Mom probably has to have a biopsy

CnealRN

I’m trying to remain positive but honestly I’m a huge hypochondriac. I posted on here like 2 weeks ago. My mom went to the ED with symptoms of cellulitis in her breast. She’s a cancer survivor (it’s been like 10 years) and this is her second bout of cellulitis since January. The first time they prescribed Keflex and it went away. This time, they gave her a shot of Rocephin and sent her home on oral Keflex. Immediately she started feeling better and the redness slowly started going away. She followed up with her oncologist who said she’s seen IBC before but she didn’t think that’s what my mom wasn’t presenting as. How relieving... however she said she was going to schedule a MRI and an appt with the surgeon that didn’t her BSC 10 years ago. Ok fine. I’m relieved and so is she...

Well fast forward to yesterday (5/6). She said she woke up feeling cruddy again and the redness, tenderness, peeling (but I think the peeling was it healing), and I felt it and it feels somewhat hard. I’m freaking out. Her appt with her surgeon is today and her MRI on Monday. Is it possible she just needs stronger antibiotics and the Keflex didn’t completely treat the cellulitis this time? Her breast had started clearing up and was responding to the antibiotics which isn’t not typical of IBC, correct? I’m sure the surgeon will go ahead and order the punch biopsy though. What a great way to start off the week leading up to Mother’s Day

Beesie

I can't answer your questions, except to say that it would be unusual for IBC to respond to antibiotics.

Hopefully someone else will be able to offer more information. Or better yet, hopefully the appointment today with the surgeon went well and your mother has some answers.

Good luck to your mother with the MRI and the biopsy.

CnealRN

Thank you all. So last week she had a double mammogram, bilateral MRI, and a US. The only thing it showed was thickening, some calcifications, scar tissue, and fat necrosis around her areola. Any results they found they said was probably benign and/ or a result from BCS and treatment in the past. They do want her to follow up in 6 months regardless. She also talked to the surgeon today and discussed everything with her, said the antibiotics were clearing everything up nicely and she’s almost positive Its not IBC, but if it comes back within the next month then they would do a punch biopsy.

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infectious disease also told her it didn’t look like IBC and definitely just recurring cellulitis and she may just have to be on Keflex around the clock or whenever there are signs of a flare up.

I’m reassured... she still isn’t though at least not 100%. But from me, being a nurse, it definitely looks better and know IBC would never do that