Three Months of IBC Worry

[Angelica Schuyler]

Not much of a poster here but I lurk a lot. I'm hoping someone can talk some sense into me. I'm 33 years old and a cancer survivor - have been clean of Hodgkin's lymphoma for almost 20 years. Because of chest radiation, I am at a high risk for breast cancer. I am currently losing my mind.

In late September, I found a small lump in my left breast. I went to my gyno, who didn't think anything of it and scheduled me for a diagnostic mammogram/ultrasound two weeks later. As expected, everything came back fine, BIRADS 2. I was sent on my merry way.

Around the time of the mammo/ultrasound, I began experiencing reddish/purplish blotches on that same breast. They seemed to pop up when I was cold or seated and mostly fade after laying down. Of course, I panicked about inflammatory breast cancer and brought it up with my dermatologist at my annual skin exam in October. She did a punch biopsy which came back, as she put it, "completely benign." Since then, I've had two breast exams by my oncologist and my gyno, neither of whom found any problems with my breasts or surrounding lymph nodes. I don't have most of the big symptoms - redness isn't spreading, skin is often cold to the touch, no orange-peel skin or dimpling or inverted nipples.

Still, I'm afraid that my doctors may have missed something. To me, my left breast feels thicker and heavier than my right breast. I also get stabbing sensations and burning sensations at times and my left shoulder and ribs have been aching. I'm terrified that the wrong spot was biopsied and that I actually have IBC that has metastasized to my bones.

Am I crazy or should I be asking for a second opinion with the symptoms I have? I know IBC is notoriously difficult to diagnose. I'm due for my annual breast MRI soon, and I'm horrified by what they might find.

[Kiko22]

My left breast is half cup bigger then my right and it feels heavier and it is more painful at times. Had a lot of tests and it is all normal. An oncologist (she has seen lots of cancer) told me my left bigger breast is more glandular so it is normal for it to be more swallen and painful with hormones fluctuations... The joy of being a woman! You had lots of tests (by professionists) and nothing showed up... And I think IBC would make itself obvious in three months... So I think you're fine!

[BlueIris]

IBC is one of those things that terrifies me, too. However, everything I've read suggests that it tends to progress very quickly indeed.

Is there any chance your pain could be cyclical?

[Angelica Schuyler]

Thank you both for responding. I know I've gone over the edge with this worry, but I guess that's the name of the game with HA. Logically, I know the odds of something being seriously wrong are slim. Still, I'm terrified of that slim chance.

I don't think my pain is at all related to my cycle. It's always there. My fiancé thinks it's all muscular and that the heaviness and other sensations around my breast are actually being referred from the muscles causing the pain in my shoulder and ribs. It makes sense, but it's hard to tell exactly where the sensations are coming from, you know? The muscles are under the breast tissue.

[Kiko22]

I have this too!
I have a pinched nerve in my left scapula (thought I had Ms but that's a different story) and my boob and armpit hurt sometimes. My doctor told me the pain is due to the pinched nerve and not the breast... Again, the joy of being a woman!