Does Breast Cancer Hurt - honest truth from bc patients
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Mine was tender, which is what prompted me to move it aside while sleeping on it, which is how I found it. Since chemo, it hurts and tingles quite a bit. I hope that's the #$%^$ cancer cells dying horrible deaths.
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Mine didn't hurt at all before diagnosis. But when I had a mammogram after finding a lump, the pain was excruciating to the point that my eyes watered. I told the tech, and her response was, "that doesn't hurt." Really? I had a very large tumor, and I was 38 when I was diagnosed - had never had a mammo before, so I didn't really know what to expect. The mammo on my healthy breast was uncomfortable but not painful.
Sure sounds like sometimes breast tumors hurt and sometimes they don't. Which isn't surprising, considering the countless variables.
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TLM1, Veggy (good to see you over here), SuzyBlue, KLeeR, Ann, BlueCowgirl - wow, thank you for adding your experiences.
I loved the story about the urgent scans. Pretty much how it goes. Then it is 'lettuce weight and sea' like BlueCowgirl's sig. Worse yet, the truth can mean life and death, but the care taken on those scans is not always up to par, especially the ultrasounds. There are fabulous techs and not so much.
The rash, TMK1, I got one after having two sets of mammograms about 3 months apart. Perhaps that? Seems some of us are more sensitive than others to the mammos. I also wondered if, now being sensitive, then your bra is also irritating you, the material or something. I had a rash and stinging, itching, sunburn-like feeling. I ended up using cottonballs in my bra, it helped. Something soft, organic, non abrasive. Just ideas, use what you can. And yes, it could be IBC (inflammatory) but so far tests are in your favor. Chin up, we know it's had to be your own avocate when they are telling you all is well and you just fdon't know yet.
From what I hear the cancer cells dying horrible #*^@!*# deaths can itch, sting, feel like lightning shooting through. Let's hope so.
Comment on the mammogram hurting where the mass was. Mine did too, I told her to go lightly, the GP also had called ahead because I was concerned they could 'pop' it if it was not a cancer mass, like if an infection or infected duct. Truthfully, didn't tell them, but I was also afraid they could leak out more cancer cells from a cancerous mass, if that was what it was. Am not saying this could happen, but that I am cautious of most things. Though I know now where bc tests and surgery are concerned, I was not cautious enough.
So yes, during the mammogram, even with the light-er touch from the tech, that pressing was excruciating.
Does breast cancer hurt? is a question that ends up answered on the other thread, "Breast Cancer Symptoms: A comprehensive list by bc patients" where half who share mention pain. Please take some time to go there and add to the list, we need you.
LOVEEssa
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Bump
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Bump
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Scared and uninsured here and need a shoulder from someone that understands. My daughter had premature twins 9 weeks ago and I stayed at the Ronald McDonald house with her while they were in the hospital (almost 4 wks). When my daughter would pump for the babies I would distract her other children by reading to them. After about 2 weeks my left breast just all of a sudden got very swollen and painful with red streaks. I thought somehow I was having some kind of sympathy for my daughter or been around too many breast feeding mothers and had somehow got mastitis. So I looked up home remedies and put cabbage in my bra for 4 days 'and it helped', the pain went away. Two weeks later I found a lump in my right breast just under skin in the areole. Though the lump does not hurt, I sometimes get very sharp stinging pains in both breast. The pain does not last long, but is definately painful enough to make me stop whatever I am doing till it passes. First symptom 7 weeks now, stinging and lump about 5 weeks.
About 2 weeks ago my daughter told me she had a lump too. Hers is located in similar area to mine and a little smaller, but she has had no pain at all. Since she has insurance plus since pregnancy has temp medicaid to supplement it, I told her to go to the dr and if they said it was nothing I would get a little peace of mind about mine too. Well she went to dr today. She called me in tears upon leaving the dr and said that the dr asked her if she had any pain, when she replied no she was told that she needed to go to her ob/gyn and get another exam and probably a mammogram and that this dr was concerned.
