Breast Feels like a rock on one side, Swelling and Redness

My ibc started with what looked like a spider bite with an itchy inflammed breast and a band of hardness across the breast.  Since yours are on both breast, it may be an infection.  See if the antibiotics help. Glad your obgyn is still sending you for mammo.

I had to wait a month just to get into my obgyn.  Don't worry, just cover your bases and get it thoroughly checked.

Terri

Well first, see if the breast responds to the antibiotic, as infection is the most likely cause of your symptoms.  My IBC did show up on a diagnostic digital mammogram, but that is most definitely not the norm.  Your symptoms absolutely could be IBC, and do not let your doctor tell you otherwise, but also realize that it is most likely another cause. 

If your breast does not respond very well to the antibiotic, don't accept another round.  Demand a referral to a breast center, not just a routine mammogram in a local critical access hospital.  If you have a good and reasonable doctor, you might want to print out some literature about IBC. You can find information and brochure here:   http://www.eraseibc.com/brochures.html and make sure that he knows that one of the primary dangers of IBC is misdiagnosis.  Do not let this happen to you.  You are not too young (teens have been diagnosed with it), family history does not matter, IBC is just a different ballgame than other types of breast cancer.

Btw ibuprofen can mask early IBC.  Not that it's not appropriate for your discomfort, but if you stop it after your antibiotic course and symptoms come back in full force, suspect IBC until proven otherwise.  IBC is not a death sentence despite what you may read, but it is incredibly aggressive and dangerous and must be diagnosed and treated immediately for best results. I was treated very early and very successfully, and am fine and frisky now.  I won't tell you to try not to worry as I know the suspicion of it is about as awful as it gets, but I will recommend you get some ativan, xanax or simply take over-the-counter benadryl to help calm you.

It is absolutely awesome if the swelling has gone down and almost certainly means that you have an infection, and the antibiotics are working!  But, there is a very small chance that this might be the ibuprofen which may reduce swelling in tissue from any cause.  But it's not likely to make a dramatic difference so if you see a big improvement you can probably just breathe a sigh of relief!