Referral to breast clinic- terrified

Hi everyone,
I’ve been referred to a breast clinic after describing my symptoms to my gp over the phone (we couldn’t visit face to face because of COVID). I’m absolutely petrified. I’m only 33, I called the GP after noticing a long, hard cord-like lump running from under my boob into it. I don’t know how else to describe it, it’s not like a round lump it’s like a hard vein.
I’ve no idea where it came from and now I’m checking both boobs to see what else I can find and I’m convinced the cord thing leads to a lump, and I can feel smaller ones all over both boobs.
My health anxiety is awful so I’ve been having trouble sleeping and focusing and it’s taken over my mind. I spiral into panic whenever I hear from the doctors or think about going to the breast clinic.
My anxiety is so bad I can barely eat and when I do I have tummy troubles.
I just want to go to the clinic and get this over so I know what I’m dealing with, the not knowing is exhausting me. :(

OK, don't panic, it could be something called Mondor's from your description, which is most likely a benign condition and produces cord like 'shapes/lumps' in the breast tissue, often underneath and towards the nipple, but can be in other places on the breast too. They are like stretched rope under the skin. It is not a common condition and many medics won't know of it, but can be caused vigorous exercise, an injury to the breast or wearing a very tight bra.
I have had it myself and it was a large ligament looking hard thing that ran from where the bra band would sit, up into my breast and down onto the ribs (mine was very large and long lol). Is what you are describing hard and painful and came quickly ? It is good to get it checked out, just to be certain, as they are the experts, but please remember that the vast majority of referrals to the BREAST (its not called a breast cancer clinic - note !) are for benign reasons. I'm not saying that I am right, but saying to you that there are so many strange reasons sometimes for breast changes, but the trouble is everybody only thinks of cancer and not the 100 other benign reasons.

Hi Carys,
Thank you so much for your reply. That’s exactly what it feels like, a long rope/cord thing under my breast and down towards my abdomen. When I first found it, it didn’t hurt but it’s a bit painful now (though I’m not sure if that’s because I’ve been prodding it a lot).
I sit down at a desk a lot and my bra has been leaving red marks where I found the lump so now I’m afraid to wear it (it is a bit tight but wasn’t causing me discomfort).
If you don’t mind me asking, how did you notice it and did it go away eventually?

It sounds literally EXACTLY like what you are describing. I will PM you LJay.......as its an indepth story, but your description sounds identical. Lay off the bra, don't wear it would be my first advice. ;)

I’m so scared. I keep reading that mondors is a sign of cancer and have convinced myself that I have it.
Just want to get the scans done so I know where to go from here :(
I don’t even want to get in the shower I’m afraid it will lead to more obsessive self-checking

Well, I'm sorry but I have no idea why you have come up with that, I told you on PM that the vast majority of cases , the HUGE majority are totally benign.

Here are my first 2 google searches and what they say -

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Mondor's disease of the breast is a benign, self-limiting condition; characterised by thrombophlebitis of the superficial veins of the mammary region.

Mondor's disease is an uncommon, benign (not cancer) breast condition. It's caused by inflammation of a vein just under the skin of the breast or chest wall. It's also known as thrombophlebitis.

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Many are caused by exactly what you described which is a bra leaving a red mark and too tight - the exact reason I got mine ! Those who have it combined with cancer have a mass in the breast already, and you don't, infact you told me you had nothing that you can feel. Causes -

• vigorous exercise
• an injury to the breast
• wearing a very tight bra

Anyway, best to wait now until you've seen those at the clinic. Your dr hasn't examined you even, so they are clearly being ultra cautious and you do have BC anxiety, so lets be honest you are clearly going to jump to the most 'catastrophic' conclusion. I am assuming that this 'strange cord' came up pretty quickly ? It is wise to have it checked, and the Dr is doing the right thing, as he/she hasn't done an examination - hopefully the ultrasound/and or mammo will put your mind at rest, any 'changes' need checking. I kinda wish I'd not brought up this benign condition, as a HA person like yourself is just going to see and search for all the rare random cases where its connected to BC of course. Anyway, I'm not a diagnoser, I was just offering suggestions that not every change, infact very few breast changes are anything sinister.

Why not listen to an intelligent and informed view from Carys who has been through the mill and back with breast issues?

