Breast clinic referral

[Indiarose81]

Hi

I am new to posting here so I will introduce myself.

I am a 33 year old mum of two. A boy who is 3 and a half and a girl who is approaching her first birthday.

Yesterday I went to see my gp regarding some lumps that have appeared under my armpit. I have three on one side and one on the other.

I've had lumps like this occasionally in the past and they are red and very sore and hard. Although I haven't had them for a while in the past doctors have said they are boils where a bug has gotten into the hair follicle. Most of the time I've left them and they go if I'm careful win them and if not I see the gp and have had 1 or 2 courses of antibiotics.

Well at the moment I am breastfeeding my daughter although only morning and evening as she is almost 12 months old and fully weaned.
I've suffered several episodes of mastitis this time round and always on my left side. Since her birth I've seen numerous lactation experts and gps and she has had a posterior tongue tie separated. Things improved vastly but I actually got most of the mastitis after this.
Only once or twice have I had a fever with it and I've gotten used to self managing as she clears it pretty well. Well a week ago I got what just be the 10th or so episode and the ducts on the bad side always feel a little raised and bulky so I had had enough and went to see the gp

It was a locum and she gave me enough antibiotics to treat an army and told me to some of them were for he next few times I got it again! No real advice.

So this time when I saw my usual
Gp about the underarm lumps I mentioned I already had flucloxacillin at home and should I take those?
She examined me and felt some of the lumps were more glandular.

She then wanted to do a break exam following the line of glands from the underarm into my breast. She felt both (I think for comparison) and told me I jad "thickening" on that problematic side and asked if I had noticed it. I said yes but that I had assumed my poor ducts were just stretched or damaged from the endless mastitis.

I lost my mum to breast cancer when I was 6 (she was just 44) and I mentioned this after she told me she was honking of referring me.

The thing is because I lost my mum so long it is my only experience of what hapoens when you are a mum and I've sort of always worried I may follow the same path.

My rational side says the gp is being cautious but my 'inner bereaved child' is not so logical and scared. My mum fell I'll after be birth of her second child and I've not long had my second child so there are a few
Parallels. I think it is also the same location if I remember rightly.

So now I feel quite worried and the wait and not knowing is very hard. It's so difficult to leave it to one side. I think it must be for anyone but especially so as for our family the outcome was not good.

I'm trying not to google and I found an nhs leaflet about breast clinic online so that was reassuring but I'm just hoping to hear from anyone else who has been through this or has any tips to pass on which may distract me or reassure me.

Thanks for listening. X

Hi indiarose, I'm sorry you are having such a worrying time, particularly since you lost your mum to breast cancer. It's no wonder your head is all over the place. The doctor is doing the right thing getting you checked out. You should be seen within two weeks and have a scan.

There is a thread for people with cancer on here which is also very helpful for those undergoing investigations like you. It's very friendly and we are experienced in most aspects of the process and what comes after. Very often people pop in for a week or two whilst they are in your situation, for a bit of hand holding and most then disappear off with clear results. You are most likely to be fine, 9 out of 10 are but I know it's hard to believe that. Come on over for some support if you feel like it.

Hi mrshodgilbert

Thank you for your kind message. It's so lovely of you to read my post and reply. I know it was a bit of a long one!

I am trying to busy myself with cake making for my husband's birthday. I also have to take my daughter to nursery for a settling visit.
I really don't want to leave her today as I feel as though I need her to cuddle.
Still it's best for her to get as much time there whilst I'm still able to leave her for a couple of hours only.

I may check out the other thread. Thank you for offering. Are you sure the ladies won't mind?

The main thing I worry about is that I hadn't thought this thickening was the thickening they mention as a warning sign to get checked. It really surprised me. I suppose when breastfeeding you put it all down to that. Everything is so lumpy and bumpy and stretched and droopy after childbirth!

Indiarose, sorry I can't offer any advice or experience but maybe sympathy.

