just finished Tx and found lump

Hello ladies,

I had double mastectomy last May. Three cancers were found in my right breast. One was 1.3 cm, second was 1.1 cm and third was 0.2 cm. I had DIEP. My chemo was 4 Tx of T/C every three weeks, started almost 12 weeks after surgery (we were waiting for Her2 results). No radiation as margins were widely negative. Last chemo was Sept. 30. No Tamoxifen as having clotting issues. First Zoladex inj in December and then once a month.

Last week I realized it has been one year since I found lump and starting examining and examining. Finally, I found small lump in my right breast (bad one), size of rice or smaller. It is located in area in between breast but in right breast (close to dequolte sp?). I am scared as I had three cancers and maybe there was forth one that was left in remaining breast tissue.

Is it possible to get recurrence so soon? I called my onc and would see him on Tuesday. The day I felt it I was moving some furniture and since then I had funny feeling in my right breast, like muscle was pulled.

Comments

  • Polyana
    Polyana Member Posts: 200
    edited January 2011

    Just stay positive and move your thoughts away from it...stress is not good and worry will not do us any good.

    HUGssssss for u and have faith it will be nothing and it will for sure...

  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited January 2011

    Nikola, it could be a number of things. I have an old stitch that popped up all of a sudden and scared the hell out of me. Also, fat necrosis (dead tissue) and scar tissue can cause very scary feeling lumps. You may have pulled or stretched a muscle that has caused movement within your breast and made something more obvious that you didn't notice before.

    Having a DIEP really digs pretty deep so I doubt you have much breast tissue for a recurrence, but it's always good to get it checked out. Good luck sweetie and ignore the idiot above me.

  • nikola
    nikola Member Posts: 466
    edited January 2011

    Thank You barbe. I try to calm myself and to rationalize but my fingers are always there checking. I was always lucky winner of something rare so I guess I am afraid I might be the one again.

  • Laura85
    Laura85 Member Posts: 2
    edited January 2011

    WOW!!!  Never ever underestimate the power of positive thinking!!  Ever!

  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited January 2011

    I am positive that I had breast cancer. I am positive that I didn't have it before.

    That is all you have to do. The unreality of wishing your lump gone is impractical. There are many, many articles about the added "responsibility" of being positive actually being a burden. Does that mean that the women who have died are not positive? I bet they were.....

  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited January 2011
    Positive thinking is great for work, relationships, crafts, interactions with everyday people and dreams. Not for medical procedures. Prayers are good for that! Innocent
  • nikola
    nikola Member Posts: 466
    edited January 2011

    I probably would not be so concerned that I did not have three of them. Now I am scared the forth one was in that 1% of breast tissue that was left after mastectomy. Then I am scared I started with chemo 2-3 days shy of 12 weeks (even my onc told me he does not like to start with chemo after 3 months mark). I know that zoladex inj work in way to first increase estrogen in order for pituitary gland to stop working. I was highly ER+, felt lump in Jan of 2010 and first hormonal therapy (zoladex) was in Dec. I did get chemo but who knows if worked.

    I am very positive person and always see glass half full. I would always find something good out of bad situation.

  • CoolBreeze
    CoolBreeze Member Posts: 4,668
    edited January 2011

    Thinking positively in this case just means "don't assume the worst so early."  Really, people need to stop getting upset at that innocent phrase.  Yes, she should think positively, we all should.    We should also be realistic and if we have moments of worry and fear, than accept that it is part of the disease. Thinking positively and being worried are not mutually exclusive.  The person who posted that did not say that positive thinking would cure cancer, all she said was stress is bad for you.  A true fact.

    We are very similar, Nikola - I have a shoulder problem (torn rotator cuff) and in the course of an x-ray for that a spot on my humerus was found.  I also had  three spots of cancer in my breast - the largest was almost 4 cm.  I also had different kinds of cancer - I had IDC that had lobular features and also pre-cancers like ADH and DCIS.  According to everything I have read, that doesn't raise our stage or make it more likely we'll have an early recurrence.

    I will have a MRI this Saturday for the spot on my bone.  It is very unlikely to be cancer, I'm only seven weeks off herceptin and am taking tamoxifen.  But, it could be.  I'm being realistic, I'm worried, and I'm also thinking positively.  

    Good luck to you!

  • MissTW
    MissTW Member Posts: 98
    edited January 2011
    On October 12, 2010 I had a lumpectomy and breast reduction.

    I had ILC/LCIS on the right breast only.

    During radiation I noticed a golf ball size lump under the incision of the left breast (the one without cancer). I had radiation only on my right breast, the one where my original cancer was.

    I had an ultrasound, got a call this evening to have a mammogram/biopsy.

    What can this be besides cancer? It doesn't hurt and I feel it is a bit smaller than last month.

    Here I go again, never a day to rest emotionally.

    I am also a stage 3 colon cancer survivor.

  • lrr4993
    lrr4993 Member Posts: 937
    edited January 2011

    It may be related to your surgery.  I have a large, close to golf ball sized lump just under my lumpectomy incision which I am told is very normal. It has been there since shortly after my surgery, so I am pretty sure it is not cancer as I don't think a tumor could have grown that big that quickly.

  • nikola
    nikola Member Posts: 466
    edited February 2011

    I just saw m onc an he was sure it was nothing, but he would refer me to BS anyway.

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