I never ever ever want either of my 2 daughters have cancer of any kind or for that matter, I never want them to be sick in any form. That being said now my daughter is mad at me. When she called me the first words she said was "Well you should be fine because you have pain, but the dr is worried about me". After 5 wks of my daughter saying Mom I'm sure it's nothing probably a clogged duct and dismissing my fears of course now I am really scared. I'm scared for her and myself. Unfortunately I tried to explain my symptoms to her and she just dismissed me again. And now she refuses to even talked to me, because I told her at least she has insurance and can get help. My husband and I make just enough money to get by, but not enough to provide me with his company insurance. And now it seems everyone I call for help tells me we make about $100 or so a month to much to get help. Where do I go from here? Right now I just want to sit in my house and say I quit and not even try to fight this battle.
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Twodigit67 - please go to the top of this page and click "Forum, Not Diagnosed but Worried" which will take you to a new page to "START A NEW POST". You are new to this site, and unsure how all this works. So please start a new post so your questions can be seen and answered by people who can help you.
Your post could get semi-lost here and there are so many people who know the answers to your questions about uninsured needing care. HUGS TO YOU!!!
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Thank you Denise I did start another. Yesterday was such a draining day, I was exhausted. Therefore I did not feel like retyping it and just finally figured out how to copy/paste it.
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Twodigit67, I would have copy-pasted too. One thing you will know about breast cancer is the anger. I can relate to that from your daughter (DD) and if not what she is mad about, it would have been something. Mothers are the easiest to kick when you need a soccer ball, right? It will pass, we can only hope, but the stress is so hard. For both of you to go through this at once will never be easy. There is also a thread for insurance and medicare and such, so read more there. Good luck to you, stop and let us know. And please know you are welcome to edit your post if you like in case you want your DD to read here, because this thread might be the one you want to send your daughter to so she believes that yes, you too could have cancer because very often breast cancer does hurt. We just all hope it is something else. Hugs!
LOVEEssa
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Thank you everyone one here that has responded to me, it really does help. Have dr appt next Friday Oct 5th for my exam and my mammogram is supposed to be scheduled the same day. Hoping for the best.
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TwoDigit67, I had the same symptoms as you. I had a big red patch on my breast that got hot and I thought I had mastitis. Why would I at 43 with my kids in college? It went away on its own, but about a week later I found the lump in the same area. It must be your body's reaction to what is going on. I also had shooting pains but didn't understand what they were. I went to get the lump checked and was immediately sent for a diagnostic mammo. Praying for you!
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Shells have you gotten results yet?
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Twpdigit67 - you can see in her signature following her post that this started for her in 2010, I know, sinking feeling. You'll get used to all the details and lingo soon, just hope you don't find you need the support here - that you get a benign. But the first thing you need to learn is being your own advocate and never letting anyone tell you it is nothing when you are feeling it is something, until you are at ease, never give up.
LOVEEssa
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Thank you again bluebird I see it now, but yeah not sure about all the lingo, but catching on. Really kinda scary when you see someone had the same symptoms as you do. I try to tell myself maybe it is just caffiene or cyst or fibrosis, then you see someone with your exact same story and it is BC for them. I really did think somehow I had gotten mastitis from just being around to many breast feeding women while stay at Ronald McDonald house, but then the lump appear and I didn't know what to think. My daughter and I are again speaking and she is saying clog duct, which I hope is the case with her, but highly doubt since I haven't had a child in 25 yrs can't imagine that is what is going on with me. I do still hope it's nothing or even that and told her if that were the case, don't be surprised if I just pop her a good one for putting me through this. She laughed and said okay.
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I never felt a thing only found in my yearly mammagram.
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My daughter doesn't think I should even be on here, because she is determined my body is reacting sypathedically to her. She thinks it can't be cancer and that by me talking to others on here and seeing that others have to exact same story as mine and are diagnosed with BC it makes me think the worse. I tried to tell her I would rather be prepared for the worse and celebrate good results than think it's nothing and be devastated by back results. I have been told to stay off the computer!!!
