Anyone feel mild sensations or aches in breast before surgery?

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LoveandLightinLA
LoveandLightinLA Member Posts: 80
edited March 2017 in IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)

Hello all,

I was recently diagnosed on 12/9. I haven't scheduled surgery yet, unfortunately due to the holidays, I haven't been able to meet with all the surgeons I wanted to see because they are still out of the office.

Since I was diagnosed, I sometimes feel a mild sensation in my right breast which was diagnosed with IDC. Sometimes it is near the area of the tumor, and more often, in the 2 "areas of suspicion" that my doctor said could potentially be DCIS. But we won't know for sure until I do a surgical biopsy or mx.

The sensation I feel is very mild, like a very dull ache, or a slight heaviness or tight feeling in the area. It feels like something is brewing in the area. It's not really painful, more just like a reminder to me that something is there. It comes and goes pretty quickly. I'd say it has only happened 4 or 5 times since my diagnosis. Has anyone else experienced this? I know I have a lot of time right now to worry and overthink things as I wait for doctors to return from their holiday vacations.

Part of me worries that these sensations mean that the cancer could possibly be spreading and growing? I am anxious.. Several women on here have told me I can take my time and not rush my decision regarding treatment... but these on and off sensations freak me out.

I am really hoping to be able to make some decisions soon and set a surgery date! Can't wait until tomorrow when most surgeons will be back in their offices!

I look forward to hearing from you! Thank you!

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  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited January 2017

    You will feel much better once a plan is in place and you know what you are dealing with.

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  • LoveandLightinLA
    LoveandLightinLA Member Posts: 80
    edited January 2017

    Thank you Meow13, I know you are right. I can't wait to have a plan in place, it will put my mind at ease.

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  • Falconer
    Falconer Member Posts: 1,192
    edited January 2017

    Hi Love and Light,

    I definitely felt pain in my left side, where I finally had a M although no one had any rationale for it. Sometimes I just felt like it was my immune system working. The good news is that while I did have 5cm of DCIS and a 1.1cm IDC, my lymph nodes only showed a micro metastasis, which my BS attributed to my immune system doing its job. Good luck to you!!


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  • jrow7
    jrow7 Member Posts: 48
    edited January 2017

    hello,

    I do feel an ache in my breast and I'm attributing it to the breast biopsy and my breast healing. I too am in limbo waiting for follow up visits and a second opinion. I know once a treatment plan is set, I'll feel much better. Wishing you peace...

    ~Jenn

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  • LoveandLightinLA
    LoveandLightinLA Member Posts: 80
    edited January 2017

    Thank you Falconer! It's nice to know I'm not the only one feeling aches and sensations. Glad your immune system was doing its job!

    Jrow7 - Wishing you peace too. Best of luck choosing your treatment plan, I am sure you will feel better once you have decided what you want to do.


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  • kbt
    kbt Member Posts: 51
    edited February 2017

    hello loveandlight,

    Newly diagnosed 2/3 and just found out from my MRI it is 8cm plus 2 other spots multi-focal and multi-central (correct terms I hope). They also suspect lymph nodes involvement due to findings on both US and MRI. I don't know if I am a, b, c in the stage III or what grade my tumor is. Anywho, I have had pain in the breast, under the arm and shoulder prior to diagnosis and after. Today it is really throbbing. I go see the MO Wednesday, they are recommending neoadjuvant (sp) chemo.

    Anyway interesting to see how many of us did have some pain.

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  • alsgirl
    alsgirl Member Posts: 3
    edited February 2017

    My surgery is scheduled for 2/27 but my diagnosis was finalized in very early January. From time to time I feel like something is happening within my right breast but can't really describe the feeling. As a matter of fact feel certain that my entire body is infested with cancer. The surgeon assured me that was not the case. I think we are all just hyper aware of our bodies now that this nasty disease has reared its ugly head. I don't mean to be flip but it's the only way I know to deal with this. I wish you all well and hope that by the end of 2017 you are healthy again.


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  • Atha85
    Atha85 Member Posts: 17
    edited March 2017

    hi loveandlight,

    I am glad i came across this post. I know exactly what you are talking about. I had this sensation since 4 years before my diagnosis.

    What I am worried about is , I have this sensation sometimes even after Mx.

    Anyone with similar thing?

    Thanks

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  • ChiSandy
    ChiSandy Member Posts: 12,133
    edited March 2017

    I noticed a tingling sensation similar to “milk letdown" during nursing—but in both breasts. Once we get a diagnosis—or a diagnosis is in the pipeline—we tend to notice things we never did before. Long ago, I jokingly named my breasts "Thelma & Louise," with Thelma the slightly bigger L one and Louise the R, which was the one with the IDC. Before my biopsy & again before surgery, I actually anthropomorphized by speculating “Thelma is scared for her sister." (Our minds and especially our logic go to some very weird places—and sometimes even magical thinking—when we're faced with this serious a stress & uncertainty).

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  • farmerlucy
    farmerlucy Member Posts: 3,985
    edited March 2017

    I had that letdown feeling along with bloody discharge before my bmx. Humorously I had it for a couple years post mx. I knew it was in my mind, so it made me smile. I still get the nipples erect feeling, even though I have none. This is the source of many inside jokes with DH and me.

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