Not diagnosed, but I have a question

joygirl529

Hi ladies. I am usually on here under ovarian for my mother who is battling cancer right now. But I found myself scheduled Monday for a mammogram and sonogram because I went to see my doc because I have been having some soreness in my left breast for a couple months ( along the side near my arm). The doc found a lump which I had not found on my own. So now, of course I am worried, I think it's worse because I am watching my mother deal with stage 4 cancer for 2 years now. But to the point, I guess my quesiton is would you humor me in telling me how you were diagnosed? Thank you!

GlowMore

How I was diagnosed

Hi joy....I found a lump under my left arm on the side of my left breast.  Had the sonogram and radiologist advised biopsy....which showed invasive ductile BC.   Had Lumpectomy and it had spread to lymph nodes.  Had to do chemo and radiation........but here is the good news....that was all back in 2002....and I am still here 

 

jessiesmom1

GlowMore said:

How I was diagnosed

Hi joy....I found a lump under my left arm on the side of my left breast.  Had the sonogram and radiologist advised biopsy....which showed invasive ductile BC.   Had Lumpectomy and it had spread to lymph nodes.  Had to do chemo and radiation........but here is the good news....that was all back in 2002....and I am still here 

 

My Diagnosis Story

While in bed one night (Oct. 2009) I noticed there was a lump in my right underarm area. I went back and forth between the left and right sides and determined that the right side was indeed different from the left side. I went to my ob/gyn who sent me for a mammogram. I was due for one anyway. The mammogram didn't really show anything because the lump was outside the field of vision of the mammogram machine. The radiologist who read the film had me stay and an ultrasound was done. Nothing was EVER found in the breast tissue itself but the underarm area was definitely suspicious. Then came the excision biopsy, complete axillary dissection, and Tissue of Origin Test. It was determined that I had Triple Negative Breast Cancer. I then had a mastectomy on the right side (Feb. 2010). After that came the insertion of a port and chemotherapy - 4 rounds of A/C (Adriamycin/Cytoxan) and 12 rounds of Taxotere. The last round was in Aug. 2010).  I did not have any radiation. As you can see I am coming up on 4 years and I am doing well. After all that was over I had 2 reconstruction surgeries. 

I hope my story have been of some use to you. I wish you only the best of luck. Please keep us posted. 

IRENE

joygirl529

GlowMore said:

How I was diagnosed

Hi joy....I found a lump under my left arm on the side of my left breast.  Had the sonogram and radiologist advised biopsy....which showed invasive ductile BC.   Had Lumpectomy and it had spread to lymph nodes.  Had to do chemo and radiation........but here is the good news....that was all back in 2002....and I am still here 

 

thank you for your responses.

thank you for your responses. Did you have any soreness to the area? I seem to have some but I think it's just the lump aggrivating the tissue around it.

RosaC1201

BC dx

Hi, well I am back again, haven't been on here since 2004, was cancer free until now. This is now my 3rd go around w/cancer. I felt a lump under my right breast and kind of blew it off for a little while, my boyfriend at the time was telling me not to worry (ha little did he know). I called my Dr. and asked to have a diagnostic mammogram, no screeenings for me. Well it turned out to be Invasive ductal BC. I had a lumpectomy in March and now I am going through Chemo every 3 weeks. (they called it preventative). for about 20weeks. then I will have radiation 5 days per week for 6wks. I am really hoping that this will be the last time in my life that I go through this. Chemo sucks, the injections to bring up the WBCs is painful, in my bones. After my first round of Chemo, my WBC dropped to like 1. I developed an infection and had to have IV antibiotics. The treatment I am getting is labeled TC, they offered me ACT but I chose against it. Did anyone have that type of Chemo? is anyone on the TC? just would like some feedback.  thank you

Rague

joygirl529 said:

thank you for your responses.

thank you for your responses. Did you have any soreness to the area? I seem to have some but I think it's just the lump aggrivating the tissue around it.

One night I found an enlarged

One night I found an enlarged lymph node (about the size of an almond) under my arm that had not been there the night before.  I saw my PA in a week (she was on vacation and I did not want to see anyone else).  In that time it enlarged more.  I Saw her at 11 that Thurs and she had me in for a new mammo (last one about 1 1/2 month old) at 1 that afternoon, with an US and biopsies following immediately.  At 8, the next morning, Dr D called me with the path. report - IBC.  Mon, I saw the Surgeon, Wed, the Rads Dr amd Thurs, the Chemo Dr.  In the 17 days between DX amd starting neoadjuvant chemo there were also a lot of scans/tests and port implant.

