Huge mass in breast aibu to go to a&e ? **Diagnosis in and treatment underway for the OP** Title edited by MNHQ

[needabitof]

Last week I went to the doctors - my right breast has a big mass in it that has appeared in the previous week.
He checked my liver, lymph nodes, so I know what he's thinking, and referred me to the breast clinic under the 14 day rule. Except it isn't 14 days, it's over three weeks before you can be seen. The gp can do nothing to speed things up apparently.
I thought I need to pay for a private mammogram, it's £400. I'm desperate - imagining the worst constantly.
Managed to get a referral sent by the gp to the private hospital, only to be told they're breast clinic has been cancelled for the next three weeks.
Aibu to go to a&e to get some medical advice or wait? The mass is getting bigger and painful each day.
What would you do? Thanks in advance.

Both of my mastectomies were day cases and I was in my own bed by tea time. I had a drain each time which is an annoyance but doable. I had surprisingly little pain which I managed with paracetamol and ibuprofen. Make sure you do the exercises they give you every day as it makes such a difference to recovery.

@Silkieschickens

Thanks Lulu Mine is supposed to be day surgery, they found 2 tumours on the MRI but its still like 5cm x 4xm x 5xcm so same size as before though they said on surgery lobular is often worse, currently they can't see any in lymph nodes though said one is close. I went for the mastectomy to increase chances of getting clear margins. Best case scenario is just Tamoxifen afterwards though they said 3 weeks of radio every day plus Tamoxifen is quite likely and 6 sessions of chemo 3 weeks apart is also possible but only a maybe as I'm HER2 negative and lobular. I hope to avoid chemo but will see.

That's a very quick recovery for your Mum. I am normally fine with generals but slow to come round so I am not sure how they will do day surgery when I get in at 11am, its a 3 hour operation under general but that is what they said. Its only a day hospital but presume if there's an issue you would be transferred back to main hospital to stay overnight. They said I may or may not have drains in. I am just very happy to have surgery though as that is the urgent thing and the thing most linked to success.

You won't feel less worried until it's done and you can know what happened but it's sounding a better picture than you were fearing a couple of weeks ago. Hope it goes really well. Let us know when you can. x

Hope it all goes well Silkieschickens. Well done for pushing through.

Thank you. In today at 11am, just got mri report in says in skin of breast, and maybe in chest, do ct, ct was done after and maybe talking about the one it found on lungs which was covid scarring. No idea, says stage 3 on mri which is not great but a lot better than stage 4. Will update when I can but not sure how long will be, day surgery in theory but may be tired after.

All the very best for today @Silkieschickens. I hope it goes very well and they remove it all. I’m so sorry you are going through this, I hope you have some support at home x

Thanks Much I have an amazing husband at home, he has taken today and yesterday off to help get everything ready at home and drive me there and keeps telling me how much he loves me. My daughter is also helping with my son, she is only 16 but when I go into hospital she cooks for her younger brother who is asd and really struggling.

Your family sound lovely 😊. You haven’t got much sleep tonight have you?
Im hoping and praying they do your op and are confident they have removed it all, I know you will probably have to have follow up treatment but my biggest wish is that they send you home saying it all looks good and you can heal and rest over Christmas. You and @needabitof are in my thoughts. Very best of luck today 🤗

Just popped in to say thinking of you Silkies. Hope it goes ok today x

Thank you both. No not much sleep as I remembered had to drink 2 litres day before late on and so had to drink 1.2 litres at about 11pm.

Good luck @Silkieschickens for today. It really isn't as bad as I anticipated. Your family sound really supportive which makes all the difference.

My news - my consultant got all the cancer from my breast and the lymph nodes. 5 out of 6 were positive.

Chemo and radiotherapy in the new year for me.

Thanks need Just off in a minute.

Glad they got all the cancer out, sorry to hear you need chemo and radio and 5 out of 6 positive but at least its being treated. I am expecting similar when read mri report but will see.

@needabitof best of luck for your continuing recovery
@Silkieschickens good luck for today

Best wishes silkieschickens. Will be praying for you today.

