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Thread: Odd Shape to Breast

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2021
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    53

    Odd Shape to Breast

    Hello all!

    I’ve been having breast cancer anxiety lately after finding an indentation on the curvature of my right breast located at the underside towards the bottom. It is more noticeable when I raise my arms and completely doesn’t exist if my arm is lowered. I do have quite the loose skin, stretch marks, and cellulite in this breast that is noticeable. I have quite large breast size 40DDD. So I have developed all these stretch marks and cellulite and loose ness because of this. It’s odd because when I raise my arm you can see it, but when I pull on the indentation it goes away, also when I squeeze the indentation it literally looks more defined like cellulite or stretch-mark. Basically it’s easily manipulated. There are no lumps felt in this area, the area feels soft like a pillow. I had a manual breast exam in May. An ultrasound of my armpit area in June. Both were fine.

    Obviously, my concern is that when you google indentations in breast everything comes up as a warning sign of breast cancer. The only time I get different opinions is when I’m reading forums of others experiences. So I’m trying to be as rational and deliberate on my own. I’m trying to think that if this worst case scenario, and it is breast cancer from what I’m reading, women who have presented with dimples almost always had an earlier stage, almost like this is a very subtle early sign. I also can’t feel any lumps and if it were to have spread by now the ultrasound I had in my armpit lymph nodes in June would’ve demonstrated that. Again, this is my brain trying to rationalize.

    I am 30 years old, only history of breast cancer in family is my grandmother on maternal side who was diagnosed at 73 and not likely to be genetic. Her cancer was caught in stage 1, low grade, ductal carcinoma, estrogen positive, her2 negative. She had a lumpectomy and radiation for two weeks. Takes hormone therapy pills I believe to stop the estrogen. Currently in remission for a year and a half.

    Has anyone had anything similar, what was your outcome?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2021
    Posts
    53

    Re: Odd Shape to Breast

    So I’ve been trying to leave my breasts alone, I’ve gone down from multiple times a day to only once in the morning and then at night. But I noticed I was having some tenderness pain in the same breast with the indent. The pain is felt in the sternum, armpit, and even shoulder blade area. Felt like a sore muscle strain which I get after I workout/lift. But it’s been over two weeks since I last worked out, so I was confused. I also just ended my period so maybe that could’ve been it. I decided to feel around the area that felt tender to touch and it was my nipple area. Which is nowhere near the dents on my under fold of my breast. I found some hardish lumps there, some more prominent than others. I was pressing quite firmly under the aerola area. This is where I feel them and they are very tender. I’m assuming this is what is causing me discomfort. They feel more ridge like. So I can’t really tell if they move or not. I can feel these same textures on my abdomen from time to time that gets sore when I press on them. Except there is a couple spots that feel more prominently hard and tender on my right breast that are concerning to me. My left breast doesn’t have as much of these prominent ridges, maybe slightly but not tender. My left breast also has more fat on it though so maybe I can’t feel them easily.

    at this point, im just going to make a doctors appointment next week to get them manually checked and ask for a referral for imaging.

    in the meantime, my mind is really all over the place. Partly in denial and living life and partly not wanting to get out of bed with fear.

    anyone have any similar experience or can provide some rational thinking for me about my situation? I’ve always been an indecisive thinker. So it’s hard for me to stick on one thought and be calm before I’m thinking of another scenario ��

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
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    24,667

    Re: Odd Shape to Breast

    Frankly, this is a case of HA self checking behavior and hyper-focusing on a normal bodily anomaly. Get checked if you feel you need to do so but I know what the result will be.

    FMP
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  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2021
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    53

    Re: Odd Shape to Breast

    Yes I’m aware of the self checking behavior, it’s so bad to the point where Its compulsive like. Like I forget that what I felt two seconds ago, i have to constantly check to see if it’s what I was thinking before. Hard to explain, but im beginning to think I’m very compulsive in nature. I’m like this with everything actually. Even when I’m cleaning.

