My breast is tender/painful

Double Whammy
Double Whammy Member Posts: 2,832 Member
in Breast Cancer #1
It's been 15 months since my lumpectomy/partial mastectomy, 11+ months since chemo, and 9 months since radiation. I honestly don't remember any breast pain except shortly after radiation. This has been going on for about 6 weeks. Lately it's been really tender to touch almost everywhere and I have pains/tenderness in areas nowhere close to the surgery sites. I passed my mammogram and exam in June and I don't feel any lumps except my scar where the tumor was is hard (not the lymph node removal scar) and some areas of the breast itself feel harder than others. I have an appointment with the radiation oncologist in about 6 weeks so I'll get examined then and I will be sure to tell her about this. I don't think this warrants an appointment sooner, but rest assured, if I felt a lump, I'd be on someone's doorstep immediately.

The other thing that's happened recently (very) is it droops. My healthy breast doesn't droop (too much). Example - I can't see the nipple on my sick breast when I look down, it's now pointing south. My left nipple is fully visible.

Is anyone else experiencing this so long after treatments? I wish they'd tell us what to expect and what might be problemmatic.

Thanks!
Suzanne

Comments

  • smalldoggroomer
    smalldoggroomer Member Posts: 1,184
    #2
    I don't think you should
    I don't think you should wait 6 weeks. If your breast is miss-shaped, and firm or hard in some area's and the nipple is not were it should be. And you are having pain.. You should get checked. Time matters Don't wait be on the safe side Please. Call your Oncologist. First thing Mon. There are cancers that don't present in lumps. Mine didn't My breast just got hard and painful. Please go see your Dr. Your in my prayers, Please go and let us know how you are Take care sweetheart. Kay,
  • Gabe N Abby Mom
    Gabe N Abby Mom Member Posts: 2,413
    #3
    Suzanne, I agree with Kay.
    Suzanne, I agree with Kay. Get it checked, don't wait for the rads onc...in fact he might not be the right doc to see. He specializes in treatment, not in diagnosis. Plus, waiting and worrying for 6 weeks does not sound like fun, and you deserve to know what's going on. So see your onc or gyn, get another mammo and/or ultrasound, so that you can get out there and continue to enjoy your wonderful life.


    Hugs,

    Linda
  • CAchick
    CAchick Member Posts: 277
    #4
    ditto
    I agree with those other comments. I would probably see the medical onc and not wait. Just to be safe....
  • CAchick
    CAchick Member Posts: 277
    #5
    not to be scary...
    Not to be scary or anything....
  • missrenee
    missrenee Member Posts: 2,136 Member
    #6
    CAchick said:

    not to be scary...
    Not to be scary or anything....

    I agree with the others, but
    I have to tell you, it's been 18 months post lumpectomy, re-excision, axillary dissection, 15 months post chemo and a year post rads and I still have lots of pain, tenderness and swelling. I still have a huge area of scar tissue (always will). I saw my surgeon and onc. in June--they both said this is my new "normal"!!! I also had a negative MRI, mammo and ultrasound at that time. Oh, and by the way, with the swelling, my whole nipple points south with a little tiny indentation in the middle. I was nervous about this--and they both looked at it and said it is a "post-op" change.

    So, bottom line, get it checked out, but don't worry too much. This could be your "new normal" as well.

    Hugs, Renee
  • phoenixrising
    phoenixrising Member Posts: 1,508
    #7
    Susan, pls don't wait. See
    Susan, pls don't wait. See your onc as soon as possible. As has been said, some cancers don't present themselves as tumours and I know we would all feel better if we got some professional advice about this. Think of you often...
    love and hugs
    jan
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #8
    phoenixrising said:

    Susan, pls don't wait. See
    Susan, pls don't wait. See your onc as soon as possible. As has been said, some cancers don't present themselves as tumours and I know we would all feel better if we got some professional advice about this. Think of you often...
    love and hugs
    jan

    Suzanne -- Please let us know .. if you
    were able to get into see your Doctor .. We are worried !!

    Strength, Courage and Hope.

    Vicki Sam
  • RE
    RE Member Posts: 4,591 Member
    #9
    6 weeks.....
    Suzanne you are far too important to put this off for six weeks. You need to be seen as soon as they can get you in. Any new health issue warrants a visit, I for one would be at the doctors office telling them your concerns and requesting I be seen some time this week. You have gone through too much and worked so hard and certainly earned a squeeze you in appointment. Please let us know what is happening with this as it certainly concerns me.

