10 More Days till my Appointment.... for the lump I found

Last year at this time, I had excision of what was termed "pre-cancerous" cells in my right breast, columnar cell hyperplasia, flat epithelial atypia, etc. Family history of breast cancer...my aunt and my mom. Mom survived, my aunt did not. I had a 3D Mammogram in January which came back with no abnormalities, but also noted I have scattered areas of fibroglandular tissue. My doctor at the time told me that I would qualify for a yearly MRI because of my history, etc, but I declined saying I would do it every other year. Anyone who's had an MRI knows that it always sees "other things" that lead you down the path of other doctors, and other excluding type of procedures, so I thought I'd rest a year and not deal with it.

But the other day, I came home, took off my bra, and saw a red triangle migrating from the top of my nipple area. It shocked me, and when I touched it, it felt warm, but thats when I felt the lump. The redness has diminished, but there is still discoloration there. And the lump is still there....its hard, doesn't move around and I can't tell the shape. I waited several days to call my breast doc (hoping it would disappear), and was disappointed to get an appt so far out, but that's fine. Of course my mind is going over all other things that I now recall as odd....the itching of my nipple, the occasional sharp pain that comes out of nowhere in my breast. I've also read that some have experienced pain in the chests or shoulders....and prior to reading about that symptom, I was complaining to Mom, that my shoulder has been bugging me. I had rotator cuff surgery over ten years ago so I just thought it was connected, but......I've not done anything to cause an injury. AND I've read about some experiencing memory problems....so have I, but for a while, i just tossed it off as age related (62) and feared that I may go the way of my mom. (She's in middle stages of dementia and now lives with me.)

My fear is that there seems to be so many here that have had mammograms, mri, and other radiological tests that come up negative, yet they end up having cancer. So many have posted that without their insistence to keep looking, was the cancer found? Could they have found something, but missed a cancer somewhere else in my breast?

Anyway, I just needed a safe place to vent my concern. I love this site. Spent some time back here last year before my excision last June.