    I know though that i have been having breast tenderness, the lumpiness is there, and the dents are there. I just need to see a doctor to see if what it is and go from there. Because I honestly have no idea. maybe I’m not really aware of my normal body things like you said.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Posts
    49

    Re: Odd Shape to Breast

    I know how you feel! I've been obsessing over my breasts all week for one reason or another and convinced myself I have cancer. I think the more attention we pay it the worse it gets though. I'm with you on the compulsive checking too. I panicked before that I found a small lump but I was really pressing on my breast and my cycle is due next week. Maybe you're having cycle changes that cause it?

    Sorry I'm not much help, but you're not alone in this anxiety. I keep trying to distract myself

  6. #6
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    Mar 2021
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    53

    Re: Odd Shape to Breast

    Quote Originally Posted by worriedmuch View Post
    I know how you feel! I've been obsessing over my breasts all week for one reason or another and convinced myself I have cancer. I think the more attention we pay it the worse it gets though. I'm with you on the compulsive checking too. I panicked before that I found a small lump but I was really pressing on my breast and my cycle is due next week. Maybe you're having cycle changes that cause it?

    Sorry I'm not much help, but you're not alone in this anxiety. I keep trying to distract myself
    Hello!

    I have tried to stop checking all day today because my breast has become tender and I need to see if it’s my poking or something else that’s going on. My nipple is so sensitive right now because I’ve messed around that area way too much. When it gets stimulated I feel the sensitivity more.

    I had my mother feel my breast for comparison and she tells me she gets the same types of lumpy feeling too. Mind you, now I feel it all the time, but I also had to press firmly to feel it at first. It actually feels more like ropes/cord like than an actual lump and it’s firm. But if I press down on the firm spot it feels like thick tissue. It reminds me of ligaments or something that’s what I’m picturing in my head when I feel it. It’s hard to explain. And it’s too ambiguous for me to differentiate between something bad or not.

    as for the indent I have, I’m beginning to think it’s just because I have so many stretch marks and big breasts and they are hanging lower that when I lift the breast up, underneath has a bunch of things going on there. I have it on both sides and it’s more than one spot on each. So I doubt it’s something bad. I will still address it though.

    i just got off my period a week ago. But I’m supposed to be ovulating in a couple days so let’s see what kind of changes I get. I’m gonna wait till after that’s over before I make a doctors appointment to see what’s going on.

    I actually have the opposite type of health anxiety where I hate going to the doctors and fear it. So this will be a big step for me to address it.

    the distractions are a big thing for me! Today I actually did pretty well with that. But the moment I have a time myself the thoughts are strong I just tell myself over and over, that I will address it soon and to not worry in the meantime.

  7. #7
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    Mar 2021
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    53

    Re: Odd Shape to Breast

    So I made an appointment with my doctor for Sept 3rd. I’d be lying if I wasn’t nervous. The fact that I had to say out loud what the reason for the appointment, was triggering enough for me.

    meanwhile my professor has asked me to be his instructional assistant for this coming semester and a part of me is like this is perfect timing because it will distract my mind but also the HA is thinking what if my life changes in a couple weeks. I hate HA sometimes it’s like this dark cloud that doesn’t want me to be happy.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2021
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    53

    Re: Odd Shape to Breast

    So, I had my appointment today. I’m not sure how I feel with it. There was some good and some areas of concern left for me. Let me explain.

    So I explained to her what I was noticing on my breast, including the indent and lumpy texture I was feeling. She proceeded to have me lay back down on the table and have my arms raised over my head. On exam, she didn’t see or feel anything of concern. I then mentioned to her that I found this indent when I was standing and looking straight forward in the mirror and then asked if I could show her what I was seeing the way that I saw it myself. She then basically said there was no reason to because I can see them fine here. I personally can’t see the indent if I’m laying down, so I really wanted her to see what I saw in the way it presented to me, am I wrong for wanting to ask this? It wasn’t what she said so much as to how she said it and it felt like she completely disregarded me in that moment. So I’m already feeling uneasy about her advice after this point. The level of trust was out the window because I felt disregarded. Everything seemed very textbook answer in my opinion and not really listening to my concerns.

