Approaching 5 years out, anxious about new breast changes
Hello All,
Im a 31 year old patient who is currently doing Arimidex and Ovarian Suppression. 09/8/2020 will be my 5th year out and yesterday I noticed some changes in both breasts last week.
I did just have my Lupron injection last week and with that comes some changes, I do experience tenderness, fullness but two specific areas are painful to touch and achy. This has started before the Lupron, for about a month. Ive been staring at them both in the mirror for hours trying to notice anything different in appearance Im a darker complexion so I don't see any redness but I do notice a small color change in the areas where there is pain.
I have a routine follow up with my MO next week via tele-doc but it feels like time is moving slower than I want. I sent her a message informing her of what I noticed. Im thinking of tracing the areas out for her and showing her during my visit.
How do I let her know this is bothering me and I really would like imaging etc?
Comments
-
Yes, I would send the doc a "my chart" or email message about your concern. Maybe she'll just agree to an in person visit instead of tele doc. Sometimes with their experience a look & a feel will make it clear.
-
Thank you, I was able to book an appointment for tomorrow morning with her NP.
-
JInx - good. Please let us know.
-
Just got back! Saw the NP she also had a nursing student with her, we agreed on doing a manual breast check, so they both checked me while sitting up and laying down. No lumps felt, but loads of tenderness.
We were discussing how my double mx and reconstruction can cause "phantom pain" she also suggested that my Lupron injection (which was administered last week) may be the culprit for the pain and tenderness. I think that I need to start recording my SE's down to remind myself what to expect.
I get a quarterly shot of Lupron and tend to forget my SE's after the 3rd week, literally its out of sight out of mind. I work and go to school and ignore the pain sometimes. The pain and tenderness remind me soo much of when I was initially diagnosed I went into panic mode, not to mention the mood changes and fatigue coupled with worry took me over the hill. Its time I develop a game plan on how to handle the SE's.
Lastly we did agree to an ultrasound and 3D mammography (even though I dont have any breast tissue) it eases my mind. That will be on the 23rd and I will follow up with you all to let you know what happens. Im hoping its just pesky SE's from the Lupron. Im prepared either way!
I really appreciate this site, from my initial diagnosis 5 years ago, Ive been able to chat with soo many sweet souls. Bless you and thank you.
-
Jinx - thank for the update. Hope it's the Lupron. A log sounds like a good idea. Since I too have had a BMX, I don't have mammograms - but I am checked with ultrasounds. They were recommended every two years. Probably good to have the follow up to relieve your mind.
-
I am glad that they are doing imaging. It is so scary to have new symptoms. I record all of my symptoms in a thread on my "notes" app on my phone. I list the date, symptom, and if/when it resolves, I simply mark an "X" next to it. This allows me to see trends with time and also symptoms that are recurring. Hoping your mammogram and ultrasound have good news
-
Hello!!
My appointment for imaging was today, the radiologist decided to just do an ultrasound of each breast and they all were CLEAR!! I purposefully scheduled a followup with my oncologist today too, so we discussed the side effects and why it may important for me to start recording them down. I have had various side effects that usually peak the week after my injection. MinusTwo thank you for listening to me
As I stated before I usually am soo busy with work/school/life that I dont record them down. Kbeee I have a small journal that I will start recording them in. I definitely think it was the Lupron, my MO said that fatigue, breast tenderness, mood changes, bone pain are common. I also experienced a tightness of my chest, I had to sit down in order to relax. Anxiety perhaps?
My MO wants to see me again in Sept to check to see if these things persist, if they go away then we know its the Lupron and Arimidex.
Meanwhile I will continue to work on being active everyday and my better eating habits to control my elevated cholesterol and A1C levels.
Lastly we also discussed me coming off of Lupron and Arimidex once I hit my 5th year in 2021, many studies have shown the benefit of 10 years of hormone therapy and she stated taking Tamoxifen for the last 5 as an option. I plan on visiting a fertility specialist regarding my options as well and will do that in 2021 if all goes well.
I appreciate this site soo much!!
-
GREAT news Jinx.
-
Great news!
