Scared; Need Info on Punch Biopsy; Suspecting IBC or Pagets

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Anonymous
Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
edited March 2019 in Not Diagnosed But Worried
Scared; Need Info on Punch Biopsy; Suspecting IBC or Pagets

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  • Hunts08
    Hunts08 Member Posts: 14
    edited May 2018

    Hi! I started having some localized breast/nipple pain in November. I saw my practioner and she sent me for a 3D mammogram and U/S. Both of those came back normal. I hate to describe my symptom as pain because it really just felt more annoying like something stuck in my nipple or area above my nipple. It just felt like something foreign in my breast and just felt some heat in the area. The pain persisted so I insisted on an MRI since my reports stated that I had extremely dense breast tissue. I had the MRI and had a panic attack in the middle of it. I stayed in the machine, but my breathing was so hard that they said the images weren't very clear and thought they saw something in the right breast but thought it was vascular and due to the movement ( I wish someone would have warned me to take a sedative prior to the MRI.) Anyhow, the report said that they would repeat in 6 months. My symptoms persisted and really have just bothered me so I asked my doctor to send me for another u/s. The technician was horrible, and basically dismissed me after 5 minutes, and said "I've been doing this for 30 year and I've never found a cause for breast pain. You are 35, it's normal take a Tylenol." In hindsight I wish I would have requested a new technician or never even stated I was there for pain. So I tried to live with those results but the symptoms still progressed and got worse. I started to get more of a burning/itchy sensation in my breast. I saw my GYN and went over the reports with her. All just stated how "extremely dense" my breast tissue was. I told her that I was really concerned that they were missing something. No one could really give me a good explanation for my symptoms. So fast forward to yesterday and I saw a breast surgeon. I woke up feeling like my breast was getting better, and started to second guess the consult. He basically said without an image that there was really nothing he could do. He asked that I just wait until we repeat the MRI in August to see if it shows anything, and based on how I was feeling I agreed that was probably the best approach. Well last night I felt like someone took a match to my breast. It was incredibly itchy and hot. I woke up and my nipple looks very red. The skin seems to be dimpling and my nipple appears to be falling down more. My husband noticed it, and I had my sister that is a nurse practioner come take a look also. They both agreed that my breast does not look healthy. I called my doctor again, and she got me in for a punch biopsy at 8AM tomorrow. Has anyone experienced anything like this? Any suggestions on what to expect? Should I request they take multiple samples? I'd really love to talk to someone that has been through this. I am 35 with a 6 yr old and (almost) 4 yr old boys. I am terribly scared. I know my body, and I know something is not right and I feel like each doctor other than my GYN has just failed me..........

  • Mellymc22
    Mellymc22 Member Posts: 33
    edited May 2018

    So so sorry you had to go through that! Did you ever find the problem? I'm having some similar symptoms

  • Hunts08
    Hunts08 Member Posts: 14
    edited May 2018

    I’m going tomorrow morning, so I doubt I will know anything until next week. I think I’ve decided I’m going to go back to the surgeon and see if I can be a little more aggressive this time. I am so tired of hurting and being in fear.

  • Kelligirl5
    Kelligirl5 Member Posts: 81
    edited May 2018

    Hunts08 - I was diagnosed with Paget's in March. I know it can present differently but for me it is more like eczema that I had scratched open and just couldn't get to go away. In fact I actually thought it was as I have it on my hands pretty bad. So the itchy red nipple makes me say push to have the biopsy just to ease your mind. Finding mine was pure luck. I just happened to have a cyst show up which started the entire process. I asked the mammogram tech about the "eczema" and she just said I should go see a dermatologist. My mammogram was clear other than the cyst. They sent me for ultrasound for the cyst and again weren't really concerned with the "eczema" at all. Everything looked clear other than that little cyst. Because of the skin around the cyst they wanted me to see a surgeon just in case. She did the exam and agreed that it was just a cyst. So after a full exam from her I pointed out the tiny little spec of eczema on the other breast that she hadn't noticed either. She decided to do the punch biopsy just to be on the safe side even though my hands are covered in eczema. Thank goodness I kept having this nagging feeling about it and pointing it out! We caught it very early! Hopefully for you its absolutely nothing to worry about but you at least get some answers to ease your mind! The MRI was hard! I was the same with my breathing/anxiety!

  • TheGirls22
    TheGirls22 Member Posts: 1
    edited March 2019

    Hunts08 just wondering what your results were from your punch biopsy?

  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited March 2019

    TheGirls, welcome to Breastcancer.org! This thread has been quiet for quite a while, so it's unlikely you'll get a response from Hunts08 here. If you click on her username you'll go to her profile and see her latest publications and even send her a private message.

    Best wishes, and please, let us know what we can do to be of help.

    The Mods


  • Hunts08
    Hunts08 Member Posts: 14
    edited March 2019

    It came back normal. I haven’t had anymore of the burning sensations in my breast since last fall, so I’m assuming that was hormone related. I did start taking a large dose of evening primrose oil. I do still have an area in my left breast that consistently causes pain. It’s more aggravating than anything, but all of my scans have come back okay.

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