Potential Inflammatory Breast Cancer

Hi  

Sorry to read you have got no further with being seen at the breast clinic :(

How are you feeling this morning, does this look worse ?

High Five to the whoever it was that wanted to refer you - shame they took the advice of the idiot who seems to be in the wrong profession....

A&E may be worthwhile but they will have little experience of breast cancer yet alone inflammatory; they could get you ultrasound scanned but it is the clinic breast biopsies that will have the answers ? It would get the ball rolling and have you entered onto the system.

Another option would be to contact, or even better go to your local breast clinic yourself (are they open today ?)  Say you are extemely worried about this new finding, the breast pain and how long this has been going on for and the problems you have had getting referred. If they actually examine you it will be a step in the right direction but they may still not do any of this without that all important referral :(

It is time to be assertive, this is your body, you know it well and if you 'feel' something is just not right tell (don't ask) you NEED to be seen to get some answers....

Don't accept being fobbed off any longer, you have to get this sorted out for you own peace of mind.

Good luck, G n' J

Evening 

Thank you from the heart for taking the trouble to reply x

The red mark is still there but not erupted just yet.

Decided against going to A and E over weekend because our hospital are so stretched.  Hope to see a lady GP as soon as on Monday.

Coping quite well by doing what I can to distract myself with family demands. 

I too thought the registrar should have been listened to however I have it on good authority that our Hospital is rejecting GP referrals to Breast Clinic if it's only severe pain present. It's quite worrying not just for me but potentially hundreds of other patients across the Scottish Highlands. You cannot help but wonder if the consultant would have a change of heart if indeed it was themselves or close family members who were also experiencing severe breast/armpit pain.

I will update you on Monday if I am fortunate enough to see a GP then.

Xxxxx

Hi  

Strange and a bit worrying if they are adopting an 'only severe pain' policy considering over half of breast cancers are found where there is no pain as a symptom :-/   My wife had no other symptom than a nipple that was starting to invert and that led to over a year of treatments.

After 5 months of breast pain and being sent off doubting your instincts I would lay it on thick a bit and exagerate your issues just to try and ensure you get referred - and in answer to your other question.... they wouldn't have to wait if it was one of their family members as doctors can easily afford to go private and probably already have health insurance to cover this :(

Hope you get taken seriously this time, if needs be put them on the spot and ask how much longer they expect you to feel like this before they help you.

Best wishes, G n' J

Hi there

Thank you for your reply x

Think I must have presented what I was saying incorrectly.

A Consultant at Breast Clinic at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness has issued a directive that any man/woman presenting with severe pain only and no other symptoms ie., lumps, swelling etc be excluded from the clinic altogether to keep waiting list times down and our hospice Inverness ran out of money months ago so they are unfortunately stretched to their limits 

I don't know if said consultant has authority to do this and I would be interested to know what the BMC has to say about all of this.

If I don't get referral on Monday I will be contacting BMC to seek advice on how to progress this. I have never in my life had severe breast and armpit pain like this.

Ironically my husband has been n business 30 years and always faithfully paid his taxes. Then when we need help/assistance the most, it's not forthcoming. Sigh! X

Sorry, wretched predicted texts.......

Our hospital in Inverness ran out of funds months ago..........

His Folks 

Update. I attended my GP this morning and she was v thorough. She advised that red looking bite mark with yellow centre may be an infected hair folicle. Hah! That's a first. Think they were confusing me with my husband who does have a hairy chest.

She noted that I am incredibly tender in breast and armpits. Pain been getting progressively worse since November 2017.

By some miracle my own GP was present at clinic this morning and trainee GP went to consult with him over my case. He advised giving me Fusidic for skin infection and referral to Breast Clinic.

It was a huge relief to finally be taken seriously.

There is a tiny pea sized lump beneath the red mark - hoping it is just a cyst.

I  am a non smoker so hoping diagnosis is just some kind of infection.

GP said I should get appointment thro pretty soon. Just hope it's not a mammogram as I'm in too much pain.

Will update my post once I have been to clinic x

Hi  

About time common sense prevailed - pleased to read you got that all important referral at last :)

Now comes the probable mammogram, tell them your breast is very painful they can reduce the pressure applied a lot problems are not always picked up on a mammogram so you should also get an ultrasound scan which is the image used to locate anything suspicious and take biopsies from using a hollow needle.

You may get some info at the time but more commonly it takes 7-10 days of scanxiety for the biopsy results to come through.

Hope your appointment comes through soon (within the 2 week guidelines) and this isn't anything nasty.

Fingers crossed, G n' J

Hi sorry to hear you are going through all of this! I’ve been diagnosed with IBC back in January. Unfortunately, mammogram does not always show this type of cancer, so make sure they do a biopsy just to rule it out!

I am so sorry to hear about the unforgivable manner in which your obviously serious symptoms have been dismissed out of hand.

Sadly, you will have to undergo the mammograms, both before and during the biopsies.

You should be getting a plug Biopsy for your skin as well as a core Biopsy for your interim diagnosis.

Arm yourself with knowledge and your husband to act as backup.

I just hope your Breast Clinic gets on board asap.

My sister is being treated now for IBC, and she has been having agonising pain throughout her ordeal.

Got to run, 

Good luck!

Laura

Thank you from the heart for all of your replies x

I have found this site to be a quiet comfort. I am refraining from talking about my anxieties and potential diagnosis in front of my beautiful children so as not to stress them and disturb their childhood.

Just trying to fill my days with family activity until I get my scan. I have aleady enlisted the help of a close friend to attend the clinic when the time comes.

It's also good to know that there is a two week time frame in which to be seen, I only wish I had been referred back in November 2017 when pain first presented itself. At present pain is travelling down arms and into fingers. By end of each day I am riddled with pain. Taking a sleeping tablet and diazapam to get some sleep.

Will keep you all posted x