New Symptom 2 years out - Scared to death

37antiques

Hi all,

I went to my doctor for a check up and told him of some symptoms I have been having, pain and swollen areas for a couple months, and a new swollen area of the fat pad between my armpit and bra line.  He did a CBE and very thoroughly found every painful and swollen place from just above the initial bc site, in the armpit and halfway-ish up on my upper arm, seemed a bit concerned, said it was my lymph nodes, prescribed an antibiotic just in case, and told me to make an appt. with my breast surgeon.  I called and they seemed concerned, so I go in next week, to be poked some more. 

So, now I'm poking at myself and find a very painful spot on my rib, and recall that this has been sore for some time.  Do lymph nodes normally just swell up a couple years later?  Am I looking at metastases?  A recurrance in my bones? just swollen nodes? Has anyone had this?  Just had a mammo a few months ago, should I insist on a digital mammo or gammagram?

Has anyone had this happen to them?  I'm not normally freaking out about things, but this just came all of a sudden out of nowhere.  Any help?

Enjoyful

Hi, Sue -

Of course you're freaking out!  I haven't heard of symptoms like yours before so I can't help you there, but I have a couple of thoughts.  I had a bilateral mx and now, six years later, I still have very sore spots on my ribs.  My doctors attribute this to nerve damage.  Did you have a mx or other surgery that might have caused nerve damage?  Maybe that spot is sore because it's been poked a lot?  :-) 

I'm not sure a mammogram would help with your issues since they seem to be outside the breast.  I would think the dr would order an ultrasound and/or biopsy next. 

From what I've been able to find about lymph nodes, sudden swelling and pain is more indicative of infection than bc, though with us you probably want to think bc first.  Better to catch it early if possible.  Have the antibiotics had any effect?

Best wishes to you, and please keep us posted!

E   

apple

aches, pains and swellings are very common among us.. often they are just things, and not cancer.  best of luck to you.

amlg1

I can tell you my experience,that my mammo picked up my enlarged nodes,nothing in my breast showed.had a US of nodes and Fna then mri to find tumor.But originally mammo picked up a problem.

37antiques

Hi,

I have had lots of surgery but not mx, but that was in 07 to remove the tumor and check the nodes.  It healed pretty well and I am pretty familiar with the scar tissue twinges but this feels different, like comparing a quick stab to pressing on a sore bruise, different.  The surgeon's office asked if I had an US lately, so I think that's where they are going next.  My dr. said no shaving until I see the surgeon, the antibiotics haven't done anything, there is no change.  I guess I'm nervous because after all this time there has not been any swelling at all, and now it hurts to put on deodorant, and since it has been a couple months I would think any infection would have cleared up by now or presented some other symptoms of some sort. And I'm not on any of the hormones that seem to give everyone so much pain, so it's not just a matter of what I take.  Do everyone's nodes hurt when they swell?

arby

I had a lumpectomy and 1 1/2 yrs later I felt stabbing like pains on that side.  Told my onc and he thot it was scar tissue and nerves.  But lo and behold the following summer's mammo showed 3 suspicious spots of calcifications.  It was DCIS with an invasive componant;  I then had a mastectomy followed by chemo and herceptin.  The latter I'm on til sept.

Just follow up any pain and hopefully your news will be a relief. Praying for you to find strength in your belief system (I spent hrs in the Psalms to keep anxiety manageable).  You're in my thots and prayers.  keep us posted.  arby

Leah_S

Did you check if this might be lymphedema?

Leah

37antiques

Hi,

Well, I'm not sure what the symptoms of lymphedema are.  Do just the nodes swell or is it the whole arm?  And does it hurt just in spots or the whole thing?  I thought for sure when I went to the doctor he'd just tell me to stop carrying laundry so much or something and everything would be just ducky, (and I'd be really happy) but I guess not.  Anyway, I go to the surgeon later today, so we'll see what happens when she pokes at me.  Hopefully I'll have some sort of answer to post soon and not be in limbo land.

37antiques

Just an update, went to the breast surgeon today who did an ultrasound in the office and said she was sending me to the breast speacialist, she did not see anything she would be confident biopsying in the office.  That's good, right??  It is not lymphedema or infection, not meds, so I still don't know.  The breast specialists do digital mammo and computer guided biopsy in the office, I'll see when I can get in.