My GP referred me to the breast clinic today - I don't have a lump but an area of 'discolouration and vascularity' and breast pain ... unfortunately I know that she is thinking about inflammatory breast cancer which is the bad kind.

I've cried quite a lot today - worrying about my children, my youngest is only 3 - now I'm on my third glass of wine.

It's very scary isn't it?

You would both be very welcome on the tamoxigang thread, really. We all have children of different ages and we mostly have different forms of breast cancer, there are many kinds which I certainly didn't realise before last summer.

It is very scary, but the stats are still in your favour. Wine is a very good distraction. It's a very active thread, there are people waiting for results and others many years down the line getting on with life. You can come and read, you don't have to chat. Lots of people lurk for a while. You'll probably be able to think of little else for the next couple of weeks and its a safe place to talk if you want to keep it from friends and family for now.

Hello to you both.

Thank you for your messages. I just wrote a reply but my phone seems to have eaten it.

Coffegonecold I love your username. I'm sorry to hear you have some symptoms and need a referral. I hope it comes through quickly so that you know where you stand. I'm sorry that it seems to point to ibc if it is indeed a cancer causing our symptoms. The very mention of it must be so scary.
However I hope that like the other forms of cancer there can be other benign conditions which could have caused your symptoms.

I know this doesn't help a lot whilst you are waiting.
I hope the wine is working and atleast allowing you a breather. Our minds are our own worst enemy at times.

I'm someone who works in health insurance so it is all about risk and statistics for me. I hate not knowing the stats or having a definitive answer. I also hate the thought of all this emotional upheaval for nothing but of course I would rather that than he alternative now.

Will you let us know when your appointment is? I hope you get a date soon so you can tick of the wait bit by bit.

I regretted that wine this morning!

Got through today - didn't hear from the clinic, probably too soon - stayed calm & busy & it all felt unreal. The children are all asleep, dh is out and now I am absolutely terrified.

I have an area on the breast with the weird mark which has become very sore & tender (feels bruised) since yesterday. I've probably poked it too much & that hasn't helped. It really hurts - have taken some painkillers. If this was the first thing I'd think I had a blocked duct or something.

But I'm imagining all sorts of awful things, it is in a different place from the mark.

Very panicky.

Stay strong. And maybe stop poking. difficult I know.

My appointment took 8 days to arrive and my wait will be 17 days but I think I am low risk. Hope it gives you an idea though.

Hang in there.

Gosh I'm getting ants in my pants now.
I've done really well staying calm and having just the odd hiccup when it comes to worrying.

My clinic appointment is tomorrow morning so it suddenly feels real. I don't know if I can even feel the original thickening which my gp found. Sometimes I want to have a fiddle and see what is there and other times I don't want to go near it in case I feel it.

I'm reassured that the vast majority of people are fine but it's still not w nice process. Still this time tomorrow I will hopefully be close to having all of this over. Fingers crossed.

We put my son back in pull ups overnight because the lack of sleep and washing was getting too much and when he finally seemed disheartened I felt it best for him too. It's helping take the pressure off everyone.

I'm due to start work again in two weeks so have been busy settling my baby girl into nursery too. I seem to be here there and everywhere. It's all adding up to some very emotional times. Although I'm trying to embrace it and remember it's temporary and a sign I've had a great maternity leave.

I hope everyone else is well.

Coffegonecold did you get a date through?

How did you get on IndiaRose?xx

Hi Indiarose, I have just been diagnosed with breast cancer. I felt a lump on the top of my breast and was going to see the surgery nurse for unrelated reasons and asked her to feel the lump. She immediately spoke to the Doctor who sent and urgent referral to the Breast clinic who contacted me and within the month I had an Xray, ultra sound and biopsy.
I knew strait away that this was Cancer, a week later I saw the specialist who has booked me in for a lumpectomy, also removing some lymph glands from armpit to check them.
The whole experience has been reassuring and very caring.
I suggest you get some more attention knowing your history