Shooting pains, redness and over it!
This is long and I'm sorry To anyone who is currently diagnosed and going through so much but I really need help from people who might actually listen!
I am 25 year old female, breastfeeding a 4 month old. Please don't jump to here is another breastfeeding mother. I can assure you I feel it in my hard that I definitely have inflammatory breast cancer.
So it started out 3 weeks post pp. Me and my partner got down to business long story short we wernt quite prepared and as I almost ruptured during pregnancy with my daughter the surgeon specifically told me do not get pregnant you will more than likely rupture. So I panicked and took a morning after pill 1500mg of levongesterol. That's when it all began.
I will give you a bit of info that may be relevant or may not be. I believe people on this site will know more than doctors.
So I had my period at the young age of 9.
I am 5ft 11 and always have been tall.
I was put on and off birth control for my moods in my teenage years.
I gave birth to my first baby boy at 18 and he was born premature at 26 weeks. (Doing beautiful) express & breastfed for 4 months.
Fast forward 7 years I fall pregnant with my daughter. Was put on hormones prevent another premature labour. Progestogen.
My milk came in very engored 2 weeks pp everything settled down boobs were fine than my husband came along and messed up the show.
So after I took this pill I developed a 50 cent piece sized red ring pimple rash. Had intense itching like a itch that couldn't be scratched for 2 weeks I itched like mad also had the sharp shooting stabbing pains deep in breast.
Then my left boob went swollen and red not engorerd hard but a tender swollen if that makes sence.
Went to doctor 1 week later. Said I had mastitis and ordered ultrasound. Ultrasound she day before medication came back fine, but took the medication anyway.
Went back to doctor 10 days later with no change, asked if ring rash had anything to do with it she says oo yes that's ring worm, mind you there was no distinct ring just a pimple circle of pimples. Use antifungal cream.OK
Antifungal didn't help, boobs still engorged left one very bigger than other and red on one boob and a tiny bit on the other.
Went to hospital one night couldn't sleep so swollen. Told it's eurethmeus, tender and hot no pallable lymph nodes.mastitis.
Went back to doctor prescribed penacillian didn't work. Boob still angry red.
Skip forward another week and I'm on holidays with my hubby and I can feel lumps in my chest, tied cabbage leaves and hot and cold and that night woke up at 3 am my boobs just went like swollen they were no longer firm they were saggy swollen water filled boobs not like the kind you get with milk but different. I can't explain it but it scared me a lot. Then the skin changed I developed this light brown overcast like a velevet rash with red dots on my belly chest and neck and what looks to be extreme stretched skin. Left boob is still red and right boob still has the red patch.
Went to hospital on way home. Was so freaked out just didnt know what was going on. Oh you have cellulitus? But my ultrasound was fine and cellutius hurts? My left boob has actually gone numb. I Can pinch it and not feel a thing. Well yes I'm not sure just keep expressing and keep ice packs. Well the shooting pain stopped and the itching stopped when the breast swelled with fluid if that makes sence.
Back home now. Go back to go bloods get ran and nothing comes back. Lymphnodes in chest but not over one cm.
Googled my symptoms and long behold ibc.
Omg I found out what's wrong then I started reading the statistics and that put me into over drive.
Book in for breast specialist and go see him. Yes boob is red one is warmer but that looks like normal skin to me. Mind you my hair follicles are huge and my boob is red and swollen. I ask about ibc and he said I'm to young. He sent me off for an ultrasound. Came back fine and he will see me in a month. Here is a prescription for mastitis well if the ultrasound says I don't have mastitis why are you prescribing me anti biotics. He looks at me well you can take them if you get pain.
Go home. Read more on ibc. Go to my doctor the next day beg for a biopsy request or MRI I'll pay for it. He laughs in my face that I don't have a lump and my breasts are not ulcered. He gives me a cream to clear my brown dusty looking rash. Go home put on the cream. Shooting pains again holy crap boob back into over drive.
Go back to doctor he tells me that if I ask him one more time for a biopsy he will take my daughter away because I'm crazy. I tried to show him pictures of breast like mine and he said he didn't get he's degree from google. Prescribed me anti depresents.
So I go home try and pull my sh&$ together for my kids. Well that didn't last long I packed up and drove to my sisters a 9 hour hike. Saw a doctor up there. He ordered bloods and nothing. Agreed with me about ibc and sent me to breast specialist 2 weeks later.
Breast specialist also said I'm to young. Told me mastitis. I said for crying out loud 2 blood tests 2 ultrasounds I don't have an infection. He will see me in two weeks I go back. No lymphatic invasion in the under arm no pallible lump. He was happy. Okay so I let it go. Just forget it. No one is listening maybe I am crazy.
