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Breast Pain: I'm worried breast cancer may be back

Posted by mar1950 @mar1950, Nov 22, 2023

Hi My Name is Mary, I am 73.
I had breast cancer about 5 years ago I had cemo-which was bad, I did not do the radiation , or take the pills , I was told they got it so I ran with that and opted out of the other I have my yearly mammogram: it's always been good this last one in June of this year said they seen no sign of cancer, BUT I have been having a lot of pain off and on for about 6 months the letter they sent me said if you have pain or changes tell your doctor well I did and he thought I had an infection so he put me on antibiotics, [it just gave me a bladder infection] I feel nothing no lumps no changes in my breast just the pain sometimes it's bad, most of the time its just lets me know its there. I have been reading everything I can find hoping praying it's not cancer, I go back to the hospital the 12 of Dec and they are going to do a test I never heard of, it will tell them if something is there that the mammogram didn't find , has anyone else gone through something like this, I would love it if you can say no worries Like all of you I don't want to go through this again Please write to me and share anything you know

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vicsmit | @vicsmit | Nov 23, 2023

Hi Mary, I would ask your oncologist to run lab work on a blood sample looking for your cancer marker (mine is CA-15). If elevated, request a Pet Scan. This is how I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer 5 years after initial BC diagnosis and treatment, I hope for a better outcome for you and that you get relief from this stress and anxiety!

REPLY
mar1950 | @mar1950 | Nov 23, 2023

At this moment I don't have an Oncologist, The one I had will not see me because I did not take the med's he said he can do nothing for me so I'm on my own my Doctor is the one who is having the test on the 12 of Dec I don't understand it but it is more in depth then just a normal Mammogram, I refuse to have these people tell me what I have to do, the meds he told me would cause osteoporosis , I told him I have arthritis, in my back in my arms and feet so I refused to take it. plus I also refused to have the burning done ..maybe I was wrong but I had gone through enough the cancer was gone and I was done...so now I have no oncologist and I have to deal with this on my one until they let me know if I have it again or not
Thank you for caring
Mary Moreland

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mar1950 | @mar1950 | Dec 13, 2023

HI....I wrote a while back but I cannot find it .
So I went and had another mammogram done yesterday , and was told nothing has changed since I had it done in June. they were supposed to do a different kind more in-depth scan but the Breast doctor said there was no need, my problem is I have been having breast pain for months; but I was told the pain was not coming from my breast.. I was treated like a child talked to like a child and I had to hold myself back from saying some very wrong words. I'm 73 and I have never had pain in my breast and I know it is coming from my breast; my doctor ordered those test and he was overruled he wanted a more indepth scan done but they said there was no need, so now I do not know what to think or do.. I admit I was happy when I was told I didn't have cancer ..but got very upset when they told me there was nothing wrong with me; pain is a sign something is wrong but I was told nothing is wrong and not to come back until next December ...I just needed to vent and ask if there is an underlined cause for the pain I HAVE in both my breast
Thank You
Mary

REPLY
4 replies
olg1 | @olg1 | Dec 13, 2023
In reply to @mar1950 "HI....I wrote a while back but I cannot find it . So I went and had..." + (show)
@mar1950

HI....I wrote a while back but I cannot find it .
So I went and had another mammogram done yesterday , and was told nothing has changed since I had it done in June. they were supposed to do a different kind more in-depth scan but the Breast doctor said there was no need, my problem is I have been having breast pain for months; but I was told the pain was not coming from my breast.. I was treated like a child talked to like a child and I had to hold myself back from saying some very wrong words. I'm 73 and I have never had pain in my breast and I know it is coming from my breast; my doctor ordered those test and he was overruled he wanted a more indepth scan done but they said there was no need, so now I do not know what to think or do.. I admit I was happy when I was told I didn't have cancer ..but got very upset when they told me there was nothing wrong with me; pain is a sign something is wrong but I was told nothing is wrong and not to come back until next December ...I just needed to vent and ask if there is an underlined cause for the pain I HAVE in both my breast
Thank You
Mary

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Stay vigilant. You know your body better than anyone else

REPLY
millard | @millard | Dec 14, 2023
In reply to @mar1950 "HI....I wrote a while back but I cannot find it . So I went and had..." + (show)
@mar1950

HI....I wrote a while back but I cannot find it .
So I went and had another mammogram done yesterday , and was told nothing has changed since I had it done in June. they were supposed to do a different kind more in-depth scan but the Breast doctor said there was no need, my problem is I have been having breast pain for months; but I was told the pain was not coming from my breast.. I was treated like a child talked to like a child and I had to hold myself back from saying some very wrong words. I'm 73 and I have never had pain in my breast and I know it is coming from my breast; my doctor ordered those test and he was overruled he wanted a more indepth scan done but they said there was no need, so now I do not know what to think or do.. I admit I was happy when I was told I didn't have cancer ..but got very upset when they told me there was nothing wrong with me; pain is a sign something is wrong but I was told nothing is wrong and not to come back until next December ...I just needed to vent and ask if there is an underlined cause for the pain I HAVE in both my breast
Thank You
Mary

Jump to this post

Unfortunately, we older adults get the bum rush and are talked to like that.
When I was much younger, I was treated much differently.
Also, since Covid, I feel everything has changed in the medical profession.
What do we do about it? I say stand your ground, as I am now standing my ground to get the care I am paying for. I am done with lectures and feel I don't have a brain.
Go back and get the care your doctor asked for.

