Local Recurance near mastectomy scar after 5 years

Yes Barbe... they say something along the lines of 'everything will be alright.. make me a sandwich'!

Thanks so much for your kind words!

CTLmom, great news all around!! Have you considered getting a volunteer to drive you to radiation? My Dad drove as a volunteer and would wait sometimes 8-10 hours at the hospital for his patient to come out! Volunteers do it because THEY get something out of it!! Please look into it.

I had a similar experience, dx in 2002, bilateral mastectomy, recurrence in 2007 at the surgical site - chest wall, and then last night I found another lump, on the other side, again feels like chest wall lump, just like the 2007 one.  The difference now is that I don't have insurance.  Looking bleak.  Not sure what to do next.  I cannot pay for the tests, and I don't want to go in and have them done knowing the bills won't get paid, that seems pretty dishonest.   

I agree with Barbe Susan, and if ACS can't help financially, they should be able to give you several suggestions.



Hang in there. There is also a forum near the bottom of the list of forums titled insurance, finances...Be sure to check in with them and ask for help.



Hugs,



Peggy

Carol, sounds like you have a good plan in place to be an advocate for your treatment! Letting go of the could have/should have with the Tamoxifen is a good first step - I hate hearing people wonder if they "did" or "didn't" do something that caused their breast cancer. Please know that you are in my prayers for a successful treatment!! Good luck, sweetie.

Hello ladies, I haven't been on the site in well over 2 years. I think we try and put the breast cancer behind us and have some sort of a normal life afterwards. But cancer like to rear it's ugly head again... We just have to be stronger and more stubborn than the cancer, which at times can be very difficult.

I haven't updated my profile yet, since I just got on to look up similar situations of mine. Since joining, I had a double mastectomy with left delayed reconstruction & right immediate reconstruction at NOLA. For those of you that have not been there or think its too far or it inconvenient or too expensive... Where there's a will there's a way! I was single, have very little family left, both parents died of cancer at early ages (Mom of breast & Dad of colon) only one brother who isn't the most supportive and willing to help,made enough money to live week to week & I live in Florida. I thought there's no way that I can make this happen, it's impossible. But I took the first step... I called them. Each of our circumstances our different, I'm not saying it will be the same for everyone, but they treat each case uniquely. Ok, just had to get that out first. It is an amazing facility with the most gifted breast surgeons in the world and the most caring, knowledgeable staff I have eve encountered in my 13 year fight with breast cancer. There is truly NO place like it in the world!!

First let me say I am so sorry to read so many of you have had recurrences after MX?!?! I too am dealing with a scare right now. I guess after my MX I thought it was all gone and no reason to ever worry again? I have been battling with my health insurance for well over a year trying to get an ultrasound, CT, MRI anything imaging of my breasts, but it was denied every time!! The kept saying it wasn't medically necessary. I have had this hard area at the site where my original DX was, it's also at the scar of my MX, so I was thinking it was bone or most likely scar tissue. I had my oncologist feel it & he said it is definitely not bone. He ordered an MRI at that time (over a year ago) DENIED! So over the year it has grown. I don't know if scar tissue does that or not? So at my annual GYN last week, I had him feel it, he felt it was concerning and wanted the breast cancer specialist in the center feel it right away. She didn't seem too concerned. Said it's most likely scar tissue, but orders the MRI to be sure. I had the MRI last night and the pain I felt in that area was horrible!! I felt like someone was stabbing me with a hot poker right in that spot?!?!? I have had many breast MRI's in my 13 year span & have never encountered that? I was also burning up in there, which never happened before. The technician said the magnets are much stronger now?

To back up a bit, I have also been having a stabbing pain in the same area. I honestly thought it was my heart at first, because it's on the lest side. It happened several times, it was so bad it would stop me in my tracks & cripple me in pain, it only lasted a few seconds and the I would be fine? I ended up going the ER one day because it got so bad (it really scared me). The ER doc practically laughed me out of the hospital. Basically made me feel like I was wasting their time. She said its scar tissue and sent me on my way. As much as I disliked her bedside manor, in this case I hope she's right.

