Please Help! Radiologist is so blasé? Maybe it’s me.
I could use some advice here, or maybe I just need to vent. I had a breast MRI just over two weeks ago. I have several areas of enhancement on the left he wants to keep an eye on (mri/US every 6 months), and two of which lit up hyperintensly on T2. I also have three LN, same side as enhancement, which were 2.0/2.2cm on mri for many weeks, possibly months, without change, but a bit larger on US. They wanted me to come back for a non contrast MRI for suspected implant ruptures due to severe pain I have on the right and the nodal involvement, and the keyhole sign (implant rupture sign) on the left as well as a palpable lump that no one can find on any imaging. I felt it, husband felt it, and dr felt it. Machines can’t find it.
I had another breast MRI and US today. Today, my 3 nodes were too big to even pick up the whole area on MRI as they were partially out of field it said, I have not been sick and no injury. US measured them at 3.2cm minimum but she couldn’t find the posterior edge of them there is so much distortion, which makes sense since I can now feel them and feel like I have huge grapes in my armpit and they are now tender. Can LN grow by 50% + in two weeks? New MRI Did not show extracapsular rupture but only intracapsular on left. No reason shown for pain on the right but RD said probably contracture. Incidental to the breast issues they found a hyperintense punctate lesion on my sternum measuring 3mm that was not there 18 months ago during a chest X-ray. They initially said it was a bone island, then today, said they misread the last report, and now think it’s a hemangioma, which is extremely rare on the sternum. In fact, there is barely any literature or case facts on this says pubmed. The info they do have isn’t very positive as most of these require surgery if that’s what they are. Most sternum lesions are malignant is what scares me. I have had mild to severe sternum pain for about 6 weeks, and yet, this is only 3mm. My regular dr is not convinced this is just some b9 thing with my symptoms and ordered a chest X-ray with focus on the sternum. I’m frustrated because the RD, even knowing my history with cervical cancer, ADH, these several enhancements, dense breasts, nodes, chest pain, and breast pain, has nothing to say about this lesion and says it means nothing and says he’s sure everything is b9. It just feels like it’s all too much to not be related. I guess I just need to vent cause I feel like I’m getting the run around. If someone could just let me know what they think if they have any experience with this. It feels like there is so much going on!
Comments
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I've pretty well had the same experience with my radiologist she wouldn't even look at the screen when the tech kept trying to show her several things that had them concerned and then they had some computer decipher my results so who knows? I definitely feel for you, and sitting and waiting for them to decide to do anything that will give any definitive answers is nerve racking. sending thoughts and prayers your way, and even though I don't have any wisdom to offer you, I'm hoping your doctor can get things figured out for you soon! Hang in there and fight for your health, gut instincts usually aren't wrong.
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thank you for responding! I saw my PS this morning and he is very frustrated. Says he’s rarely seen such a mismanaged patient before. I’m just tossed around from dr to dr and no one doing anything except more expensive tests. Even the MRI’s don’t agree with each other. He said his gut is telling him that there is more going on too and he said he’s had several patients like this recently where they were told everything is fine but they weren’t. He’s sending me to a dedicated breast center where they have their own RD’s, Path guy, surgeons, etc. all these people do is breast stuff. The surgeon already called me and said they’re having all of my stuff fed ex’d to them and will call me Monday. Their RD and path guys will take a look. My PS gave me a hug and said we’ll get it figured out. For once in the last six weeks I didn’t feel crazy
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I’m so sorry for that! We really have to advocate for ourselves you know? What has been going on with your RD? What testing did you have?
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perhaps a CT scan and/or a PET scan would be a good idea too. The enlarged nodes could be caused by infection, cancer, irritation, etc. but the spot on the sternum is very worrisome. Are you running low grade fever, having night sweats, hair loss?
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That may be next. We'll see what this new surgeon says. He said he would send his wife to her so I feel good about that. I've had severe sternum pain for at least 6 weeks. Time has started running together in terms of symptoms and testing. I've always been a pretty healthy person till all of this. So upsetting to feel debilitated and not even have a dx
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I'm glad they're sending you to a breast center and finally doing something, I know how crazy the waiting game is. I hope they figure out what is actually going on be sure to keep us all posted
as far as my stuff goes watchful waiting for 6 months unless the results of my genetic tests tell my surgeon he needs to do something sooner, but the genetics testing at the breast center couldn't get me in until mid may so just continuing to play the waiting game and still trying to decipher my ultrasouund results because I really feel like somethings not right and it's the only information i have so far. I will continue to keep checking on you and I really do hope for the best seems like too much stuff going on with you not to be related in some way.
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what’s funny is that I was at a breast center to begin with they just did not have “breast” surgeon, path, and RD. They had general surgeons that did breast surgery and RD’s who read mammos/MRI/US on certain days of the week. This one is not like that tho so I’m hopeful.
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Cattledoglv- so glad you’re going to the new place..no breast surgeon, paths or RDs?!?!? Kind of like a bank that doesn’t have cash on hand!
The new place sounds like a winner! I’m hoping you get the treatment you rightly deserve after all the run around you’ve been getting. Keep us posted please! Hugs
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