    I then dropped the health anxiety bomb in hopes that she would maybe send me for a referral because I wasn’t getting one at this point as she felt there was no need to. But this backfired on me, and honestly this may be the best thing because now she wants to work on my anxiety and agreed to meet me for reassurance only if I do my end. Which, fine, I agree. But a red flag went up when she basically told me that from now on every doctor I see I have to mention I have health anxiety because in her words if I don’t they will “dismiss that and focus on something else” whatever that means. I translated that as don’t go seeing other doctors because they may tell you something else than what I’m saying and they need to know it’s only anxiety before examining you. I cried to her because I’m also just having a bad personal day in general. She was comforting and agreed that I do have high levels of anxiety, she did a questionnaire thing with me in the office and then asked if I wanted medication and I told her no, I’d rather take care of this naturally. She said that’s totally fine. But to be open to medication if possible (I think because the fact that my pulse was 140 in the office combined with my mental breakdown I had) but would never force me to. I don’t think I want to. I’ve heard bad things about medications in the way that it makes people feel crappy. Idk I just don’t want to do that route. We did agree that I should start CBT, it is my homework to find one that will take my insurance. And she wants me to have one session before I see her in a month again.

    Anyway, I honestly don’t know how I feel. I feel like I still want to advocate for my health and see someone that will at least let me show them how I saw what I saw. This doctor is new to me and someone I don’t see regularly as I changed to MediCal. Which in my opinion, I don’t think have the best doctors. I used to have an amazing doctor while on my parents insurance with Sutterhealth. That ended a while ago, and she was the best. Considering paying for an office visit with her if I have to.

    My mother told me that planned parenthood has free imaging with the county. Where I could look into getting a mammogram for free through that. That’s also a possibility. We will see in that one.


    Just, I want to know what anyone here would advise me to do. What would you guys do in my shoes? Genuinely, looking for advise.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
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    49

    Re: Odd Shape to Breast

    Glad you got seen! Hopefully it's nothing to worry about. I have the same problem still and I avoid doctors. Could it be your bra causing the indent? I keep checking my breasts constantly and I only notice the dent when I lean forward with my arms down. If I pull my arms back it disappears completely, so thinking it might be the excess fat on that side. Going to try getting a better fitting bra.

    Good luck if you get an imaging! Hope it's all ok

  10. #10
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    Mar 2021
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    Re: Odd Shape to Breast

    Quote Originally Posted by worriedmuch View Post
    Glad you got seen! Hopefully it's nothing to worry about. I have the same problem still and I avoid doctors. Could it be your bra causing the indent? I keep checking my breasts constantly and I only notice the dent when I lean forward with my arms down. If I pull my arms back it disappears completely, so thinking it might be the excess fat on that side. Going to try getting a better fitting bra.

    Good luck if you get an imaging! Hope it's all ok
    From what I’m noticing it seems to be stretch marks combined with fat distribution and loose skin that when I raise my arms can see it more defined. But I am able to stretch out the skin and it disappears. So it’s real odd to me. I’m still not 100% satisfied with my last doctors visit as she didn’t let me show her what I saw the way I saw it. So I’m in the process of setting up another appointment with another doctor to see what they say, and hopefully they let me show them myself. I will obviously state this first hand when I’m seen. Rather than letting the doctor carry on with the exam before. Which is where I messed up. In the meantime, I don’t feel any lumps and now I know what my normal is, so from now on I can check monthly and go from there.

    You should set up an appointment, just to have some peace of mind. But I understand how hard it is. I am the same way, I have the type of health anxiety where I avoid doctors.

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