Omg I'm so worried!!!! Can anyone put my mind at ease?!

[november90]

About 3 months ago I noticed a lump in my armpit. I went to the go who told me to wait a month before he would refer me to the breast care unit to see if it went in its own. It's under the skin, small and moves around. Anyway a month past but I neglectfully didn't fo back to the go because I just had SO much going on. Anyway, fast forward to now and the lump in still there be bigger. Sometimes I can feel something on the other side... only present when arms are down. Last week it was a bit uncomfortable but ok now. Still moves around. Visited the go who is sending an urgent referral to the breast care unit. My Nanna died from breast cancer, her cousin had breast cancer, my mum had breast cancer. I'm so frightened. I'm reading online if the move around that's a positive but even the go commented it was larger. Anyone experienced anything like this? I am just so worried 😢

Didn't want to read and run. You've done the right thing in going back to the GP. Just keep chasing the referral if it is a little slow.

I'm sure it will all be fine and something benign, but it's good that you're getting it checked out.

Take some time for yourself, remember it's Ok to be worried, just don't let the fear of what it could be consume you.

Hugs xx

Thank you for being kind and replying. I've googled myself into an early grave I think. The fact it is majorly painless appears to be a bad sign :(
Feeling super stressed and worried :( whhhyyyy didn't the doctor just refer me in July :(

Don’t stress too much, you are in the system. I’ve got a lump in my armpit that appeared after my first pregnancy. Sometimes painless, sometimes it aches. With my second pregnancy it grew! They think fed by my hormones. Have had it checked over the recent years but been told possibly a Liploma - fatty tissue.

Step away from Google 😊 x

In the meantime, you could try focusing on a healthy diet to help w healing and to calm down. Google whole foods plant based diet. I’ve read numerous books on this diet and all the doctors say the same; this is the best diet to help fight cancer (not saying that is what it is, but it might help put your mind on ease if your doing something help or prevent while you are waiting to be seen). This diet also reverses heart disease, diabetes. Watch what the health on Netflix. Read success stories on forks over knives. Animal protein promotes cancer growth, while fruits and veggies help fight it.

Thanks all. I can't seem to think about anything else right now. I'm having panic attacks like I can't breath. I feel so alone and lost :(

I used to work in a breast clinic. If it puts your mind at ease, thankfully 9/10 referrals from the GP are not cancer.

Also cancer is usually tethered to the breast tissue, it doesn't move around.

Cysts are often hard, round and pea like and move around.

@AlanisMorningShed thank you so much! I needed to hear that :( I know nobody can tell me my outcome, but after seeing my mym and my Nanna go through this I fee on such a dark place right now. I'm also a single mum to two boys, I feel like I can't even look at them right now 😢

(I obviously do look at them 🙈)

If you have a history of breast cancer in your family, why on Earth has your GP left it so long?
Shouldn’t you be having regular mammograms?
I thought this is what was meant to happen where someone had a strong family history of cancer, I’d insist on it.
My aunt used to suffer with cysts a lot, some hurt and had to be removed and others were painless, none were never cancerous. I hope your seen soon, try not to google as there’s no way of knowing and you need a proper investigation. Fingers crossed it’s nothing sinister . Push your GP again if need be.

@Suzi888 it's terrible isn't it. He told me initially I had to wait a number of weeks which I did but it hadn't gone. I rang up last week asking for the instant referral I was told I was going to get, anyway a week later I was told I needed a telephone consultation and on. The call I was told I needed to be seen again to then be told I needed an urgent referral. I'm SO frustrated with the process. If this is something sinister and I've been left all this time with my history I will take action against this. The anxiety I've had for months has been crippling :(

I will take action against this

Respectfully you said yourself you didn't go back after the month the GP advised because you were too busy?

I had a breast lump too - moved around and painless and also turned out to be a lipoma - it did grow a lot after pregnancy but seems to have settled down now

Really hope everything turns out ok x

I thought it was instant referral too. It is easy to push things to the back of your mind, you want to have trust in your GP that you are receiving appropriate treatment/ advice and you want to hope that things will go away by themselves- time flies.
Unless it was a spot, I didn’t think lumps went away by themselves (I know some women get hormonal breast lumps that go away- but presumably you don’t get these). With your family history, I would’ve thought it inappropriate to leave it in this case. But what do I know! At least they are treating it seriously now.
Fingers crossed you’ll be fine- but going forward personally I would be asking for regular mammograms, or a gene check to see if you carry the Brca1 gene. Your GP can refer you, if you want to know- they may offer counselling beforehand. If you do carry it then that may have implications requiring surgery and some people prefer not to know. You would need to weigh that up.

The wait and see approach can be frustrating, and I would always suggest you advocate for yourself strongly with the NHS to get the care you want. My mother had a lump and it's taken 11 months to get to surgery and that was after paying for a private appointment to speed it up. The NHS GP just kept saying to wait 3 months to see if it's grown! Similarly, recently I had a lump and they tried to give me a 4 month referral to gynae and I strongly requested a quicker referral. Got my referral 2 weeks later, biopsy etc all completed.

As above have said, you did admit to not going back in August when you had been asked to. So you need to advocate for yourself and also follow through. I know it's very scary but it's still best to know rather than have it in the back of your mind all the time. Fingers crossed for you that it's something benign and easily sorted. Xx

Yeah you're all right I didn't go back, but in my defence the GP has suggested this was more a breast feeding issue (despite me advising I did not feed from this side) so during august I was being seen under the infant feeding team to resolve some issues. I had had several misdiagnosis for mastitis and breast feeding thrush through June and July (again the other side to where the lump is) that as one point I was going to the gp almost every other day which massively took a role on my mental health . I should've gone a couple weeks before I did, but I've not been in a good place and above all of this my referral should've been sent in July :( my friends mym works at the breast care unit and she said that any unexplained lump should be an instant referral.

I had my app today and they couldn't see anything to worry about on the scan other then a swollen linth node which they put down to breast feeding!
Just wanted to update incase any one else stumbles across this in the future ☺️
Had the worst few weeks worrying, but now I can breath ♥️

The routine mammograms are running behind their normal times in my area as it was closed down for 6 months at the start of Covid so if you have worries have it checked by GP as your routine mammo could be later than you expect.

When did you have your covid vaccine? Mine caused a painful lump in my arm pit that hung around for ages. I'm did my second and still aware of it . I've spoken to several people who have experienced the same.

That's brilliant news, so glad to read your update

@liveforsummer

When did you have your covid vaccine? Mine caused a painful lump in my arm pit that hung around for ages. I'm did my second and still aware of it . I've spoken to several people who have experienced the same.

I was going to say this. When my mum went for her mammogram they died if she’d had her vivid vaccine recently because they were getting a few people with swellings from the vaccine

I can't quite remember when the lump appeared compared to when I had my vaccine but the doctor did question that too so it must be on their radar now!
I'm not entirely convinced the lump is breast feeding related but I feel so much better knowing the area has been checked and nothing there to worry about :)

Really great news OP. What a relief !

You have been badly served by your GP though and for anyone reading I had a lump shortly after breast feeding and it was cancer, so do always get lumps checked ASAP and definitely don't wait to see if they grow !

@tiddlysquat oh no I'm so sorry that you suffered with breast cancer, I really hope you're ok now?
I absolutely agree, I feel GPs knowledge of breast feeding is so sparse, it's takes a lot of fighting to get things done/diagnosed properly when breast feeding.

Lymph glands tend to be rugby ball shaped and squidgy.
It would swell if you were feeling it, and it would feel bruised.

Just seen your update, glad it’s all ok.

What a relief, good news OP.