be measured.  Edema that is caused by tumor blocking the dermal lymphatic channels will sometimes show on a Mamm as a more grayer shading than the black normally seen, thickening in the tubes is another sign. Also diffused enhancement can be seen.  Have these things compared from one breast to another.  Overly dense breast would also be a symptom.  Any of these things have other meanings than cancer, but it is things to be looked for.  You are getting a diagnostic Mamm so viewing will be better, even better if they have digital machines.  Also, with any of symptoms, a brighter back lite is needed to look at films.  I would also suggest that watch be done of ovary cyst.  Ask for US or even a CA 125 maker test. In pre menapausal women, ovary cyst are common, and just keeping a watch to see if it goes away on its own may be what is suggested. 

Now that I have said all of that.  My thoughts are based only on what happened with my wife, and the way too much time online or library.  Trust your doctor's advise, but question them if it does not feel right.

Best wishes Jan, I hope all is solved with a little time or a little antibiotic.