    ♥ RE ♥
  • Double Whammy
    Double Whammy Member Posts: 2,832 Member
    #10
    VickiSam said:

    Suzanne -- Please let us know .. if you
    were able to get into see your Doctor .. We are worried !!

    Strength, Courage and Hope.

    Vicki Sam

    All right already!
    I'm so sorry to concern you gals. Honestly, I think it's still from the radiation (self diagnosis). Really I do. In hindsight, I know it's not new, but it's definitiely more bothersome for the past 6-8 weeks. I know I was tender in June when I had my mammogram and saw the surgeon because I was worried about the mammo hurting. I told the surgeon - he said I was fine and to stop examining myself so often. I also remember telling my onc about some of the tenderness waaay back in the early part of the year. At that point, she chalked up to stuff being moved aruond in surgery and still healing, fluid retention from chemo, and radiation - i.e., trauma. Those peeps hurt me! It's only been 9 months since I finished rads.

    I moved one of my appointments up in October to Oct 7. I'm leaving tomorrow for NYC and then home for less than a week and off to Phoenix until the 28th. If while I am in NYC I notice anything different, I'll make at least a phone call and schedule an appointment for when I return (in between trips). If my boob falls off in NYC or I develop anything else, I'll get it taken care of there. I hear they have medical care in NYC.

    There are no lumps, no skin changes, no redness or swelling or heat. Certain areas hurt/are tender (more than one but not the whole breast), it's here and there, tender to touch and sometimes shooting pains, but not zingy pains that I would associate with nerves.

    Thank you for your concerns. I really appreciate it and I am not going to ignore it, but I'm going to be very busy playing with my bff in NYC for the next week!

    Suzanne
  • RE
    RE Member Posts: 4,591 Member
    #11
    Double Whammy said:

    All right already!
    I'm so sorry to concern you gals. Honestly, I think it's still from the radiation (self diagnosis). Really I do. In hindsight, I know it's not new, but it's definitiely more bothersome for the past 6-8 weeks. I know I was tender in June when I had my mammogram and saw the surgeon because I was worried about the mammo hurting. I told the surgeon - he said I was fine and to stop examining myself so often. I also remember telling my onc about some of the tenderness waaay back in the early part of the year. At that point, she chalked up to stuff being moved aruond in surgery and still healing, fluid retention from chemo, and radiation - i.e., trauma. Those peeps hurt me! It's only been 9 months since I finished rads.

    I moved one of my appointments up in October to Oct 7. I'm leaving tomorrow for NYC and then home for less than a week and off to Phoenix until the 28th. If while I am in NYC I notice anything different, I'll make at least a phone call and schedule an appointment for when I return (in between trips). If my boob falls off in NYC or I develop anything else, I'll get it taken care of there. I hear they have medical care in NYC.

    There are no lumps, no skin changes, no redness or swelling or heat. Certain areas hurt/are tender (more than one but not the whole breast), it's here and there, tender to touch and sometimes shooting pains, but not zingy pains that I would associate with nerves.

    Thank you for your concerns. I really appreciate it and I am not going to ignore it, but I'm going to be very busy playing with my bff in NYC for the next week!

    Suzanne

    :-)
    Isn't it nice to know we care!!! Have fun in N.Y.C.

    RE
  • Chickadee1955
    Chickadee1955 Member Posts: 356 Member
    #12
    RE said:

    6 weeks.....
    Suzanne you are far too important to put this off for six weeks. You need to be seen as soon as they can get you in. Any new health issue warrants a visit, I for one would be at the doctors office telling them your concerns and requesting I be seen some time this week. You have gone through too much and worked so hard and certainly earned a squeeze you in appointment. Please let us know what is happening with this as it certainly concerns me.

    ♥ RE ♥

    Hate to nag, but I'm with
    Hate to nag, but I'm with the rest of the ladies, Suzanne. Please don't wait until your schedule permits----call your doc tomorrow! Please!
    Chickadee
  • DianeBC
    DianeBC Member Posts: 3,881 Member
    #13
    VickiSam said:

    Suzanne -- Please let us know .. if you
    were able to get into see your Doctor .. We are worried !!

    Strength, Courage and Hope.

    Vicki Sam

    I agree with everyone, don't
    I agree with everyone, don't wait. See your oncologist as soon as you can.


    Hugs, Diane
  • Megan M
    Megan M Member Posts: 3,000
    #14
    Chickadee1955 said:

    Hate to nag, but I'm with
    Hate to nag, but I'm with the rest of the ladies, Suzanne. Please don't wait until your schedule permits----call your doc tomorrow! Please!
    Chickadee

    I will nag you too! Please
    I will nag you too! Please call your doctor!
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #15
    Megan M said:

    I will nag you too! Please
    I will nag you too! Please call your doctor!

