Z shaped puckering one month after mammo

[Limeslime]

I know, it sucks. I guess as women we are bombarded with breast awareness campaigns, and made to believe certain symptoms are bad. Trying to unlearn that is hard.

If this were a subtle symptom I could do that, but this is honestly the scariest breast dimple ever…worse than anything I’ve seen online!

It looks just like the one on the “know your lemons” campaign, but with an additional diagonal crease shooting out from the middle of it too, forming an indented Y shape. And it’s so deep it distorts the contour of my boob quite dramatically.

And I’m not convinced the biopsy was taken in the right spot…because it’s about 1cm away from the dimple. And I know mammo and USS can miss certain cancers, especially in women with dense boobs.

I’m trying though. But my head is in a whizz.

[pulisa]

Don't fall into the trap of "knowing" more than the breast specialists. It's lethal with HA. Let the biopsy results do the talking and the best advice I can give you is to stop "researching" online. You won't find your own biopsy results on there. Let YOUR consultant decide what tests are best for YOU. I'm not surprised that you're in a tizz when you're trying to sort your own treatment out online. You can't know anything until you get your results. Waiting is hard especially when you know you are going on holiday and want to make the most of your time away..xx

[nomorepanic]

Hi

This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your thread was merged with another of your threads.

Please when posting on similar topics add it onto your previous post rather than starting a new one.

It is nothing personal it is just to make it easier for people to follow your story and to give you advice as a whole.

[Limeslime]

Thanks Pulisa. That’s exactly the kinda thing I need to hear!

[Limeslime]

UPDATE my holiday was awesome, and I totally recommend a get-away to anyone awaiting test results or scans, even though it feels like the last thing you’d wanna do, it really helps. My worries just melted away for a few days, like putting real life on hold!

Anyway, after arriving home I still had a further long 8 days to wait before my test results dropped onto my door mat.

Results say “biopsy showed fatty breast tissue with no worrying features which is reassuring. I would like to review you in my Clinic in 3 months”.

WHHHYYYYYYYY can’t I just get a definitive answer and be either discharged or treated!!! Another 3 months to wait, means it’ll have been a whole 6 months since I first was referred to the breast clinic. For someone with HA this is a very long time to try to keep fighting the dragon. I’m scared everyday, overthinking and sense of doom.
I can’t do this any longer.
I don’t know what to do 😩
This dimple is too extreme to be benign, and I needs definitive answer instead of more watching and waiting 😭

[Limeslime]

4 weeks to go til my follow up at breast clinic, and the indentation has grown by about half a centimetre.
So despite clear mammo, ultrasound and biopsy, my dimple is getting bigger.
Does anyone know a benign reason why this might happen? I’ve monitored this dimple several times a week for 3 months and it doesn’t generally change, so I don’t think this is to do with my cycle, and I haven’t lost or gained weight.
I’m so scared. 😭

[Limeslime]

I guess I kinda just write here as a diary now, maybe a little place to let my feelings out. I haven’t had any responses to my past few updates, which makes me wonder if my situation is too complex for reassurance. It’s scary.
My follow up is now 4 days away. My nerves these past few months have made me feel ill. I’m hoping to get closure this week, but in reality I can’t see how that’s possible. I can only imagine 3 outcomes.
A) another biopsy and more waiting
B) discharged back to care of GP, but I’ll still feel afraid
C) come back on another date for more tests. More waiting.

I dont like any of these possibilities. I just want this to be over.
I’m not even sure what to say to the consultant because I can’t be sure if my dimples have changed or stayed the same. They still look dramatic, but my anxiety is causing uncertainty about whether they’ve changed. I’m analysing them too deeply and loosing sight of what’s real. I find new things on them all the time, depending on lighting, body temperature, menstrual cycle etc. Then I can’t remember if things are new, or if they were there before but I just hadn’t noticed before. I’m just a confused mess.
I’m scared. My gut has been knotted since Christmas and I can’t take much more. This is cruel.
I have a huge dimple on the opposite breast too, which moves in a similar way (with chest movement) and is in a similar position on the breast, just ever so slightly higher. It is horizontal though, whereas the one on the breast that was biopsied is vertical. So the dimples have similarities but looks-wise are quite different. I’m not sure whether to take reassurance from this or not, but I’ll certainly be asking the doctor about it on Friday. I worry he may just biopsy that one too. I can’t take more waiting.
I think, in an ideal world, I’d like them to do another ultrasound scan of the dimples, on the day of my appointment. I think that’s the thing that would allow me to breath. But I’m pretty sure I’m at a clinic that doesn’t offer that. Sigh.

My other fear is the size and depth of these dimples. They’re so big, that if this *is* cancer, it must be a very big/late stage cancer.

I’ve had pain in my upper arm since November last year which could be bone mets (although admittedly I have noticed an improvement in the pain lately) and I have air hunger, like I can’t fill my lungs. This could be lung mets, or anxiety. Horrendous. I have 3 kids, and I can’t bare the idea that they might grow up without their mummy

[Violet Blue]

Hi there

You've been told recently it really doesn't look like cancer, so the fact they're seeing you again tells us they're just being ultra certain it's nothing. Focusing on that part of your body (or any part) only makes pains and niggles even more pronounced. It's great you have proved to yourself you can switch off from it on holiday, you'll just have to try and get into that mindset again.

As ever, easier said than done, but there's lots of positives here. Take care.

[Limeslime]

Thank you so much for your kind words Violet. My appointment is tomorrow. I’m gonna try to be kind to myself today and hopefully tomorrow will bring good news and closure to this whole sorry mess. It’s been a long 6 months since I was first referred and I’m so ready to close the door on this! Fingers crossed!

[Violet Blue]

Yes that's such a long time having that hanging over you, how relieved you'll be tomorrow! I had a call back letter after my first breast screening this March, so had one week of internal torture. It was basically nothing, which frankly they must have known even before the extra tests they made me have. We should feel really grateful they're so thorough really. Good luck tomorrow. X