Suspect IBC and terrified

Camden76

hi everyone

I’m in the UK and noticed a pink mark on my breast a few weeks ago. I dismissed it for at least a week and then googled. All the results were about Inflamatory Breast Cancer and the awful prognosis

I broke down in fear. I have 2 young children 3&5 who need me and I cannot bear the thought of leaving. I went to the GP the following day and she said she needed to try me on a fungal cream before referring me to the breast unit. The following Monday the cream had made no difference and she referred me. My appointment is tomorrow and it has felt like a century waiting for it to roll around.

I saw a different GP yesterday and he suggested it may be a granuloma annulare. Have googled that and it looks quite different. Raised and flakey not smooth like mine but mine appears to be spreading.

I’m so terrified and my hope is pretty much gone. I have such a battle ahead of me and I’m so desperate to be here for my family.

The irony is that after years of not looking after myself I have been finally doing that, have overhauled my diet to much more plant based and had been feeling really well. Additionally, my Christian faith was back on track...albeit with baby steps after a shakey few years, I was recently successafult in applying for a job very close up home which would have cut down my daily commute by almost 3 hours...things were on the up!...so the timing of this truly sucks to say the least!

I hate to see the fear and grief in my husbands eyes. I want to make it all better and I can’t

Would be so grateful to talk to someone

Traveltext

Welcome to the forum Camden76. First, nearly all those posting here with IBC worries turn out to have something else. Second, your symptoms don't appear to suggest IBC. Third, many of us here have been around for many years following treatment, so all is not lost if you do have it.

Keep us posted with your medical news and do try to relax meanwhile.

Camden76

bless you for getting back to me so quickly. It’s so kind and reassuring. Will def keep you pudated

marie5890

You said that you noticed this mark a few weeks ago.

Has it gotten worse? Better?

IBC is VERY aggressive. It gets worse within hours/days. Average age for a woman to get IBC? 60. And IBC is a VERY rare form of BC in the first place.

djmammo

Camden76

Can you arrange to be seen by a dermatologist? They are pretty good at distinguishing between benign skin conditions and IBC.

mustlovepoodles

Just remember that on Google all roads lead to breast cancer. IBC is so rare, and yet Google would lead you to believe that everything breast related JUST HAS TO BE CANCER!!!!!!!!

The sky is not falling. Your symptoms don't really scream IBC. Glad you're having it checked out, but don't waste time and energy grieving something you haven't even been diagnosed with. A trip to the dermatologist might shed more light on this.

Camden76

thank you everyone. Yes it has got worse but not spreading in hours/days. It just hasn’t responded to strong steroid creams and has spread somewhat. I can’t find a skin condition it resembles.

I see the breast clinic tomorrow. I assume they will refer me to demotology if they think it is more appropriate.

Thank you all SO much

djmammo

Camden76

Stop Googling.

Camden76

I will. Thanks once again. You guys are like a ninja team of IBC experts in how you responded and calmed me

mustlovepoodles

LOL, i love that--"ninja team." I guess after dealing with this for a couple years we ARE like a bunch of ninjas. Cowabunga, dude!

Camden76

lol. Thank you so much. You were all right. She looked at it and pretty much said straight away. ‘This is not IBC’...not angry enough looking etc , seems like a ‘healing’ mauve colour. She was quite bemused by the marks and thinks I need to see a dermatologist who will most likely biopsy.

Thank you once again to the Ninja squad xxx