Scares anyone can share that turned out to be nothing?

My experience isn't quite the same because I had a bilateral mast.  But I foolishy (as I think of it now) signed up for an imaging study during my treatment.  I had so many false positive during my PET and CT scans!  All I was doing was waiting for my next scan to disprove what was found on my previous scan.  And that is exactly what happened except that it would point out something new.  Being stage III, our docs have to take everything very seriously so it became this constant thread of fear.  The latest thing is my lipoma (fatty cyst) on my abdomen.  It feels like a tumor but it's not.

Somewhere in the year of treatment and fears I finally told myself that I wasn't going to believe the worst until I had a biopsy that was in my face and prove that things had progressed.   That is where I am now.  They have to prove it to me.  Being told that the doc is concerned is no longer enough.  I've wasted too much time worrying over nothing.

I hope this is the same for you.

The first CT scan I had, which was after my bmx and prior to chemo, showed a bunch of small spots on my liver that were "too small to characterize." My onc said the best case scenario would be that they look the same when she scanned me following chemo. Fortunately, that was the case. They may be nerve endings, blood vessels, hemangiomas, etc., but they aren't cancer. Whew! I did spend the six months between CT scans sweating bullets, wondering if I were actually stage IV.

Second scare...one day I was scratching my port scar when I felt two pea-sized lumps under the scar. I had an appointment anyway with my primarcy care doctor, so I asked her about them. She said they weren't lymph nodes, but she didn't know what they were. A month later when I saw my onc, she felt them and wasn't sure what they were, so she referred me to a surgeon. The surgeon knew right away...scar tissue had formed around a couple of inner stitches used to close the area where my port was.

I've had some sharp pains under my arms and around my port scar, which my onc says are my nerves regenerating and creating new pathways. This could go on for years.

Aside from the questionable liver findings, I can't say I get really worked up about these "scares." My approach is to not fret about something until there's a reason to. Worry is like a rocking chair: it keeps you busy, but it doesn't take you anywhere.

Hi,

I have had a few scares scares,

1. pain in right rib and spine area worse at night--- bone scan negative, possible pulled muscle.

2.severe pain in liver area and swelling-- blood tests and ultrasound -- negative, probable viral infection or gall stone.

3. chain of swollen lymph nodes from collar bone to behind ear--ct scan negative, infection and lymph nodes reacting took a few months to go down due to weak immune system.

4. Lump in breast over original tumour site-- radiation damage caused implant to be squeezed capsular contraction, clear on ultrasound. surgeon more worried than me and wanted urgent scan.

All this with in 3 years of diagnosis, my onco and breast surgeon both said I will have scares and to tell them and they will deal with it. Chances are they will be nothing.

I just think enjoy life I am still here and doing well and what will be will be and get on with living and enjoying every moment. 

 Hi,  My user name is H-Netter

I am new to this blog but not new to Breast Cancer and I hope my story will ease someones worries. In 2001  I was diagnosed with stage 111 breast cancer, her2 nu+, ERT positive with lymph node involvment, 8 positive nodes and 17 nodes removed.  I got chemo on Friday, slept all day Saturday, felt nauseated (a little) on Sunday AM and worked in public school full time. I left work early the week before DR. visits for lab work and occasionally for Dr. appointments. I had chemo for a year and radiation for 6 wks., after a couple months reprieve between the two kinds of therapy. My kids were in high school, now my son is out of college, has a job in a beautiful state, married to a wonderful gal for 3 yrs. and they are now expecting their first child. This is not a fairy tale story, it was tough but I got through it. I also got Her2Nu after all the chemo, my nails are still thin and brittle, but I am here and very grateful! I wish the very best to all who are going through this now.

Dx Stage 3,her2+, Prog+, ERP, with 17 nodes removed, 8 positive & a left side massectomy

I had been having pain in my left armpit for a couple of weeks (opposite sides to cancer), thought I was just run down and hormones etc although taking Tamoxifen.  Last Thursday I ended up back at the breast unit to be examined.  Same surgeon who did my mastectomy and delivered my worse than expected pathology results last year so immediately made me nervous.  He said he could feel a couple of reactive nodes and knots in my breast so I needed a scan! Had the w/e worrying and then had a mammogram and ultrasound on Monday.  Ended up in the same room I was diagnosed and almost had a panic attack frrom the nerves (never happened before) as it was totally deja vu to last year.  Anyway it was good news!!  I have a piece of floating breat tissue in my armpit that reacts like breast tissue, but all looked fine both in my breast and axilla and the nodes were actully completely normal.  The radiologist said the surgeon must have felt this tissue not the nodes.  I really don't need to be doing that too often?!