Well now fast forward 1 month and the pain comes and goes throughout the day and night. I have pain in my back left shpuldblade that is unbearable. Feels like I have pulled a muscle. And the shooting pains are relentless.
Somebody please weigh in. My chest nodes are so much bigger and I also have this weird grainy sand rice like patches under my arms and my boobs have massive big cysts? In them and lumps that have just come out of no where. Yes I am due for my period it did come back last month with all the stress so I'm 1 week off that. But that has never caused my boobs to look stretched like massive lines and red at the same time. Plus this shoulder pain and the intense burning stabbing I get. Also these changes are strange.
Should I let it go or go see someone else. I really am exhausted sick of being laughed at. And I don't know if I am actually crazy. Its been 3 months now since first itching happened. Would this sound like an ibc timeline. At this point of time I'm not even worried anymore I just want answers. I have literally so over being told its just pregnancy breast changes. When I know what they are. Can someone please tell me weather to drop it or to push once more. I feel defeated.
Also what is skin thickening as I'm being told I don't have the classic skin thickening.
And is peel d orange stretched hair follicles or does it have to be very raised or bumpy.
Thank you for your time
Again I'm so sorry for the rant.
Comments
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No one deserves to be laughed at. As to whether this is IBC, none of us can say. IBC is one of the rarest of the rare breast cancers and very unlikely to occur in a 25 year old. Googling "breast" will always bring you to "breast cancer", so i don't put a lot of stock in that. What i do know about IBC is that it worsens dramatically over hours and days. It seems youve had several opiinons, but at any point have you seen a dermatologist?
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Literally tonight as jusy before i have typed this I have got like 50 little lumps in each armpit. It feels like grainy like sand and some little little gel filled things in my armpit. I tried to post a pic but it won't allow me. I know I have been to 2 big breast specialist and both said I would need ulceration to have ibc. Which i think that's false isn't it?. I havnt seen a dermatologist as yet. I will if my next appointment is a flop. I completely understand how rare it is. And I only wish I could believe the doctors. If everything were to come back fine I swear I would sell my house and donate it to BC research and I would call myself a hyper condriact but I feel like I have it. I just don't know how to ask for a mammogram or biopsi without being told no.
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And i know this is going to souncd cleache but before i got the ring rash when the itchy and stabbing pains were there i had a pimple like ulcer and i squeezed it and although it dosnt bleed its still there but its like a bruise sots behind it. Nothing more has groem from it though.
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Hello!
I'm so sorry that you're not being taken seriously because of your age...I know how frustrating that can be. It is obvious that something is going on... you know your body better than anyone else. I feel like you should see a dermatologist... have they offered to do a biopsy? I'm really sorry that you're dealing with this. However, it does seem really positive that your ultrasound is normal and breast specialists don't seem that concerned. However, that doesn't mean that you should be brushed off because of your age. It's important to find out the cause of this problem. Please try to relax as much as you can and stay away from Dr. Google. I know the waiting/wondering is excruciating, but we're here for you. Please let us know how it goes.
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I agree with seeing the dermatologist. Don't wait for that next appointment with the bs as he may just spout more BS back at you. The derm can do a punch biopsy right on the spot. Then you'll have an answer at least on ibc within 24-48hrs. They treat cyststoo.
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so I rang the breast clinic this morning. Had a cancellation and I was able to get in. Yet another ultrasound. No abnormal findings on thickening eg. But I do have a 1.8cm lymph node. That's the lump in my admit that's been there for 6 weeks. Breast specialist said she isn't worried. But will do biopsy on wednesday as they do them through the hospital. I just received a phone call saying that they are going to cancel the biopsy as there is to much trauma as I'm breastfeeding and they will see me in another 2 weeks. Kind of dissapointed really. Could there be another reason for swollen boobs one much larger a skin rash that won't go away and sore shoulder blade that is killing me. I wish i could just biopsy myself. This is going to send me through the ringer. Im looking for a dermatologist now. Thank you for your reply
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I'm sure there could be different reasons for your symptoms. However, I strongly feel like the dermatologist will be able to help you. I feel like you aren't going to get a lot more help at the breast center. I'm sorry that you're dealing with all of this. Please keep us updated. I hope that the dermatologist will be able to provide some much needed answers.
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I I agree with seeing a dermatologist. I had a red round rash too and they biopsied it and it came back as inflamed skin. I know the anxiety you're going through and I'm so sorry. Let us know if you get in to see a Derm!
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I also agree that a derm might be your best bet at this point if nothing is showing up anywhere else. Lots of things can inflame your skin so maybe they will have an idea. And inflammation can send those lymph nodes haywire.
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