    Don't want to scare you..
    But...get it checked NOW....I am experiencing a recurrence and in treatment again and that is what my breast started doing....there was no lump, passed my mammo and ultrasound in April.....was diagnosed with it's return in early June....it came back in my lymph nodes, with two clavicle nodes making themselves visible..they are pressing on nerves and a blood vessel, thus the pain, sometimes sharp, shooting pains, some numbness and general discomfort in the breast...but NO lump in the breast...bc doesn't always come back in the breast...The nodes on my clavicle seemed to appear over night..found it on a Friday, saw my oncologist on Monday...CT scan and Pet scan confirmed the recurrence...

    Wishing you the best and hoping this is nothing...
  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    #16
    MAJW said:

    Don't want to scare you..
    But...get it checked NOW....I am experiencing a recurrence and in treatment again and that is what my breast started doing....there was no lump, passed my mammo and ultrasound in April.....was diagnosed with it's return in early June....it came back in my lymph nodes, with two clavicle nodes making themselves visible..they are pressing on nerves and a blood vessel, thus the pain, sometimes sharp, shooting pains, some numbness and general discomfort in the breast...but NO lump in the breast...bc doesn't always come back in the breast...The nodes on my clavicle seemed to appear over night..found it on a Friday, saw my oncologist on Monday...CT scan and Pet scan confirmed the recurrence...

    Wishing you the best and hoping this is nothing...

    I am following everyone else
    I am following everyone else here in your getting in to see your oncologist or surgeon now. This isn't something that you want to wait on. Please go!

    Sue :)
  • Double Whammy
    Double Whammy Member Posts: 2,832 Member
    #17
    Ritzy said:

    I am following everyone else
    I am following everyone else here in your getting in to see your oncologist or surgeon now. This isn't something that you want to wait on. Please go!

    Sue :)

    ok!
    I just emailed my primary care doc. My surgeon left me for City of Hope in LA! I'll be back home on the 15th and if she thinks I need to see someone B4 Oct I will.
    Thanks for the prodding.
    Suzanne
  • Kylez
    Kylez Member Posts: 3,761 Member
    #18
    Double Whammy said:

    ok!
    I just emailed my primary care doc. My surgeon left me for City of Hope in LA! I'll be back home on the 15th and if she thinks I need to see someone B4 Oct I will.
    Thanks for the prodding.
    Suzanne

    Good! Thanks for doing
    Good! Thanks for doing this! The prodding paid off! hehe
  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    #19
    Kylez said:

    Good! Thanks for doing
    Good! Thanks for doing this! The prodding paid off! hehe

    Whew!
    Well I am saying whew. I am so glad you are getting in and not waiting the 6 weeks.


    Good luck and let us know your appointment date.


    Sue :)
  • Double Whammy
    Double Whammy Member Posts: 2,832 Member
    #20
    Ritzy said:

    Whew!
    Well I am saying whew. I am so glad you are getting in and not waiting the 6 weeks.


    Good luck and let us know your appointment date.


    Sue :)

    I'm back in California
    My primary care physician (not oncologist) said the symptoms are probably related to radiation changes/surgery but if they become significanly worse or new symptoms develop to come in sooner. She did not say "OMG, get in here right now" or even "if it would make you feel better, let's take a look". I've had tenderness since end of radiation (Dec) and my exam in June was fine. My appointments are Oct. 7 (primary care), 14 (rad onc), and 19 (med onc). I promise if anything changes, I'll go in sooner, and I plan to tell every single one of them about it and ask about whether any further testing (MRI?) should be done.

    I was so distracted on vacation that I didn't even think about it unless I was getting dressed or undressed or showering.

    Suzanne
  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    #21
    Double Whammy said:

    I'm back in California
    My primary care physician (not oncologist) said the symptoms are probably related to radiation changes/surgery but if they become significanly worse or new symptoms develop to come in sooner. She did not say "OMG, get in here right now" or even "if it would make you feel better, let's take a look". I've had tenderness since end of radiation (Dec) and my exam in June was fine. My appointments are Oct. 7 (primary care), 14 (rad onc), and 19 (med onc). I promise if anything changes, I'll go in sooner, and I plan to tell every single one of them about it and ask about whether any further testing (MRI?) should be done.

    I was so distracted on vacation that I didn't even think about it unless I was getting dressed or undressed or showering.

    Suzanne

    Suzanne
    I am glad to hear that you are taking advice and have scheduled appointments. Sending positive thoughts and hugs!

Discussion Boards