IBC is a bit different than other types of BC as it is rare, very aggressive/rapid and does not form as a 'lump' but rather as a 'nest' or 'bands'.  In the 17 days, I did develope enlarged breast, nipple inverted, peau d'orange and node greatly enlarged more.  BUT I never had any pain, 'itchiness' or reddened skin.

I know I am going OT a bit and if I offend you (or anyone else), I appologize but I do want to add something that is somewhat along the same topic as it does apply to my DX and treatment but not 100%.  Not ALL Veterans are getting no care or bad care.  I am a Vereran (Army) and I could not have asked for better, timely care than I have gotten.  In case, my PA is VA but VA had me iinto a local/private Radiology Clinic that afternoon.  All of my IBC care was also outsourced to local/private Surgeon and the local Cancer Center immediately - that was almost 5 yrs ago.  Close to a year ago, I had an eye issue, I called VA for an appt and was given one for 8 days out as it was the first available but I was told very emphatically that if the problem worsened (it did) to get to the the Urgent Care and UC could get me in sooner.  It did get worse so Hubby took me to UC when he got off that night and they got me an appt the next day at the local Eye Instutite.  Long story short, for me, all my medical care for 19 yrs has been through VA and I could not ask for better or more timely care.  When my facility did not have what I needed on site - I was immediately outsourced.  Hubby is also a Veteran (USN Ret.) and he too has gotten great care at our Facility which is a smaller one.  I do know that there have been some horrendous happenings at some VAs to some Veterans and that is inappropriate.  BUT there are many of us who could not ask for better care - be our 'routine care', emergency care or care unavailble at the Facility that is/has to be 'outsourced'.

jessiesmom1

RosaC1201 said:

BC dx

Hi, well I am back again, haven't been on here since 2004, was cancer free until now. This is now my 3rd go around w/cancer. I felt a lump under my right breast and kind of blew it off for a little while, my boyfriend at the time was telling me not to worry (ha little did he know). I called my Dr. and asked to have a diagnostic mammogram, no screeenings for me. Well it turned out to be Invasive ductal BC. I had a lumpectomy in March and now I am going through Chemo every 3 weeks. (they called it preventative). for about 20weeks. then I will have radiation 5 days per week for 6wks. I am really hoping that this will be the last time in my life that I go through this. Chemo sucks, the injections to bring up the WBCs is painful, in my bones. After my first round of Chemo, my WBC dropped to like 1. I developed an infection and had to have IV antibiotics. The treatment I am getting is labeled TC, they offered me ACT but I chose against it. Did anyone have that type of Chemo? is anyone on the TC? just would like some feedback.  thank you

My Diagnosis Story - II

You asked whether the lump/lymph nodes were sore. In my particular case the answer is yes, they were indeed sore and they continued to become enlarged until they were ultimately removed. You should also remember that not all enlarged lymph nodes are cancerous/malignant. They can be enlarged and sore due to a simple infection, also. I know it is easy to say, but try not to look for the worst outcome when there may be a simpler answer.

 

IRENE

desertgirl947

My DR had me have an

My DR had me have an ultrasound (just on the left) the same day as a mammogram, as we both knew I had a lump.  My past was that I was prone to cysts, but it always was good to check.

I had an idea that I had a problem when the techs wanted additional images for both the mammo as well as the ultra on the left side.  They each had come back in, saying they knew the radiologist would want more of a particular area.

Because the images did show some problems, I was sent for an MRI.  The MRI verified what was seen by the mammo and the ultrasound.  The MRI also showed the start of possible trouble ont he right side.  So, the day I had my biopsies on the left side, the tech came in and took an ultrasound of the right side.  It showed the same thing.  I had to go back for biopsies on the other side.  I had two different kinds of bc.  (I would have to go back and look up what they were.)

Although I could have gone with a lumpec on the right, I decided that I really did not want to go through all of this a second time.  My decision was to have a double mastectomy.

RozHopkins

Hi

My hubby had had a minor heart attack.  The first day back to work in the morning he was dressing I suddenly found what felt like a huge long lump high on R side outer breast.  I think I said something like 'what the .... is this'.  I had had mammos every year for ten years, nothing.  Doctors comments, probably nothing but it is big........  so we didn't worry about ourselves, we worried about each other and got through it fine.  Both as fit as can be three years down the line.  I was very itchy for some time where pre cancer cells were found on one side.  The other always felt sore in lump area.  My bras never felt comfortable, even sports bras.  I appeared to be getting bigger and bigger and felt very uncomfortable.  I knew something was wrong but mine doesn't show up on mammos so no one found it until the cylinder shape was felt.  Let's hope you just have an infection or be a harmless cyst etc. fingers crossed.  Good news is, they are on to it. XX