Ibc fear

[Smafraid]

The derm said it’s not ringworm. I asked her right after she said a name that meant tick.

[Carys]

So, you have a breast clinic appointment anyway, can you explain how that came about, what the PCP said ?

[Smafraid]

My pcp appointment is in a week. I wanted the rash checked immediately and my derm had an appointment open yesterday so I ran in for a quick check up just in case this was ringworm. With my sons disability applying cream and making sure he doesn’t touch it is impossible so I didn’t want to spread it just in case. She said interesting. That looks like a tick. And she said the exact name over and over. I repeatedly asked about if it could possible be ibc but she didn’t know much about it. She seemed pretty certain this was either something called pityriasis rosacea which apparently has a halo appearance or the tick. So she prescribed cream and told me to call her in a week. I guess she wants to rule out the pr before jumping to the conclusion of Lyme. Once I called my pc dr he was out in his other office but he called immediately and sent me a script for Lyme blood work. Since I have the rash on my breast and don’t see how I wouldn’t notice I was bit by a tick in a city where I stay in doors quite often I made an appointment with a breast specialist for ibc so that way if it is what I think I could get treatment early and have a fighting chance. I’ve read it very very aggressive and missed and misdiagnosed very very often. Since the derm admitted she was unfamiliar with ibc I didn’t trust her to rule it out.

[Smafraid]

I’m sure we can post photos here but it’s a red ring then lighter the a red center. It also have a few red spots around it that could be from the bandaid I pulled off a few days ago, my bra, or even just being a mom and carrying around a 70 lbs child all day. What’s very hard is that I’m a very very anxious person and I’ve always had aches and pains related to my anxiety. So trying to see if I have aches and pains associated to lyme now is difficult

[Carys]

Ah yeah, I've had pityriasis rosea, had it when I was in my 20s, I forgot about that possibility. It tends to occur on the trunk area and follows a viral infection of some sort. Ok, so your PCP hasn't actually seen you and it is you yourself made the breast specialist appointment and not that you were referred ? I've not heard of this type of visual change, that you are describing, in IBC. I am presuming that this condition you describe came on fairly quickly ? (No, we can't post photos here)

[Smafraid]

Yes it started as a red area and to be very honest with Covid and my kids always home I rush in and out of the shower and get changed without examining myself. I noticed the red area and within a few days it was this large red patch with a circle around it. It does look very much like a bullseye. I have a little pain in the area but I’m so hyper focused on it that I’m not taking that as a fact since I tend to get like that. I had been drinking too much during quarantine and less than a month ago was very afraid of liver issues so I stopped drinking entirely. It was around this time I saw my derm and she checked the veins I had and said no big deal it’s normal. And then my gyno said the same thing 6 months prior so I felt ok about that. Two doctors both saying the veins were ok. I had a red dot on the other boob which never grew and just kind of turned into a little shiny patch scar thing almost like dry skin would when you don’t treat it. The thing with pr is that that seems to have more of a halo look on the outside but this has a clear red line. Then white then red again. I’m so terrified of ibc. And of course because I spent so much time looking it up I can’t so much as look on Facebook without ten ads coming up saying “bug bite that turned out to be terminal cancer” or YouTube videos about mothers that had a rash and 3 doctors said it’s nothing and then they were gone in months of ibc. I got my kids to sleep last night and then came down and wrote each of them a letter about how sad I am I won’t be at important events in their lives

[Carys]

I noticed the red area and within a few days it was this large red patch with a circle around it.

IBC doesn't come on at that speed, you do realise that ? I know you are utterly convinced at this point, and spending all your time convincing yourself to be honest, and nothing much that I can say will make much difference to you. However, 2 doctors have said the veins are normal and now more doctors aren't concerned about IBC, and spending time checking for Lyme's instead. You really won't find an answer on google, ever, as you've found out it will bring up all the rare and bizarre illnesses and wrong diagnoses.

DO you have pet cats or dogs ?

[Smafraid]

Yes a dog. But he takes tick medicine which is why this is so weird and the most outdoor adventure I do is taking out the garbage or picking up an Amazon package. Something said ibc can spread super rapidly. I just keep telling myself I only have 1 symptom which is the rash but then so many people say oh that’s all I had and bam ibc. I’m not saying I’m praying for Lyme but at least there is treatment early. A few websites have a treatment plan for Lyme and every single one says treat the second yoh see the rash. I’m so afraid. I can’t thank you enough for constantly answering me. I’m a total mess. I’ve been like this my entire life so my family doesn’t take me seriously.

[Carys]

Tick medicine doesn't stop all ticks, and infact most ticks are now immune to standard medicines. Dogs can carry ticks in and then attach to you from your bed/furniture, anywhere. I know someone this happened to only last week.

You don't have all the IBC symptoms, infact none of them.

• Swelling (edema) of the skin of the breast
• Redness involving more than one-third of the breast
• Pitting or thickening of the skin of the breast so that it may look and feel like an orange peel
• A retracted or inverted nipple
• One breast looking larger than the other because of swelling
• One breast feeling warmer and heavier than the other
• A breast that may be tender, painful or itchy
• Swelling of the lymph nodes under the arms or near the collarbone

ANyway, as you say your Breast appointment will provide the definitive answers you are looking for. When is it ?

[Smafraid]

Tuesday. My mother really doesn’t even want to go with me because this isn’t the first time I’ve been certain of a fatal disease. I had a colonoscopy less than 1 year ago and the too was convinced. I also had that orange peel skin look in January which my doctor said was just large pores or hair follicles on my breasts (2 kids so large boobs but not nice ones) I really appreciate you helping so much through this with common sense and logic. When I get into this state I lose all common sense.