REPLY
1 reply
anjalima | @anjalima | Dec 14, 2023
In reply to @mar1950 "HI....I wrote a while back but I cannot find it . So I went and had..." + (show)
@mar1950

HI....I wrote a while back but I cannot find it .
So I went and had another mammogram done yesterday , and was told nothing has changed since I had it done in June. they were supposed to do a different kind more in-depth scan but the Breast doctor said there was no need, my problem is I have been having breast pain for months; but I was told the pain was not coming from my breast.. I was treated like a child talked to like a child and I had to hold myself back from saying some very wrong words. I'm 73 and I have never had pain in my breast and I know it is coming from my breast; my doctor ordered those test and he was overruled he wanted a more indepth scan done but they said there was no need, so now I do not know what to think or do.. I admit I was happy when I was told I didn't have cancer ..but got very upset when they told me there was nothing wrong with me; pain is a sign something is wrong but I was told nothing is wrong and not to come back until next December ...I just needed to vent and ask if there is an underlined cause for the pain I HAVE in both my breast
Thank You
Mary

Jump to this post

Persist until you find the reason. I had a symptom ( not pain but an areola depigmentation ) and was given a mammo and ultrasound and was told “ normal”! I persisted until an MRI was done… BAM! 2 sizeable tumors in symptomatic breast.

Ask your primary for a breast MRI .

If your doc can’t get further tests approved… show up at an ER … they are likely to go the extra mile .

REPLY
mar1950 | @mar1950 | Dec 14, 2023
In reply to @millard "Unfortunately, we older adults get the bum rush and are talked to like that. When I..." + (show)
@millard

Unfortunately, we older adults get the bum rush and are talked to like that.
When I was much younger, I was treated much differently.
Also, since Covid, I feel everything has changed in the medical profession.
What do we do about it? I say stand your ground, as I am now standing my ground to get the care I am paying for. I am done with lectures and feel I don't have a brain.
Go back and get the care your doctor asked for.

Jump to this post

Thank you for your advice but my care doctor will not do it either , it has become a wait and see what happenings down the road.
Fibroglandular tissue has become the problem and there is nothing else can be done just take a aspirins for it if it hurts bad enough;
You are very right since covid nothing is the same. I do not understand it but hay I don't need to let the medical people tell me what's wrong and keep my mouth shut or lose my doctor.
I was told that in a much more careful way but that was the jest of it.
I have no where else to turn so I'm trusting in my God to keep me safe.
Thank you
Mary

REPLY
1 reply
Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Dec 16, 2023
In reply to @mar1950 "HI....I wrote a while back but I cannot find it . So I went and had..." + (show)
@mar1950

HI....I wrote a while back but I cannot find it .
So I went and had another mammogram done yesterday , and was told nothing has changed since I had it done in June. they were supposed to do a different kind more in-depth scan but the Breast doctor said there was no need, my problem is I have been having breast pain for months; but I was told the pain was not coming from my breast.. I was treated like a child talked to like a child and I had to hold myself back from saying some very wrong words. I'm 73 and I have never had pain in my breast and I know it is coming from my breast; my doctor ordered those test and he was overruled he wanted a more indepth scan done but they said there was no need, so now I do not know what to think or do.. I admit I was happy when I was told I didn't have cancer ..but got very upset when they told me there was nothing wrong with me; pain is a sign something is wrong but I was told nothing is wrong and not to come back until next December ...I just needed to vent and ask if there is an underlined cause for the pain I HAVE in both my breast
Thank You
Mary

Jump to this post

Hi Mary,
I merged your 2 discussions together so that your story is in one place. You can always find your past posts by clicking your profile. To find your profile, click the person icon in the top corner of any page on the website.

Find more useful tips in the Help Center: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/help-center/

How are you doing today?

REPLY
gardenfairy | @gardenfairy | Dec 16, 2023

Hi Mary. Have you considered a 2nd opinion regarding your breast cancer history, the symptoms you are having now, and follow-up plan. I've had multiple surgeries and 2 recent bilateral biopsies. I'm on Medicare and I submitted a request through my primary nurse practitioner (and it was approved) for a 2nd opinion with a female general surgeon in our town who now does only breast cancer surgeries. Trust in our doctor is an important aspect of our health so perhaps 2nd opinion is something to advocate for. Sending you peace.

REPLY
lesleesjourney2024 | @lesleesjourney2024 | Dec 16, 2023
In reply to @mar1950 "Thank you for your advice but my care doctor will not do it either , it..." + (show)
@mar1950

Thank you for your advice but my care doctor will not do it either , it has become a wait and see what happenings down the road.
Fibroglandular tissue has become the problem and there is nothing else can be done just take a aspirins for it if it hurts bad enough;
You are very right since covid nothing is the same. I do not understand it but hay I don't need to let the medical people tell me what's wrong and keep my mouth shut or lose my doctor.
I was told that in a much more careful way but that was the jest of it.
I have no where else to turn so I'm trusting in my God to keep me safe.
Thank you
Mary

Jump to this post

Mary I would call a new doctor at a cancer research center and just explain your treatment before and your concerns now. Do not banter about the other docs you just need a new doctor environment with a caring heart and kindness . Do not sit and wait that will not save you . Only you can save yourself and you know your body. I was diagnosed with ALH and I am going to have that special MRI where you lay on your stomach this Wednesday at Mayo Scottsdale so I can get a baseline and see where I am at. That is what you need go for it you deserve to be pain and cancer free and happy.

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