have many questions and scared!!!

Options
Debbie2010
Debbie2010 Member Posts: 3
edited June 2014 in IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer)

im 37 years old and woke up three days ago with redness on my right breast and a lump . I thought it was an abcess so i went to the doc and she made me an appointment for a mammogram and ultrasound guided biopsy. She mentioned IBC and didnt even discuss antbiotics. My question is could it still be IBC if the pain and redness is going away? Oh and the lump measured 4.6 cm and is still there . And a couple months back i had swelling in a lymph node in my armpit could that have anything to do with it? and the affected breast is quite larger than my other one . Thank you in advance and im soooo scared

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • ibcmets
    ibcmets Member Posts: 4,286
    edited February 2010

    Debbie,

    You will have to wait for the results of the biopsy. It looks like they directed you in the right direction.  I know it is easier said than done; but try not to worry.  Nothing is definite yet.  The ladies on this board will be here to help you no matter what.

    Terri

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • ateepay
    ateepay Member Posts: 40
    edited February 2010

    How long will it be until the biopsy?  If she/he really thought it was IBC you should have had a biopsy that day.  Maybe she was just covering her bases (so to speak).  You need a skin biopsy also to RULE OUT IBC....

    Please let us know how you are.

    Patti Bradfield, President

    The Inflammatory Breast Cancer Foundation

    www.eraseibc.com 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • cwrightrn
    cwrightrn Member Posts: 242
    edited February 2010

    Just breathe....take a deep breath.  Sounds like your Dr is on top of things....please keep us up to date with what is going on.  Hang in there!

    Ateepay...not everyone can have a biopsy the same day depending on what medication you are on....I take aspirin 81 mg a day and had to wait a week for the biopsy. 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • ateepay
    ateepay Member Posts: 40
    edited February 2010

    I have been taking Warfarin for years.  When I have to have any type of surgical procedure it is only a few days wait.  A skin biopsy would not be put off for a week because of aspirin, at least they don't wait and with Warfarin you have to be very careful.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • cwrightrn
    cwrightrn Member Posts: 242
    edited February 2010

    Sorry for not clarifying Patti---it was a tumor biopsy, not a skin biopsy that I had to wait for.  My skin biopsy was done when I had my port placed under anesthesia.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Debbie2010
    Debbie2010 Member Posts: 3
    edited February 2010

    I dont have any insurance so she has to make a referral and she is getting me in as soon as possable . She said normally it can take up to two weks at this particular place but she is getting me in asap.  And that scared me even more . She said with something like this i can get medicaid and dont have to pay for anything (i just lost my job august of last year) . My app is on monday. Thank you i will keep you posted.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Debbie2010
    Debbie2010 Member Posts: 3
    edited February 2010

    i guess what scares me is she said that the mass that she palpated was abnormal it was not consistant with an abcess or boil she didnt like the edges and the way it felt overall.  And the way my right breast is so much larger then my left. but my question was to women Diagnosed with IBC was did the redness and pain ever improve on its own? Thank you lovely ladies again you are great I will keep you posted.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • cwrightrn
    cwrightrn Member Posts: 242
    edited February 2010

    Debbie 2010--everyone is different and everyone's experience is different.  For me, I had a bit of redness and I thought it was from my hubby's mustache.  A week to the day later it was huge, red and swollen.  I immediately went to the Dr and she agreed that it was some sort of infection and put me on antibiotics....cancer doesn't pop up overnight, right?  In this case, it did.  She did schedule me immediately for a mammogram and then a week later, because of being on aspirin, I did the biopsy.  I didn't notice the peau 'de orange-- orange peel around the nipple.  My redness did subside a bit with antibiotics but it wasn't til I was on chemo that it totally went away.  Hang in there, remember to breathe and please let us know how you are

    Carole 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • lorieg
    lorieg Member Posts: 802
    edited February 2010

    My redness swelling did not go away, but I know someone who had an almost complete "clinical response" before she was diagnosed by taking Ibuprofen every 6-8 hours for a week.  Her surgeon almost told her to just follow-up in a year because all of her redness, swelling, mass and clinical signs resolved on ibuprofen.  Very scary.  Luckily he did not send her home and did a random biopsy and was diagnosed.  Maybe I should start taking ibuprofen myself....lol.  Sorry, not funny.

    Hugs, best of luck, and I hope you get benign results.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • ibcmets
    ibcmets Member Posts: 4,286
    edited February 2010

    Lori and those with IBC,

    I have IBC diagnosed 6/09 with bone metastasis. I had 8 chemos and still the redness appeared the same as Bonnie's.  A friend of mine suggested B6 & B12 for energy from chemo from a company called Trivita.  I read info on all their products & testimonials and tried this cactus juice called Nopalea shown to help with inflammation.  I've posted on ibc boards to see how anyone has gotten rid of the redness & inflammation and did not get any response.  Believe it or not, this juice has gotten rid of the inflammation & redness within 2 weeks. I take it daily now.  I don't sell this stuff or want to advertise.  It just worked for me.

    Terri

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Faith316
    Faith316 Member Posts: 2,431
    edited February 2010

    I took Xeloda and Tykerb (I'm also HER2+) for my IBC because I had already had AC and Taxol and Herceptin when I was diagnosed initially with IDC in 4/08.  My IBC presented while I was still taking Herceptin and undergoing radiation.  I was taken off Herceptin (had been on it for 9 months at that point) since it obviously wasn't working and put on Xeloda and Tykerb.  After one dose, I could see improvement in the rash.  My husband just thought it was  wishful thinking on my part, but it wasn't.  Within 3 weeks, my rash was totally gone and the swelling, thickening, etc. were much improved.  I had another PET/CT, mammogram and ultrasound 4 weeks after starting Xeloda and Tykerb and they all showed NED.  Xeloda and Tykerb did for me what Adriamycin, Cytoxin, Taxol, Herceptin and 30 radiation treatments could not.

    Xeloda and Tykerb worked miracles for me.  Any of you other IBC girls ever try these to see if they would help you?  (Tykerb would only be appropriate if you are HER2+).

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • cwrightrn
    cwrightrn Member Posts: 242
    edited February 2010

    Faith 316---I was diagnosed at stage III so Xeloda was not an option as it is only for stage IV so I did the ACT and had a complete clinical and radiographical response prior to surgery....but at the time of surgery I had 2 more positive nodes not seen on the PET/CT scan and the path report said the cancer was in the lymph channels.

    So glad to hear xeloda worked for you....I've read many posts that have had the same results.  So glad to know it may be an option for me in the future. 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Faith316
    Faith316 Member Posts: 2,431
    edited February 2010

    cwrightrn --- Xeloda is usually only for stage IV but not always. I am stage III and I took it.  I have not heard any other stage III girls say that they took it, though.  I asked that question in a post a week or so ago but couldn't find anybody else stage III that took it. 

    My original dx in 4/08 was stage IIB --- DCIS and IDC.  At that time, I took AC, Taxol, Herceptin and had 30 radiation treatments.  None of this worked and I had a recurrence in 6/09 while still in treatment, although there is speculation that the cancer was never gone and thus not a recurrence  but just a continuation of the original cancer although it was now stage 3 IBC.  So when I was referred to MD Anderson, my oncologist there stopped the Herceptin that I was still on since it obviously wasn't working (I had been on it for 9 months at that  point) and switched me to Xeloda and Tykerb.  Thankfully, it worked great for me!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories