Who's the youngest?

I am looking for some advice, words of wisdom, or just any little bit of comfort I can get from any of the wonderful women in this forum.  I have been looking on the internet for information and/or advice for a few days now.  I'll give you a little history...about 4-6 months ago (not exactly sure the time frame) I started have a lot of tenderness and discomfort in my right breast.  I was diagnosed last year with fibrocystic breasts and i know that lumps and bumps can change with your cycles so when i noticed this hard lumpy area in the outer side of my right breast i didn't think much of it and decided to check it through a few cycles to see if it went away.  Well several cycles have come and gone and no change.  I had an appt with the GYN Friday and she said she noticed swelling on that side and could feel the hard area which she classified as a lump as well as a "dense" area in my lower breast which is quite painful.  She referred me to a surgeon and I had the appointment with him today, the following Tuesday.  He all but flat out dismissed me because he said he expected to see a cyst or something like a "grape".  He said he felt "thickening" but didn't think he'd describe it as a lump.  Well I'm a logical person and I know odds are it's b9 considering my age, lack of family history etc...but, as some of you are testament to, I also know it CAN happen.  he said if the US shows no "cyst" or "lump" he won't do a biopsy.  Rephrase, CAN'T do a biopsy.  I am pretty sure that I have read cases of breast cancer presenting as a thickening and swelling of the breast.  Am I wrong?  Should I insist on a biopsy?  should I see a different surgeon?  I am realistic about the odds of it being b9 but I want to be certain.  I don't think I can carry the fear with me of not knowing for sure.  I am just really upset because he made me feel kind of stupid and has me second guessing myself which I shouldn't because I know my body better than he does right??  Please help!!  Thank you!!

Jamie

 Also, I have an enlarged lympnode very near to the area of "thickening".  Is this anything to do with anything? 

Well I had a lump at 17 that didn't go away. At 28 it was finally removed and diagnosed as DCIS (it was about 3.5 cm if I recall correctly, when removed). I had a recurrence of DCIS in that breast where the other one had been taken out (so margins probably were not clean) at 45 (couldn't get them to take a small thickening seriously for 4 years so I could have been re-diagnosed at 41 - it was 6.2cm when they finally listened to me - gate keeper health insurance was the big problem). At 56 I was diagnosed (mid January 2010) with invasive ductal cancer plus 4 DCIS's (of two different kinds) in the other breast. 

Each and EVERY time the breast cancer DID NOT initially show up on the mammogram. The recurrence was 6.2cm when it finally showed up and I had been complaining about it for 4, nearly 5, years (was told lumpy breast, nothing important with ultrasound) My breasts were too dense for the mammogram to do much good - even with a digital mammogram (which is better for people with dense breasts). This time I insisted on breast MRI's every other year and this is how the invasive disease was found (mammogram was negative and only after they knew where it was on the breast MRI could they find it with ultrasound - it was about 1cm). The 4 DCIS's were missed by that too. I have AA size boobs so it isn't like there is a lot of space to hide something big LOL.

 I was told by a comprehensive cancer center that since I have (well had - I no longer have either breast) dense breasts even post menopause that I need a breast MRI along with the mammogram. 

Good luck to all of you who are young with this disease. I found it hard to have anyone take me seriously even when I was 40 and messing with the recurrence that everyone claimed was hypochondria until 5 years later. 

I just started going through this found out in nov. I found a big tumor they say that it had been there since i was 25-26 i am 29 now. Had to get the double mastectomy had total of 3 tumors. I think it is diffrent being so young the hair and the body issues the fact that i will never be able to breast feed children or possible have them since i have to do that pill for another 5 yrs after i get done with chemo here in july and have my other surgery to put the implants in. Might no be able to have kids ever or at least till i am 36 or 37 so that is a a hard pill to take. I go to work bald. and still work 40 hours a week while doing chemo. I don't have a retirement savings to pay all these medical bills. I have to work full time to  pay my rent and the older retired ladies they don't have to work. Let me tell you working 40+hours a week and doing chemo is a killer.

I´m 33 years and DX April 2010

I was diagnosed at age 25, two years ago. Fortunately I met and married my husband at age 20 and also become a mom early (I had two young children, ages 3 and 1, at the time of diagnosis). God has been so gracious in the midst of this storm. Grateful to know other young ones out there. It helps me not feel so alone.

Hello. I am 32 and was just recently dx with IDC. I may be at stage four. I have three areas showing up on PET. PET and CT scans are showing a possible thymoma. My primary onco said that if the thymoma is related to the bc, "that would be very bad".

I have been married since I was 17, and we have three children, ages 9, 12, and 14. My BRCA tests were neg.

Needless to say, I'm scared. I am trying to get as much info as I can. Because of this mass in my chest, it's somewhat changing the whole thing(treatment).

All the docs said I was too young. Said I was having anxiety.

Would you believe that five years ago I had a mammo and it did show a small mass. Birads 0. When it came time to do an  ultrasound, the doc spent about 1 minute looking for it, and said"you're too young, it's not in your family" "go home, and know that you DO NOT have bc."

Guess what folks, 32 yrs old, dx IDC, possibly stage four!

Talk about anger!!

One thing I can say, I am so thankful that I have my children, and my husband. Yes it bothers me that I will prob loose my breasts, hair, and have a full hysterectomy. I just want to live!! There is so much I still want to do with my life!!

On top  of this, I have Lyme Disease. I just pray that I get through this so I can help others with Lyme and Breast cancer.

Don't listen to the docs, listen to your GUT!!!

Mine led me to the answers I now have, even though they suck, at least I know.

Hugs to you all!

Hello Baxter! Thanks for the encouragement! I sure need it right now.  Today I got some news that was very upsetting from the thoracic surgeon. He said I definately have a thymoma and need surgery right away. However, they said the bc need to be treated first, and they were shocked that I had'nt started chemo yet. I was so upset. I go to Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, and I thought these doc work as a team. I told them to get the bc surgeon and the thoracic surgeon together and come up with a plan quick or I will go to someone else for treatment.

I feel like no ones in charge of what's going on. Am I supposed to figure all of this out? What steps to take and when? I though a cancer center was supposed to be able to handle this kind of situation? So, I have been very emotional today, every day that goes by seems like just another day that I could have been getting treatment, and on my road to recovery. I just don't understand why all the waiting.

Anyways....sorry, I'm venting again..

In regards to your question, from all of the research I have done, which includes speaking with several lyme disease speacialists, sounds like you have lyme disease.

I too started having severe muscle and joint pain. Nerve pain, headaches, vision distrurbances and so on and so on, litterally five pages of symptoms with the lyme. Now that I have the cancer dx, I wonder how much of my symptoms are lyme and which ones are from the cancer.

There is a lab in California called IGENEX. According to all the lyme speacialists I spoke to, they all said that this lab speacilizes in tick borne disease. I had the initial lab test here locally by a regular lab, which was orderd by my neurologist. I was seeing him because I started having seizure like episodes. Anyways, the initial test came back like yours. The first test for lyme disease is called an Elisa test. If it is elevated just enough, they will then do a Western Blot on same sample of blood. From what I have learned, if any bands come back positive , ANY at all, even just one, you have Lyme. Actually, there are so many people who have lyme,and will never even test positive on the current tests available. I'm sorry that yours is what it is, but it's better to know than wonder what all these symptoms are. Yes, I had a lot of docs think I was nuts, coming to them with so many symptoms. But, if one doc does'nt help, find another. I went through quite a few until I found one, my neurologist, who in my first visit said, "sounds like you have lyme disease to me".

If you start researching it, you will see that there is such ridiculous controversy over lyme. I found a lot of info on mdjunction.com. I hope you find a doc who takes you and lyme seriously. I did do treatment, iv antibiotics for a short time. Not fun. At this point, especially since the docs think I got lyme as a child, i have put treating it on hold. Especially since being dx with the cancer. From what I have learned lyme could have led to my immune system being so drained, and could have made me more suceptable to getting other diseases.

