Currently in a terrible place with my HA, which came on last year after the death of a friend. I was doing ok for a few months and then my elderly mum got a diagnosis of kidney failure which has sent me straight back in to a spin with my HA (just for anyone who is triggered by this, my mum was very ill for many years and refused to see a doctor, very different from the aches and pains and careful monitoring exhibited on this forum).

I convinced myself I could feel a tiny breast lump a couple of months ago, the GP said it was tiny and not worth referring but she did as a matter of course. Had two ultrasounds and a mammo and everything came back clear. At my final appointment the specialist said she was satisfied but did I want a core needle biopsy to put my mind at rest (she didn’t know I had HA and that this would be red rag to a bull!!). So I said yes and she took a few samples. I had some bruising and left the dressing on for 24hr, all seemed ok but I didn’t really check the area much as I knew it was healing and I didn’t want to obsess.

I also had an inflamed hair follicle very near the area which was scanned and dismissed. Unfortunately about a week after my biopsy I gave it a good pick and squeeze as it was bugging me (one of many stupid decisions!). It got inflamed, bloody and pussy and I ended up having to leave it alone.

About a week after that I glanced down and noticed that I had a small crescent shaped raised red mark right where the biopsy was taken (the tissue, the puncture was to the left). In the space of two days it grew to the size of a cucumber slice, and was raised, red and bumpy, no itching or pain. GP said it didn’t look like anything much and to put a cold compress on it. I did so and took antihistamines in case it was an allergy. It cleared up to just a little bit of discolouration after a few days. I then leant on an electric blanket for about an hour the next evening and my breast got red and warm (obviously!). Lo and behold a 5p sized raised red patch turned up in the same place about 3hr later. I called the GP in tears the next day and got an appointment with the urgent care nurse, who said it just looked like a little fungal patch and gave me some Daktarin steroid cream. I put some on that evening but the patch spread again to cucumber slice size within 24hr.

I’ve now been using the Daktarin for five days and the raised bumps have gone down, but a darkish hue has been left behind where the rash once was. I’ve read about steroid pigmentation and also post-inflammation pigmentation but my mind is always convinced that of course it’s IBC, not anything else.

I’ve got a follow-up appointment at the breast clinic tomorrow and I’m absolutely beside myself with panic. All the scans and the biopsy were clear, and the rash is exactly where the biopsy was, but the biopsy was for the tiny lump. Would it have picked up IBC?? I know probably no one can answer this and maybe no one can give me any reassurance, but I’m just desperate to get all this out and this forum seems like the right place to do it.

Thanks if you made it this far!