So I should hear from my BS within 24-48 hours since the share the same hospital. I'm sure if it is something urgent I will hear from her right away, so news is good news in my book. It's just comforting in some weird way to know I am not the only one experiencing this. I wish none of us had to, but I a glad we have each other for support. 😊

And I should add that since going to NOLA, I did meet the love of my life (in fact, fell in love over the phone while I was there for a month) ?!?!? We knew each other, saw each other at a Halloween party the Friday before I left and he asked me out (finally)! I explained that I was going out of tow. & it would have to wait, but I'd love to as soon as I return. We spoke every single day I was there for hours on end, I attribute my speedy recovery much in part because I had him & his support!! He picked me up at the airport when I returned home and the rest is history! We were married a little over a year later!! I could say he saved my life, but GOD did that!!! For some reason He felt I should stick around a little longer, maybe to enjoy my new found life and I sure am grateful for it!!!

God bless you ladies, keep me posted on your progress and know you are in my thoughts & prayers! Thanks for listening!

Kim, what a great way to start a deep relationship!!! Talking and not being able to make it just a sexual urge, gave you a deeper connection!! I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that you have Costochondritis. It is an inflammation of the rib area and is so painful it stops you on the spot! It is a form of arthritis and I had a couple of ER trips (I DO have a heart condition and now a pacemaker) that were embarrassing like yours where they made me feel like a hypochondriac! I'd like to go back and explain, even! So, try a Tylenol for arthritis and see if your condition improves. It is EXTREMELY painful and takes my breath away when it hits and I wonder if I'll be able to breath deep enough before I pass out. I bend over the back of a chair and try to press in on my ribs to stop the spasm of pain. I'm getting better at it with time, but it's been years and I never know when it's going to hit! I was on Fentanyl for severe back degeneration and the pain even broke through Fentanyl!!! So, I know what you are going through and the pain is so very, very scary, but please Google Costochondritis and see if it fits what you are going through. You still have to get it figured out, but do know there is a benign answer. Please keep us posted.

Thank God for the clear MRI, now find out what benign issue is causing it all. Swelling from the arthritis can increase breast size...do try an arthritis Tylenol as it reduces swelling. If it helps, at least you know you won't need surgery for necrosis.

I had a lot of fat necrosis in my reconstructed breast and one very large lump of dead fat.  I am hoping hoping that that is what yours are.  Worst case scenario is better than finding metastic ca in lung in liver, etc, even though many women are surviving for a long time with even that.

I will be looking for your posts about what is found.  Try to do things that distract you from thinking until you have more information.  I'm rooting for you!

Hugs,

Peggy

Hi, I saw your post and thought I'd say I hear you and I will pray for you. I know you must be scared. I am. I am facing my first dx of 3 months ago; elected lumpectomy, nodes negative, but now facing radiation and scared not to do it but now on my 7th day of radiation and fearing side effects of that also.....

I don't even want to think about recurrence , though I know that it's an possibility for all of us with this diagnosis.

Go ahead and vent all you want. I'll try and check back with you later.

Desalonde

mom2B. Have you been diagnosed with a recurrence? I've seen a number of women successfully undertake chemo while pregnant on these boards. Apparently there are a lot of treatment chemos that don't pass the blood-fetal barrier. Keep us posted.

mom, I don't think any of us are qualified to even guess at the next steps for you. It is your journey and will be set in place by capable hands for you to follow. Please keep us posted, we are here for you, sweetie.

Thank you so much for your replies!

Basia-I am so sorry you are dealing with this again.  It does not seem fair does it?  I have been in your shoes so I understand the panic that you must be feeling.  I always was sent for scans to see if the cancer had progressed.   The MO will need the results of your scans to decide on a treatment plan. At that point, you should have some clear answers.  

  I am so glad that you were persistent about what you were feeling around your implants.  I pray that this persistence helped them to catch it very early.    You said you did TCH before and if it is HER2+ again you will probably be doing herceptin again and possibly  adding perjeta. I just finished doing taxol and I am midway through my herceptin for the second time.  Please post back when you get more information.  I will be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.

Basia, that SUCKS!!! My heart goes out to you and you are in my prayers, sweetie! Please keep us posted on what the docs say.