Scared

Hi , pleased you have found the forum , thought I would post so your question stays on the front page and someone com along to help . This is quite a lot of different symptoms , so you might not get someone with the same .........but you have done the right thing by getting investigated. Everyone on here will tell you the waiting is the worst, for investigation,then results , and ( if needed ) treatment . Try to stay off google , it is scary and out of date , use us or other sensible sites !!    There are lots of things that are not cancer , but you will soon know , and if it is , remember treatment is very good these days ,best wishes.  X

Hi, 

As Puzzler says...It's great you have found this site but we are sorry you are having such a worrying time. Unfortunately it will take a week or three before you get any definite information and this period of the ' unknown' is going to be one of the worst. You will discover that no two people have exactly the same symptoms but whether it is cancer or not, a discharge and pain is not normal for a breast so going to have it investigated at the breast clinic is certainly the correct next step. I am hoping your appointment is quite soon. I hope there is some simple cause but.........

If it is cancer, modern treatments mean that although it may be unpleasant, there is a high success rate. Cancer needs to be diagnosed to be treated and therefore, however worrying the thought of having cancer is.....the sooner it is found.....the sooner it can be dealt with.

Keep writing here......there will always be someone to support you, share your situation, listen to your concerns. 

It is four years since a mammogram found my cancer. The tumour was successfully removed. At the moment I don't have cancer.........We are fighting this awful disease and in so many cases, we are winning.

Take care and let us know how you get on at the breast clinic.

Love Karen

Hi Bumblebee

The waiting is the worst bit, not knowing and imagining the worst.

Youre on the road now to find out whatever this is,as others have said there are lots of symptoms of cancer and not cancer and we imagine we have the worst case scenario,just human nature.

Stay strong try and stay off google which is nearly impossible I know.

I personally have had the worst 8 weeks routine mammogram found a worrying area,it was cancer so had my mastectomy two weeks ago, as I’d already had cancer in the same breast.That was a shock and I honestly thought I was going mad.Just waiting for my node results which seem to be taking forever,then I know exactly where I am.

its a waiting game as results take ages to come through then appointments to be attended.

Everything crossed for you that it’s nothing.

Take care of yourself

So sorry that you are going through this but glad you've found this community where you will find lots of help and support.  As others have said the wait is one of the worst parts of this but please don't resort to Google, it's too general.

I've been on this roller coaster since the beginning of March and I started with a feeling of discomfort at first which was followed by a discharge but mine was bloody.  Still both my doctor and then the consultant I saw were saying that it was more than likely to be nothing, in fact they said it was 70% likely to be nothing at all. Unfortunately I fell into the 30% but that doesn't me you will too and there are lots of other things it could be.

The important thing here is to get it looked at, and if necessary dealt with and the technology to do this successfully is brilliant.  Believe me, if it is cancer you'll want to get it dealt with quickly and if it's not you'll be relieved but it sounds like you still need to get it fixed as it is causing you pain.

Mine is now gone and was confined to my breast, today I go to meet my chemo consultant to see what my next steps are to make sure that it stays gone.  I'm afraid it is a scary journey but everyone you meet along the way will be lovely and will take great care of you.

Take one step at a time, be kind to yourself and try to find nice normal things to do to take your mind off the issue knowing that you are doing the right thing by getting in checked out.

Hi everyone, 

Thank you for your replies I really feel a sense of perspective listening to you. I'm so sorry you've all had to go through the treatments that you have. You're all very right in that it is more easily treated than a lot of other cancers. And the system here is fantastic with a one stop shop so I know that I will have answers quite quickly one way or the other. As we all know, the waiting really is the worst, I just want to know so I can prepare myself for whatever treatment I need! 

My pain is not as bad today so that is also helping calm me down, I'm back to thinking it is hormone related and probably a blocked duct, I am still worried but I was panicking yesterday and if I'm honest feeling sorry for myself but what will that solve in the end!! I was worried too about the pain of a mammogram as I had one years ago and found it sore anyway and I didn't have pain then so maybe by the time I get my mammogram it will have gone (and I can put it to the back of my head for a while) 

Today I will be keeping busy so I don't Google (even though I already have a thousand times..... Despite knowing better)

I'm still concerned as I know something is not right with my breast but I do appreciate you all taking the time out to reply to me as it has helped me realise I'm getting ahead of myself and need to think more positively....... I'll probably have another few meltdowns along the way but for today I feel at ease 

Thank you xxx

Hi , 

So sorry you are going through the terrible and scary waiting time, it is horrendous. I found waiting for results actually worse than being given the diagnosis.