My pain became so intense that I was wheelchair bound for 4 months from the lyme disease. I am on heavy doses of morphine and dilaudid just to keep me from being stuck in bed all day. Even with all the pain meds, which I hate having to take, i am still in a great deal of pain. I wake up with my arms curled inward, fingers and wrists hurting so badly that I can't make a fist, or open my hands all the way. It takes a while for me to get moving. But I move like a turtle! I used to be so active, and fit. Now, especially when the lyme flares up, which is typical for the disease, i barely walk around the house. Get outside a little. I have'nt been to the beach in about 8 months because my feet and ankles and all muscles hurt so badly that I can't even walk in the sand. I'm a florida girl, born and raised, so not getting out to my beloved beach is such a bummer.

If anything Baxter, get informed. This is just my personal experience. Please don't let it scare you . Every one with lyme is different. Some hardly have any symptoms,and some are like me.

When they say not clinically signifigant, they mean the result doesn't meat the CDC criteria for an infectious disease doc to treat you. You usually have to have five bands positive on a western blot test for them to even aknowledge you have lyme. 

You can find Igenex lab online. They will send the test kit for free to your home. The cost of the test depends on your insurance coverage. You just take the kit to a local lab, fed ex it back, and wait on the results. You will need a lyme literate doc to read the results for you, and to sign for the test. Just call around. I think ILADS.com has some great info. You can call and get names of docs in your area.

I will keep you in my prayers! Don't give up, and I hope you get to feeling better soon.

Thanks again for reaching out!

I haven't been dx yet, although i have been suspecting something is wrong since i was 25 (i am 27 now) i posted under the uncertain but scared or something page if y'all want to read my whole story... I have 4 biopsies scheduled for this wed

Anyhow its just nice knowing there is support out there for those who unfourtunetly have to fight bc.

I have been married for 9 years and had intended to plan this elabroate 10th anniversary party for march (we never did a formal wedding) but right now it seems my plans might be changing. We do have 2 children (5 and 2) and regardless of whats going on we decided we weren't going to have any more natural children.

So just reading some of your worries about not having children etc... have made me not do the whole "why me" because I can see its not JUST only ME there are SO many others out there going through this...

i dont feel like burding my family with my suspcions until its confirmed because my step father JUST got through with his breast cancer treatment. He was staged 2, but once they removed his lymph nodes and the mass in his breasts a PET scan is showing nothing. It wrecked my mom... I guess i just need an ear

I was diagnosed at 23 with stage three IDC when my daughter was only 4 months old. I hate hearing about how young I am but it makes me feel awful that there are women so much younger then me out there being diagnosed. I pray for all of you.

There is a little girl with breast cancer, age TEN, who got a wig at the same place I did. Cannot imagine having this happen to my child.

Just wanted to emphasize what KIDSANDLIZ said...  dense breasts can hide cancer.  I am 50 and am fairly certain that the lumps that had been dismissed since my 30's have grown into my present cancer. Your doctors may forget to tell you this, but dense breasts put you at a greater risk for cancer and a greater risk for not having it detected (please see:  areyoudense.org )  As some of you have said or alluded to, be your advocate.  Insist on getting prescriptions for ultrasounds along with your mammograms.  

Bless you all young women for your strength, because I am barely holding it together now at my age.  At 50, I am STILL the youngest person in the chemo room, so   We have a seven year old child that we adopted and I am terrified at the thougtht of leaving her motherless.  I wonder if I would have adopted her if I knew this was going to happen.

Anyway, sorry for rambling, but my message is be diligent if you have dense breasts and be your own advocate if you have a lump.  Most insurance companies pay for 2nd opinions. 

Hi, my name is Stefanie . I am 19 and I was diagnosed August 2013

I am 21 with IDC, 4cm, Stage IIa, ER+/PR+, HER2-. They are wanting to do chemo before lumpectomy to help shrink the size.

Hi needing help : good that you are having it checked soon . Let us know how it goes