Categories
- All Categories
- 679 Advocacy and Fund-Raising
- 289 Advocacy
- 68 I've Donated to Breastcancer.org in honor of....
- Test
- 322 Walks, Runs and Fundraising Events for Breastcancer.org
- 5.6K Community Connections
- 282 Middle Age 40-60(ish) Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 53 Australians and New Zealanders Affected by Breast Cancer
- 208 Black Women or Men With Breast Cancer
- 684 Canadians Affected by Breast Cancer
- 1.5K Caring for Someone with Breast cancer
- 455 Caring for Someone with Stage IV or Mets
- 260 High Risk of Recurrence or Second Breast Cancer
- 22 International, Non-English Speakers With Breast Cancer
- 16 Latinas/Hispanics With Breast Cancer
- 189 LGBTQA+ With Breast Cancer
- 152 May Their Memory Live On
- 85 Member Matchup & Virtual Support Meetups
- 375 Members by Location
- 291 Older Than 60 Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 177 Singles With Breast Cancer
- 869 Young With Breast Cancer
- 50.4K Connecting With Others Who Have a Similar Diagnosis
- 204 Breast Cancer with Another Diagnosis or Comorbidity
- 4K DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ)
- 79 DCIS plus HER2-positive Microinvasion
- 529 Genetic Testing
- 2.2K HER2+ (Positive) Breast Cancer
- 1.5K IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer)
- 3.4K IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)
- 1.5K ILC (Invasive Lobular Carcinoma)
- 999 Just Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastasis
- 652 LCIS (Lobular Carcinoma In Situ)
- 193 Less Common Types of Breast Cancer
- 252 Male Breast Cancer
- 86 Mixed Type Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned
- 189 Palliative Therapy/Hospice Care
- 488 Second or Third Breast Cancer
- 1.2K Stage I Breast Cancer
- 313 Stage II Breast Cancer
- 3.8K Stage III Breast Cancer
- 2.5K Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
- 13.1K Day-to-Day Matters
- 132 All things COVID-19 or coronavirus
- 87 BCO Free-Cycle: Give or Trade Items Related to Breast Cancer
- 5.9K Clinical Trials, Research News, Podcasts, and Study Results
- 86 Coping with Holidays, Special Days and Anniversaries
- 828 Employment, Insurance, and Other Financial Issues
- 101 Family and Family Planning Matters
- Family Issues for Those Who Have Breast Cancer
- 26 Furry friends
- 1.8K Humor and Games
- 1.6K Mental Health: Because Cancer Doesn't Just Affect Your Breasts
- 706 Recipe Swap for Healthy Living
- 704 Recommend Your Resources
- 171 Sex & Relationship Matters
- 9 The Political Corner
- 874 Working on Your Fitness
- 4.5K Moving On & Finding Inspiration After Breast Cancer
- 394 Bonded by Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Life After Breast Cancer
- 806 Prayers and Spiritual Support
- 285 Who or What Inspires You?
- 28.7K Not Diagnosed But Concerned
- 1K Benign Breast Conditions
- 2.3K High Risk for Breast Cancer
- 18K Not Diagnosed But Worried
- 7.4K Waiting for Test Results
- 603 Site News and Announcements
- 560 Comments, Suggestions, Feature Requests
- 39 Mod Announcements, Breastcancer.org News, Blog Entries, Podcasts
- 4 Survey, Interview and Participant Requests: Need your Help!
- 61.9K Tests, Treatments & Side Effects
- 586 Alternative Medicine
- 255 Bone Health and Bone Loss
- 11.4K Breast Reconstruction
- 7.9K Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 2.7K Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment
- 775 Diagnosed and Waiting for Test Results
- 7.8K Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 50 Immunotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 7.4K Just Diagnosed
- 1.4K Living Without Reconstruction After a Mastectomy
- 5.2K Lymphedema
- 3.6K Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment
- 591 Pain
- 3.9K Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 8.4K Surgery - Before, During, and After
- 109 Welcome to Breastcancer.org
- 98 Acknowledging and honoring our Community
- 11 Info & Resources for New Patients & Members From the Team