We are all different and there are many different types are breast cancer, there are also many different symptoms. Hopefully this is something other than breast cancer.

Some ppl gets lots of symptoms but it turns out it’s not cancerous, I didn’t have any symptoms other than a lump but it turned out to be invasive lobular carcinoma, So you just can’t go off symptoms. 

Wishing you all the best, let us know how you get on. 

Gentle hugs x

Hi , sorry you're going through such a worrying time. As others on here have said, the waiting is hell. No one likes uncertainty and when there's the possibility of cancer it's hard to not think of worst case scenarios. Unfortunately, until you have your test results, no-one can tell you with any certainty what you're dealing with.

I have had fibrocystic changes to my breasts for many, many years which make them sore all the time (and very, very sore in the run up to my period). I also had a very large lump in my breast that terrified me when it grew 15 years ago - when it was checked out, it turned out to be benign.

Fast forward to last year I noticed a small discharge from my nipple and occasional soreness to the nipple. In February I was diagnosed with DCIS which was surgically removed in March. It's now June and I am cancer free and healing nicely. What I'm trying to say is, both times I had symptoms that could have been cancer: first time I was fine, second I was less lucky, so it's impossible to second guess these things.

The most important thing is you're having it looked into and cancer professionals are amazing. Treatments are tough but they are effective. Yes, I was unlucky this year and it was tough and traumatic and the uncertainty was stressful, but, it passed, the treatment I received was excellent and I came through it. 

Try to take one day at a time (oh, and be kind to yourself: pamper yourself, eat great food, do the things you enjoy the most - you're going through a stressful time, take care of yourself)

Big hugs, Naid xx

Hey ladies, 

Thanks for all the encouragement. I called the hospital today to see when I would be seen and was told I have been marked as "routine" and so will not be seen for several months. This is the second time in two weeks my gp has sent a referral marked as urgent and both times it has been changed to routine by the consultant at the clinic. 

I'm very upset as no one I know has ever had to wait so long once referred to the breast clinic. My parents have kindly offered to pay for me to be seen privately but I don't want to put them out because of something minor and me being silly. 

I feel a bit deflated and not looking forward to a long wait but I suppose I should take comfort in the fact that the consultants do not see the symptoms as in need of urgent attention. The pain in my breast is easing, I had some pain and heaviness in my arm earlier and a few shooting pains iny armpit but as the discharge is not bloody and I have no lump I guess I'm not urgent so I will wait.

Just wanted to update (and moan) as I'm sure you all know how I feel this evening.

Thanks xxx

I thought that they had government guidelines to see you within two weeks?

I was relaxed about finding a lump in February as I had a  routine mammogram  three weeks later. Two weeks later (five weeks on) I had an ultrasound and another mammogram  I was told almost certainly cancer. A week later saw a surgeon (six weeks) who couldn't operate for 2-3 weeks,  but I felt it was urgent and burst into tears. My initial sturgeon then booked me onto her colleagues list ther following week,  and he agreed to clear his list as they were non- cancer breast ops. In the two weeks between my ultrasound and surgery ther tumour grew 4mm and was 2mm from my chest wall.  Another week and it would have been on it/ no clear margins. 

If I were you (I say this in retrospect!) I'd go to A&E, tell them about your symptoms and the pain, and see if they will get you seen in their breast clinic that way  stressing you were referred urgently and can't wait months as you're scared and it hurts.....

Thank you London and I am so sorry to hear how quickly it spread for you, I hope you are well on the road to recovery now, I actually read that thinking I don't know how anyone copes with this sort of thing when I'm panicking at the mere thought of it but here you are actually living it!

If I were you I'd be giving me the same advice but I have absolutely no pain today (again I'm inserting emojis and I don't know how I did it or how to delete them sorry) I've had some feelings of tingling in my nipple, some almost stretching or twinges to the side of my breast but I can honestly say I have no pain.

My step father spoke to my husband today when I was at work and said that he wants to pay for me to go private as he cannot handle the worry and this has made me feel awful so I will price private on Monday and hope it isn't too much because I don't want them paying too much but equally I don't want them worrying.

The women on this board are an absolute tribute to all thsat is good with the world. You are going through some of the darkest times of your lives and yet you still find the time and energy to support and encourage women like me, who have potentially nothing wrong with them......thst takes real character to do!!! Your advice is invaluable xxxxx