Worried and scared to death!!!!

Ladyofpearl

Hi I'm 25 years old and I've been having some symptoms. I've researched IBC and it showed that it can come at any age and it also has many symptoms, so I freaked out recently, like no sleep, or anything. I've been doing so much research.

Okay somewhere around thanksgiving I had nipple soreness, it was on my life side as well. But nothing else after that. So recently maybe because I wasn't paying attention I noticed my right breast larger than the other. I don't have rashes, I'm African American but my breast region is lighter than the rest of me, and I can see redness sometimes. But I don't have a rash/redness, no changes in skin texture, but I also read that you don't have to have symptoms or can only have one out of the many symptoms such as swelling and pain which I have in my right breast.

The swelling isn't as bad as it was a few days ago but my armpit has been burning and aching and I have some sore/tender areas like underneath my right breast just at the curved and at the very top. Sometimes if those areas on my breast zing from time to time, my armpit will do the same. I remember I turned over in the bed and the top of my right breast started throbbing and aching. I've had arm pain, swelling and soreness under my foot on the same side as the breast symptoms leading up to now.

The reason I'm scared is because my armpit had a burning pain but I didn't feel or see any significant lump under it (or my right rbeast), but it (and my right breast) hurt, and because the areas I described are still sore if I sit down or move a certain way giving a little pressure.

I'm terrified. Has anyone else had these symptoms happen like this as well?

ibcmets

Ladyofpearl,

You should go in to have your breasts checked. I did not have any pain, but had itching, swelling & redness.

Terri

ziggypop

Hi Ladyof pearl - I'm sorry that you are going through this - worrying is awful. As ibcmets says, you should go get it checked out & you will want to have a breast specialist do that (not just a primary care doctor). At the same time, you should know that your symptoms could be any number of things, so try (although it's hard) to focus and other than checking in here - stay off the Internet. You're not going to get a diagnosis there & you're going to get a lot of bad info along with what might be good info. It's a good idea to write down symptoms that occur each day and date them so that you can explain thins clearly to your doctor.

Kicks

See your DR ASAP!  No one here can diagnose you - it takes at least an appt with an MD (possibly more) personally.  There are many possibilities for what you're experiencing.

PS - stay away from 'Dr Google' until you have some actual info from a Dr to go on.

Ladyofpearl

Thank you all for commenting, I'll see can I make an appointment. Financially I'm not ready for any kind of news though, and the fact that this is the deadliest of cancers concerns me

ziggypop

Ladyofpearl - IBC is not the 'deadliest' of cancers - it's not even the deadliest breast cancer (that would be stage four). The thing right now is to not worry about the finances - talk to a social worker or financial aid adviser at what ever hospital you end up at. Every State has medicaid for B patients, but the first thing is to find out what it is.

Kicks

Of the types of BC (Lobular Carcinoma In Situ, Ductal Carcinoma In Situ, Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, Invasive Lobular Carcinoma and Inflammatory Breast Cancer), Inflammatory Breast Cancer is by far the most aggressive and 'deadliest'.  It is also the rarest with only between 1% and 5% of all BC being IBC.  The overall 5 yr survival rate for DCIS, LCIS, IDC,  ILC is 87+% - for IBC it's between 25% and 35%.  Thus - IBC is the 'deadliest' type.

Stage is how far/extensive the spread has been but it applies to all types.  With Stage IV, whatever type it is, it has metasisized (spread) to distant areas.  With IBC, it is always either Stage III at the least, or Stage IV at DX because of it's aggression and 'habits'.  ER/PR +/- and HER2 +/- status also comes into play.  Our health at the time of DX and our genetics also play a part in our individual prognosis.

ziggypop

Kicks, you are absolutely right. 

Ladyofpearl, have you been to a doctor yet?