Hello, i would like to speak to anyone about IBC and their symptoms and how it was found.
I am a little bit concerned about my terrilbly itcy breast , most people keep telling me it is nothing to worry about, but i need to be 100% certain.
I had grade 3 breast cancer last year, it had spread out of the milk duct into the surround area, triple negative, tumour taken out, lymph nodes clear, 3 months chemo and 20 sessions of radiotherapy, finished all treatment October 2011.
In Dec my breast started to really, really itch, it became hot, red, swollen but strangely enough i also got a couple of itchy patches elsewhere on my body. My g.p. diagnosed thrush of the breast which came back negative. Saw a second g.p, who said my breast must have an infection as it was so hot and angry, and i had a10 days course of antibiotics. Still i was itching. This g.p. also said the reason i had a couple more itchy patches on my body was because my body was reacting to the infection in my breast? But here i am ten weeks on and my breast still itches like mad, it is still swollen but not so red and angry, but often is pink. I am ripping at the skin on my breast, and mean ripping, i have actually got bruises over my boob now. But apart from the breast, my nipple is very very itchy. I am making myself so sore from all this itching and am in so much discomfort, i dont sleep at night because for some reason it itches nearly all night. I feel totally exhausted with all this. The dr has given me steroid cream, menthol cream and two other creams to help with the itching, but none work. The g.p. also started me off with 1 antihistamine a day, and i am now on 8 a day, and still no relief at all, but if i take the 8 antihistamines a day, i can't stay awake and cant go to work, which means i dont get paid, and i have got behind on all my bills and am now facing the fact i could lose my home. There is nothing to see on my breast, no sores, crusting, no orange peel effect, but my God i cant leave myself alone with this itching. I have seen the radiotherapy oncologist who says this itching is not to do with the radiotherapy?
I made an appointment and went to see the consultant who diagnosed my breast cancer, and she sent me for a mammogram, which they said was all clear, and then they did an ultra sound, and they said the breast showed swelling and fluid?? I dont go back to see the consultant until the 22nd Feb, but she did say they may do a skin biopsy.
I am worried im making mountains out of molehills, but, they all told me last year there was nothing wrong with my breast, even the onco who examined my breast said there was no lumps etc etc and then they tell me i have this aggressive cancer? So i need answers.
I would be interested to know how you guys first found your symptoms, and what you did and how you got diagnosed.
My nan died aged 50 with Breast cancer, ( I am 47) my mum and both her 2 sisters all died of lung and bone cancer, aged 52, 53, and 59 the whole of the 2 generations above me have all been wiped out with cancer.
I did have a meeting with a geneologist at the hospital, (not sure what you call him,) and he did say that he felt my mum and her sisters may have had breast cancer to begin with, as all their cancers were secondary's but none of them lived long enough to find out where the 1st cancer had started, my poor mum was diagnosed and lived for just 12 weeks, bless her. So you can all understand why i want my itchy breast looked into properly. I have been told by a cancer advisor that i need to insist on a MRI, as often IBC can be missed on a mammogram but will show up on a MRI, and also this advisor had a 4 inch tumour that did not show up on a mammogram, but immediately showed up on an MRI. But trying to get the NHS to fund an MRI is like trying to get blood out of a stone.
The other parts on my body that were itching have all died down, but my breast is still going strong so to speak, and it is honestly driving me insane, i cant begin to tell you how itchy it is. I dont know if this is relevant, but i also get a feeling of hot needles digging in the outer side of my breast, most uncomfortable. One more thing i have noticed, and i don't know if this is just me panicking now, but there is an area of skin, that looks very very slightly different to the rest of my breast, it is only a small area i.e. 1inch by 2inch, i would not say it is the orange peel effect, but maybe a very fine pitted effect. I really don't know how to explain it.
Im so sorry to go on, but i am so confused. I don't feel well in myself, and i have the inner feeling that something is wrong with me, but i just dont know what? I went out shopping Saturday, in the car, and i walked round a few shops and had to go back and sit in the car as i just did not feel well, felt like i so badly just needed to sit down as i was so weak?
Please reply.
Many thanks indeed for your time and patience.
Honey