Do you think she is fobbing you off because I can tell you that she isn't. It's a shame that you have let your anxiety override valuable advice. Your choice though.

Thanks P for your positive and kind words, much appreciated - as always :). However, I'm not a medic, and I have come onto this forum and come up with a medical suggestion ( i know we all do it now and again in an attempt to get people to think less catastrophically) but I feel that was probably a mistake and I regret it. Through my PM discussion with LJay it became more and more clear to me that she had a cause and effect going on in the sudden appearance of this 'thing'. The background to her having it appear (including the red mark and pressing from the bra band in the same area) was literally matching my experience in every detail, and the description of the 'thing' matched also. I was also very clear and said it appearing was not related to BC at all. I should have stayed in the realms of vagueties (is that a word?) I feel as I'm not a doctor examining her.

LJay -

Another factor on your side that is positive is age - 33 - very young indeed for sinister breast issues. I think you are just going to have to grit your teeth here now LJay and await the appointment. I don't suppose you even know how long that will be did the Dr say ?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LJay

I’m so scared. I keep reading that mondors is a sign of cancer and have convinced myself that I have it.
Just want to get the scans done so I know where to go from here :(
I don’t even want to get in the shower I’m afraid it will lead to more obsessive self-checking

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You're in the system now, LJay so having a shower won't change anything and self-checking is counter-productive because the tests will be sufficient to give the doctor an accurate picture of what is going on.. if anything.

I hope you get your appointment through soon so that you know where you stand. Uncertainty just leads to spiralling anxiety.

Carys is the very best person to give you advice though..

Hi both,
I’m not trying to fob anyone off and I apologise if that’s how this has sounded. I’m just in a dark place right now and my fears are spiralling. I’ve not seen my family for a year because of COVID and these thoughts of cancer keep replaying what happened to my sister who died of bone cancer when we were both teens. I’m just really upset and have had enough of feeling this way.
Carys, I called the hospital yesterday and they said they’d contact me this week to set up an appointment. The thing in my boob/abdomen has become really uncomfortable/painful now so other than work I just want to sleep :(

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The thing in my boob/abdomen has become really uncomfortable/painful now

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Exactly as I said mine did, after it appeared it gradually became very painful after a day or so, this is identical to my experience. YOu remember when we spoke yesterday I said to you that after a day or so the 'long cord thing' became painful ?! In my case it extended about 6 inches long from inside/under breast down abdomen.

Quote:

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I’m not trying to fob anyone off and I apologise if that’s how this has sounded.

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Pulisa said did you think I would 'fob you off' ?

You need to remember all the things I told you about on PM, the fact that this came quickly, the fact that its not a lump, nor is there one, the fact that its following the same pattern as my problem that was self-resolving, the facts I told you about how treatable breast cancers are anyway in nearly 98 percent of cases even IF you were ever diagnosed.

Given your situation with someone who died of bone cancer quite young, which is triggering you, it is even more important that you counteract the negative and apply logic more strongly. Really it is. Whatever this is (and you know I might not be right), the fact remains that no cancer appears this quickly and makes changes this quickly. YOu need to halt this spiralling, and you can do that with some serious effort and strong willpower, honestly. (oh and lay off bra-wearing !)

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Carys, I called the hospital yesterday and they said they’d contact me this week to set up an appointment.

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Thats good.

Really struggling today.

The cord thing is still there, I just want it gone.

I’ve got to wait another week for my appointment and I’m waking up every night from nightmares and I can’t stop crying. I feel like a burden on everyone I know and I’ve been through this so much now that I’m just struggling to cope. I’ve thought about ending it all, which is ironic since I’m terrified of dying. Maybe I’m just terrified of not being in control of my own life.

I feel so low and pathetic. Cancer came for my sister and now I feel like I’m waiting for it to come for me. It’s like a person I’m running from. I’m so tired.

You have no definite diagnosis, LJay. You just fear one in view of what tragically happened to your sister.

You're mentally exhausted from the fear and this is skewing your thinking and ability to be rational.

Do you think you would consider asking your GP for some low dose diazepam to tide you over until the appointment? If your anxiety is this bad?