And best wishes to you too @needabitof

Best of luck with it all. Take a blanket for chemo you can get cold, if they suggest a Portacath to put into a bigger vein take it - I didn’t as didn’t want more scars and ended up with ruined veins for a bit and one put in anyway. You will get through this - I’m nearly 13 years clear. Get some good tv to watch - chemo itself is boring. For radio, aloe Vera gel mixed with a nice almond oil is very soothing on your skin.
Sending all the luck and best wishes in the world

Good luck Silkies! Thinking of you.

Need. Glad they got it all. Chemo and radiotherapy are tough but doable. There are loads of meds to help with side effects nowadays.

Thanks for those tips @Martinisarebetterdirty and the good wishes everyone else.
Those of you who have been through chemo, did you cold cap? What are your opinions of it?

I had a cold cap, it was one of the ones they keep in the freezer and change every hour or so rather than the icy water ones, and I ended up shaving my head as it wasn’t so good. This is a long time ago and if you get the ones with the water flow they are meant to be fantastic. I was told to cut my hair as short as I was comfortable with first to help it work better - I went to chin length. It just didn’t work for me.
Take some mints or something too - I found I could taste the chemo in my mouth when I was having it - and there are still somethings I can’t eat because I ate whilst having the chemo (grated carrot is one randomly).

I didn't bother to cold cap. I had EC chemo and my oncologist told me I would lose my hair. Cold capping prolonged the treatment time and I wanted to be in and out as soon as possible. I know some people who cold capped and they kept a certain amount of hair but not all.

If you have time before you start get your eyebrows microbladed. Made a huge difference to how I looked during treatment.

Hi OP - my mum is undergoing chemo currently and is cold capping. After her first session she came home and wanted to quit it but I persuaded her to keep going. She’s really glad she did as her last chemo is next week - so far she has lost some hair so it is thinner, but the majority has survived so far! She has lost most of her eyebrows and eyelashes but doesn’t care about those compared to her hair!
She already had chin length hair so didn’t cut it any shorter.

@needabitof

Good luck *@Silkieschickens* for today. It really isn't as bad as I anticipated. Your family sound really supportive which makes all the difference.

My news - my consultant got all the cancer from my breast and the lymph nodes. 5 out of 6 were positive.

Chemo and radiotherapy in the new year for me.

@needabitof So glad they got it all. Have a good Christmas x

@Silkieschickens Hope today has gone well for you. x

Thank you. Just back from right mastectomy surgery, went fine I think, results in 2 to 3 weeks, probably 3 as Christmas then radiotherapy next, said if lymph nodes positive nore surgery on arm, back home as just a day hospital, no drains in, very drowsy but can just about hobble around. All my obs were ok. They and breast centre are closed for weekend but I have a phone number for issues over weekend. No painkillers given for taking home just told to take ibruprofen and paracetomol, luckily DH had some in, do arm exersises and put non wired bra on after 24 hours. Can shallow bath from Sunday and shower from 7 days. Had trouble waking me up from general but I am always like that and had warned them but they work such long days, 12 hours plus DH was late so poor nurse worked 13 hours with me not waking up and dh. She was the loveliest nurse and the female surgeon was lovely, I hope I see her again not mine. They operated mid afternoon so chatted to the other breast cancer patient. Not in much pain atm and can move arm fine. DH made me cheese and biscuits, I got 3 ginger biscuits, 2 squashes and 1 tea in hospital.

So glad everything has gone fine and you are feeling okay. The staff sound lovely and your DH is a star. Take care and look after yourself.

Just came on for an update Silkies. Glad all ok and you are at home resting. Great to have no drains as they are pesky things! Keep taking the pain killers and doing the exercises.

It's strange how some hospitals tell you to wear a bra and others don't. I couldn't stand the tightness of a bra and just wore a vest for a few weeks once I was up and about.

Hope you manage to get lots of rest over the next few days.

First hurdle done!! ✅

Wishing you rapid healing! I didn’t bother with the cold cap, in fact I shaved my head so that when my hair fell out it was just tiny stubbly bits, not handfuls. A friend had the same treatment as me and chose cold cap. Some of her hair remained but not all. She still had to wear a wig.