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Pat634

I had a punch biopsy last fall and IDC was diagnosed.  Before that I hadnt had a mammogram since 2001 because of no insurance.

Oncologist did 4 rounds of chemo with combination of taxotere and what they call the red devil.  On 1/20/09 I had a lumpectomy and all nodes removed...7 of 13 nodes had extracapsulated (cancer poked out of the nodes). Pathology report said tumor was mucinous and that clear margins were obtained. Staged at I believe IIIc.

Came out of surgery with sore throat, cough and a blister like rash above the surgical line (surgeon said likely from the sterri strips).  Had a single drain placed.  Drainage looked bloody so 7 hour later went back into surgery so he could fix what he called a hematoma but later claimed he couldnt find the source so he added another drain and closed me back up.

Two weeks later he takes out the drains..one was draining at over 100cc a day at the time.

For one week I was fine.......the next week I was physically examined by a radiation oncologist. That started something. Breast felt like an overfull water balloon.  Was diagnosed later that week with an 11cm seroma.  Surgeon refused to drain it.

Finally after a month of weekly appointments of me begging him to drain it (rads had already been postponed a month at the time) he finally drained out 150cc of yellow straw fluid and the breast visably deflated. He told me to come back in a week.

During the week it got HOT, RED and painful. Called the surgeon and was given cipro to take twice a day. Second draining was another 150cc of fluid only this was a red wine color with small white floaters in it. He sent it for culture..It cultured nothing.

Finally I developed the cough again and went back into the hospital ER where they admitted me for a right lung blood clot and what they are calling a "cellulitis".  Was put on vancomycin and given a whole slew of blood tests which I still dont have the results of.

Now on vancomycin infusions at home and blood thinners. Cough slowly improving and breast went from red to pink. They also inserted one gravity based drain in the middle of my surgical scar which has drained about 100 cc of that red wine colored drainage over the past 7 days with nearly nothing in the drain the past two days.

I am only being paranoid because they claim my drainage didnt culture anything....is it possible to have: IDC, undiagnosed IBC (in spite of punch biopsy, numerous ultrasounds, a pet scan, surgery and chemo, a cat scan, etc), a seroma in the breast and armpit area and cellulitis all at the same time and all in the same breast?????

mrs_X_Sunneedazee

Okay, I am not a doctor, and can only speak from my experience. 

When I had my biopsy, it came back as IDC, ILC, focal carcinoma, and skin invasion, which made it  IBC.  WHen one has IBC, it is critical do to chemo before surgery to shrink the tumor before surgery.  This is to keep the tumor from seeding in the skin, and also ending up with surgical sites that do not heal.  

I do have IBC, and after my mastectomy, I was drained 3 times, like you were.  over 100 cc of liquid each time, my surgical site would deflate like a punctured balloon.

I developed skin mets along my scar line 9 months  after surgery.  They looked like a red pimply rash.  They spread more and more each day.  My skin also became puffy and swollen looken, and my DR thought it could be cellulitis.  I did a course of antibiotics, they kept growing (as well as other metastaseis sites) so I was put on chemo again. A couple of weeks after I began chemo, all of my symotoms began to get better, and after 2 months on chemo, my skin issues were resolved.

I don't know if any of this info will help you.  I just wanted to share my exprience in the hope that you may find some similarities that will help you find answers.  Please keep us posted.  I pray that you can find what is wrong and get treatment for it.   

Claudia413

Is there any update from WI?  I get concerned when I don't see any follow-up. 

tokmik

Good article! Very informative and also helpful! Austin Radiation Oncologist.

Beesie

tokmik,

You seem to be here simply to promote your company - 4 posts since joining and all contain a one sentence platitude and your url.  Did you know that this is against the guidelines of this board?