I’m so sorry you are going through this..... it is truly terrifying. The condition Carys described - Mondor’s disease - sounds so likely.... and is something I have experienced myself. What I felt was a firm cord-like structure within my breast. It was hard and could not be compressed. The gp seemed unsure, so I was referred to the breast clinic, where they diagnosed Mondor’s. They told me it would eventually go away on its own, which it did over a number of months .....
hang in there xxx

Please try not to fear the worst and torment yourself? We can't diagnose you of course and it will seem like an endless wait for your appointment but it doesn't have to be a worst case scenario. Take control and take it an hour at a time? Don't allow the fear to take over when you have no diagnosis and haven't seen a breast expert yet? xx

LJay, its going to be ok, really. I know it feels like the end of the world in your mind right now, but it won't be.

Anyway, even if you were a person who walked in with stage 4 cancer (which YOU WON'T be as you'd have known about it progressively altering years ago with massive changes and symptoms !!!) there are treatments and many people carry on living with their treatments for many years. LJay, You only just found this thing, it wasn't there before, and you've checked and found nothing 'inside' of concern, so even IF there was a teeny bc inside - which you couldn't feel at this point - then that is entirely treatable in like 98-99 percent of cases. Breast Cancer is very treatable now, with such an array of modern procedures and targeted treatment. I'm not saying ANY of this to in any way give you the impression you have BC, I'm saying it because at this point you believe you do have it, and therefore trying to make clear to you that even your worst fear wouldn't be as catastrophic as you imagine.

You really need to work hard on this now, talking to yourself non-stop with the positives; 'nothing is coming to get you', and if it was 'coming to get you' this isn't a death sentence. You know my background, and there are people all around you in the street, your road, the supermarket, who will have been treated years and years ago, just getting on with their lives and you probably don't even know that they had a brush with BC.

The waiting is awful, terrifically awful, for appointments - there are women out there today also waiting for theirs, thousands around the country, you aren't alone, remember that. I wish I could wave a wand and make your appointment now, so the specialists could take a look and see what the cause of your symptoms are, but unfortunately its a really busy service and its tough on those waiting. Your sisters situation was tragic, but the deep effect it had on you is making you see things in a way that is so damaging. I know you can't help it, and I think Pulisa's suggestion to contact your GP again is a good one. You will be ok, just a few days to get through and then you'll be able to ask them all your questions and have a proper scan rather than you just feeling around.

If you are feeling as awful as you say, and the anxiety is out of control and you feel you are a risk to yourself, please ring the surgery or a mental health helpline, or Samaritans.

Thank you all so much for your replies. You’re all such strong, lovely people.
I’ve tried pushing everything to the back of my mind, have gone for some walks, fed the duckies in the local park. My appointment is next Tuesday. I’m trying to train my brain to think positively a bit more.

Last weekend was a real low point 😞 the cord thing is still there, it’s sometimes throbbing painfully and the pain seems to extend down my side. I’m sort of taking that as a sign that it’s healing itself.

I’ve also bought a sports bra and thrown out the tight ones I was wearing before.

Taking every day as it comes, it’s all any of us can do x

Any news LJay, as I think you've had your appointment ?

Hello Carys, how are you?
I’d meant to visit here yesterday after my appointment. It went well; while the cord thing is still there (but seems to be fading), the doctors said they couldn’t find anything concerning. I had an ultrasound on the area too.

I’m relieved, but feel my anxiety is what needs to be addressed. :( I can’t go through that every time I find something on my body I’m unsure of. Im considering going back on sertraline for a bit too.

Thank you so much for your lovely words of reassurance and for just being here to talk to. I can’t express how grateful I am x

Excellent, so it was Mondor's cording then, and will disappear in 4- 6 weeks. Had the doctor seen it before ? In your defence it is an odd thing and rather unusual, and I certainly can see why it would be alarming, but you are right of course - jumping to BC wasn't the right way to go. The logic of - it appearing quickly, and the 'evidence' of other people on the thread and the fact that you had the tight bra band and the fact it followed exactly the pattern expected of cording, and the fact that there were no breast changes should have been enough to reassure. It wasn't enough to reassure due to the HA, and yes, definitely time to work on it :) Thanks for updating, its always nice to hear the results on a thread and it will certainly help others who read this in the future.

Really pleased to hear this, LJay..