Almost a year with weird symptoms.

ioana1213

Hi everyone! Hopefully you've had some nice, relaxed holidays! Huge hugs for those who are not having a good time right now.

My story goes a little like this: I'm a 24 year old girl. In January I noticed my left armpit was kind of swollen, bigger than my other armpit. Googled it and the internet told me it could be a lymph node. Initially dismissed that because it wasn't a "small lump that I could move around" and it didn't look like anything Google images was showing me. My armpit basically looked fatter and there was no defined lump in it.

There used to be pain too, stabbing or aching, sometimes my whole arm would ache, but that went away. I rarely experience arm tenderness and weakness in this arm. I feel like over the time, my left breast has gotten bigger as well, but I can't vouch for it because maybe it was always like this. I'm not sure. My left nipple looks different from my right nipple, a bit redder.

I've never had a physical breast exam done by a doctor, but I did get two ultrasounds this year. During the first ultrasound in February, my doctor did go over a painful bump in my left breast but said nothing. At the end of it, he told me that nodes in both of my armpits are reactive and the report showed that the lymph node in my left armpit was slightly bigger. He also told me my left breast is fattier and that I have more fatty tissue in my left armpit as well. Got a BIRADS 1 and he told me to buy a cream to help with the tenderness when I'm bothered. He recommended yearly ultrasounds. It was kind of quick.

My second ultrasound with a different doctor happened in July. After the ultrasound, the doctor told me I'm generally fine. He said he found no lumps in my breasts (although I had felt a painful lump myself a month prior to that day) and that my lymph nodes don't look suspicious. This was written on my report (tried to translate as best as I could):

Right armpit: Lymph node with reactive character that measures 16/7mm

Left armpit: Chronically inflamed lymph node with a narrow parenchyma and fatty center that measures 16/9 mm.

Gave me a BIRADS 1 again. And didn't prescribe me anything or sent me for other tests.

I left but I was kind of disappointed. She told me lymph nodes swell for all sorts of reasons but by that point mine had been swollen for at least six months. I'm thinking they're not taking this serious. I mean, how often does someone get a chronically inflame lymph node and then gets told they're okay? But I was growing tired with worrying all day and night. So I figured... two doctors told me I'm fine. Maybe I should settle down for a while.

Recently there's a spot between my left breast and my armpit that often itches. And now my thoughts go to IBC because of course they do.

Honestly... I'm tired. I'm tired because I don't have a lot of free time to run from doctor to doctor and beg for answers. I haven't been to my GP because I preferred doing my tests in private care rather than state care (I'm not from the US) and he isn't the most competent doctor (problems w him in the past).

I just need a doctor that will sit me down and tell me: I'm here to help. These are the tests you need to do in order to have an accurate diagnosis. Do these tests and we'll know why your lymph node has been swollen for an entire year and why your armpit looks like someone put a ping pong ball in it or something.

I have a huge fear of cancer because I lost my father to lung cancer last year. I worry about my family so much I don't need to worry about myself too.

Any words of advice would be nice. If you don't have any, thanks for reading anyway! *hugs*

AliceBastable

Maybe your tissue in that breast is more tender because you keep poking and prodding it to try to find something?

Skwashie

Hi ioana1213, have you asked your doctor directly if there is a chance you may have a breast cancer? And if your doctor doesn't judge you to have BC then, ask him/her to explain this to you. If your father passed away recently, from cancer, it is a normal reaction to worry about cancer yourself. In addition to this, the grieving process can affect our immune system and so, your fatigue could be related to this.

GoingAroundInCircles

Hi Ioana,

I just joined this forum and am going through something similar to you, also for close to a year.

I made a post yesterday in this part of the forum, I know it’s of no help to your situation but it just may make you feel that *little* bit better knowing that you are not going through this alone.