Breast Pain/Swelling

@mjay I just thought I would check in with you. See how you were feeling. Have you had your scans yet? Did your address the sensitivity, and swellings issues? Did you get the mammogram or the U/S and MRI?

Hello Chris! Thanks for your concern. MRI came back benign last week..yay...although I still have the pain and discomfort. I have a mammogram this week, and I don't know how I'll get through that torture device! Hopefully all goes well and the pain is just a symptom of the poor scar healing and the disfigurement after surgery. I'll be discussing further with my doctor my options next week. Thanksgiving Blessings to you!

Oh, I just feel happy about this. Not that you have pain but that your test came back benign. Be sure to tell your mammo tech. that you are painful. Please let me know how you are doing, I am thinking about you. Happy thanksgiving to you!

Hi Chris! Thanks for sharing in my joy. I also had a mammogram today which was normal…not even a callback! Woohoo! Interestingly, my mammogram tech, who stated she’s been doing mammos for 22 years, said pain after lumpectomy and radiation is the norm and will probably last forever, which was the first time I’ve heard that. I then asked whether a mastectomy would have been different, and her response was any surgical procedure has its own issues, for which I was really grateful to hear as nobody has ever told me to expect ongoing pain. I can handle the physical pain, but it’s the emotional pain that it causes you to think the worst that is tough to take. Of course, I wouldn’t take any pain without getting checked, but it does give me some comfort to know I’m having a normal reaction and don’t have to fear a recurrence immediately. It will be a Happy Thanksgiving for me and my best wishes to you and all MayoConnect members for the same. ❤️

Yippee!

Not long ago after a recheck with the radiologist, I mentioned that the corner of my breast that was removed seemed to be filling in a little. She felt it and said it was fluid, which seems to be normal.

I will celebrate that victory!

So thankful everything is okay for you. I too have swelling, pain, redness after a month. Occasional pain in the breast bone.
Mine all started when I felt a large lump at the end of summer, which I was unsure as it felt part of my chest wall. My Mom died from Breast Cancer at 63 and our daughter was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer at 25 years old. I was scheduled for a Mammogram shortly after, and nothing showed up. I told the technician to feel and she confirmed it was a lump. Immediately, they scheduled an Ultrasound and the doctor said it looked like a small lump, a few mm's. I said that's weird because I am feeling something a lot larger. He scheduled me for an urgent biopsy. The doctor told me he was seeing a lump more like 1" in size and 2 lymph nodes looked suspicious. I said (2nd time) that's weird because I feel something a lot larger. The doctor asked me to show him the size with my fingers which I did about 2 1/2". Nothing was said. The pathologist's report came back and confirmed it was cancer. The Oncologist surgeon said that she recommended a lumpectomy rather than a mastectomy so that I could keep the "girls" and that it was a slow-moving cancer. I had the surgery about a month ago and just met with the surgeon. It turns out, they removed 29lymph nodes and a lump that was 3 1/2". and they were unable to get clear margins. I asked the doctor how it could be 3 1/2" and spread to 2 lymph nodes if it was slow moving. She said we think you have had it for 5-6 years. I was in such shock, the doctor said they would like to do a mastecomy asap and left, I just couldn't even think of what to ask next. When I got into the car, I had a major anxiety attack. I went from "a walk in the park" to the possibility (I am thinking) of a double mastectomy. I called the nurse with my questions, and she apologized and said that surgery had been postponed, and they would like me to meet with the oncologist to discuss treatment first.
My questions now are how deep was the lump, is the chest wall infected, and what the possibilities are that the cancer can travel to other breast and organs. Never once was I offered an MRI. So many thoughts are going through my brain right now. Am I on the right track? I am a realist - I want to know everything upfront so that I can make informed decisions and not be blindsided.

mitch3194 | @mitch3194

Wow, what an ordeal. When I was reading, I was also wondering why a MRI was never done.
See the oncologist to discuss total treatment plan is a good idea before seeing surgeon.

Not sure where you are being seen, but you may want to look at getting a 2nd opinion at another clinic.

Laurie

Thank you - for your support and feedback.