Breast puckering

Hi knicnic , sorry you find yourself back here. But glad you have an appointment tomorrow so you can find out if there’s anything sinister going on. I hope you are here on a temporary pass and that it turns out to be something benign. Either way, the lovely community here will be with you. And it’s always a great place to vent! Sending love and a big virtual hug, HFxx

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. Thank you for the hug  I needed it xx 

Will be thinking of you tomorrow evening. Let us know how it goes. Xxxx

All the best today, great to act promptly and be mindful of last May’s clear scan.

It’s something I didn’t know until my last pre cancer clear mammogram in Dec 2020 aged 66! It had been delayed by the pandemic. The radiographer made a point of standing back and having me raise my arms. She said she was looking for dimpling or skin puckering. I had never had this done before.

In late Feb 2023 I had been having a bit of an early spring “ shape up”  and had included a few press ups to help my arms firm up. By pure chance after a shower I thought I’d have a look to see if my biceps were looking remotely toned and raised and flexed them and I noticed a small “dent” at the bottom of my right breast, imperceptible with arms relaxed. I really couldn’t feel anything I thought was a lump. Later that day a gp agreed that it could be normal variation in breast tissue but 8 days later at the one stop breast clinic after a mammogram, 3D mammogram of right breast and ultrasound scan the radiographer did say the small mass they were seeing was very concerning and treatment beyond removing it would begin to be determined by the results of the  biopsy he was about to take. Turned out to be aggressive and highly proliferative, measuring from scan and mammogram 1.2cm but surgery later showed it was extending 3.8 x 4.2 cm with 2 sentinel lymph nodes involved, one with extra-capsular spread. If I hadn’t happened to look when I did I don’t know when I’d have noticed it, but it was certainly one to catch while seemingly small..

Im so grateful that the gp receptionist said that day that they’d fit me in in the afternoon for someone to have a quick check, later that morning she phoned back to say that there’d been a cancellation of an actual appointment if I could come round for 45 mins time. 
Im getting through treatment on what they term a curative pathway and glad to be doing so.

All the best to you, you’re on to it, getting prompt check, and scan last May was clear!

xx

Thank you so much for replying and for sharing your journey so far. I really don’t think it’s well enough publicised about lifting arms to check and look. Had I known sooner I definitely would have got checked. 

Your drs sound like their proactive way really helped you get seen sooner which is amazing! 

I am so nervous for later and the more I check the area the more obvious I realise it is which of course further worries me. 

Thank you again for taking the time to reply xxx

All the best! I told my daughters and friends about how I noticed it. A year later it helped one of them score perfect marks in a practical exam where a scenario was described about a patient who hacome in concerned that they might have breast cancer and need a referral. She did a manual exam and then got the role player to stand back and raise arms while she looked from front and sides!
I had been having clear breast exams for years at my age and hadn’t ever had someone ask me to raise my arms while they looked at me. I’m so glad they did as I might have just thought “How droll!”
My dent was at “6 o’ clock” position and was only noticeable with arms raised and only just even then.

I do hope it’s fine, and it may well be, but you are in a strong position just getting to it early and without hesitation! xxx

That’s pretty much where mine is too, although quite significant and more like a flattened area. My appointment isn’t until 6:15 so a while to wait yet, my tummy is doing somersaults. 

Your new knowledge definitely helped your daughter and her friends and I bet it’s helped others too, there definitely needs to be more said about it to raise awareness.

Thank you again xxx

Really hope your appointment goes as well as possible, definitely thinking of you 

hugs xxx

Hi everyone, so I had my appointment with the breast doctor. She could see the area I was concerned about straight away and had a feel, she wasn’t concerned and said it was loss of volume in that breast and where the boob had loss fat. I used to be (many years ago) a 34E and now I’m a 34b so they’ve definitely shrunk over the years. 

She sent me for a mammogram instead of an ultrasound as there were no lumps to be felt. The mammogram showed nothing concerning. However the radiologist haf my previous mammogram up and mentioned my breasts were dense and it triggered my anxiety as I know things can be missed on mammograms in dense breasts. 

I challenged the specialist on this and she said they had my other mammograms to look at, nothing was felt to be concerning and that if she had felt a lump then a ultrasound would have been requested but I had a clean one anyway last year. She looked me in the eyes and said please do not worry, I have nothing to worry about. 

I guess you’ll still worry, but at least you’ve been reassured that your specialist feels all is well. My advice (for what it’s worth) is to try and put it away but take a photo of your concern first (if possible!) and then check yourself carefully each month from now, comparing that photo too. At least you’d then see if there are any changes. 

Hugs xxx