Breast Health Scare

[BritinSA]

Hi everyone,

I’m currently going through a really hard time and my until-recently well-controlled HA has started spiralling big time. I want to preface this by saying that my mother-in-law is currently dying of ovarian cancer, with days remaining with us. I’ve found it very difficult to spend time with her since she got home on hospice, which makes me feel guilty.

Anyway, a couple of months ago I had an abnormal finding on my annual smear and ended up having a transvaginal ultrasound which revealed fibroids and a 3.9cm ovarian cyst. When I went back to check in, it had grown to almost 5cm, and I’ll have another ultrasound on Nov 15th. Weirdly despite my situation I can rationalise that I am fortunate that they picked those up and watchful waiting is needed.

But, enter health anxiety. A couple of months ago I pulled a muscle in my chest picking up my now 4yo son. Saw my GP because the muscle was very tender and causing a burning pain into my right breast. Since then I have worried and fixated on that breast pain, to such an extent that I am convinced I have IBC or some other breast cancer. I had a normal breast exam last week and my GP offered a mammogram to help me feel reassurance, and I started on anxiety medication. I initially declined, but reached out later as I squeezed my nipple hard (no idea why) while checking it and a little yellow discharge came out. I immediately freaked out and now have a diagnostic mammogram tomorrow morning.

I feel like the burning pain is almost like a phantom let-down sensation, though I stopped nursing 16 months ago. Googling sent me down the worry road that that - combined with pain, and discharge - can all be signs of breast cancer. Does anyone have any experience of breast clinic mammograms, or these symptoms and a positive outcome? My doctor has been reassuring and I know she is trying to help me feel mentally better as well as physically, but I just feel so so panicked all the time. I’m barely sleeping and don’t feel present with my family because of worry.

I just want to feel normal again. I hate living with anxiety, and though I’ve taken the step to get back on meds, they aren’t working yet.

[Clare123]

Hi

I'm in a similar place as you right now with anxiety about IBC due to pain and itching in my breast so I really do feel for how you're feeling and how scary it is.

So I can't offer much by way of reassurance, other than to say that from what I've read, pain is very rarely a risk factor on its own, and I'm sure if any of us squeezed hard enough, there would be some discharge :-)

I've read many many posts about IBC on this forum and from what I've seen, none ended badly, so hopefully your scan will go well and you can move on from this shortly.