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Twodigit67
You think a lot like I do. I too would rather be prepared for the worst, that makes any thing better that much better. However, there should be a limit to our imaginations....It is now 1 year since my diagnosis and I go in for my 2nd follow up with both the RO and MO this next month. Had surgery a year ago, Oct 14. The cancer I had was found with a routine mammogram, which I had been negilgent in getting. Glad my PCP nagged me into getting it done!!!!
Good luck to you as you wait for further 'news' . Keep us posted with updates....
Vickie
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When facing a possible dx for cancer, information is our friend. We cannot be our own advocate without the knowledge of what we are advocating. We also need to stay positive and realistic.
For instance, the question 'Does breast cancer hurt? And the answer is yes, sometimes, quite often actually, yes.....
Women and men who KNOW this will be stronger in advocating for themselves when they are told that it does not hurt. But here, by those who have experienced the pains, they know the truth. The articles oline and lists that relate to breast cancer hurting are far between.
I also propose that each time we read one of those articles, we respond with the truth as we have heard from our bco sisters and brothers. I know here on bco, the list does include pain.
Given that, the computer can swallow us whole. I struggled to stay in balance while researching. Books helped more. But bco helped most.
LOVEEssa
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Wow, this is exactly what's going on with me at the moment! I've already had 2 tumors removed, and both breasts showed signs of the tissue cells starting to change...and that I needed to watch it. Both tumors grew within 6 months of each other (and there were small masses still in the breast after the last surgery). Now I have the pain (like you describe) in one (on one side). It really hurts. My issue, I moved cross country, and have NO idea who to see for a doc. sigh
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baseball, you know how to find a doc~~go to the best hospital in the town and check their breast center!
call and ask! research on the internet is good but asking a new neighbor could work as well
or post on the boards...."looking for new MO in new ?town" folks here will come up with names!
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Here is a link to an article I just read, about a blood test that can detect bc..(you may need to copy/paste it in your address line...
vickie
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BUMP PLEASE
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oh wow, wouldn't it be great for a blood test to show early signs better than a mamo? feeling positive thinking about it
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Wow! Great News! Thank you, Vicks!
Excerpt:
"Blood test could spot breast cancer"
A simple blood test could provide a more effective way to test for early signs of breast cancer than using an X-ray to spot a lump, researchers have said.
Scientists hope the blood test will be more accurate than mammograms and will also be able to detect whether breast cancer patients are likely to relapse and what drugs their particular type of tumour will respond to.
A new clinical study is about to begin in the UK's largest breast screening clinic at Charing Cross hospital, west London. If successful, women could have a simple blood test every year rather than breast screening.
Researchers will compare the DNA markers in the blood of women with and without breast cancer.
Professor Charles Coombes, co-investigator and Cancer Research UK's breast cancer expert from Imperial College London, said: "When a woman has breast cancer we can tell by the DNA in their blood. But what we're trying to find out in our study is how early the signs of breast cancer show up in a blood test. So, by looking at blood samples of women who have breast cancer diagnosed through screening we can see if the cancer is already showing in their blood.
"Our research team is only looking at breast cancer but there are a number of other projects that are looking at using a blood test to detect other cancers such as bowel and lung."
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I am so unbelievably grateful for your post. I am a 28yo Hispanic-Caucasian female, post hysterectomy by 3 years. About two weeks ago I noticed an area of my left breast felt oddly bruised - a deep feeling bruise, like from within if that makes sense. Oddly, it's not exactly like a bruise because it doesn't hurt just when touched.
When the weather changed recently, it felt like needles only on that area. When I get chills, it's the same way.
I visited my GP (family doc) and asked him about it, telling him about the pain and was all but dismissed.
"Primarily, breast cancer doesn't hurt. And you're really too young to consider cancer. It's probably hormones. Like with your period."
"Umm.. I had a hysterectomy years ago."
"Oh. Yeah, that's right. Hmm. Well it's probably just a cyst."
After pushing and pushing, I have an ultrasound this coming Monday. I'm scared, but knowledge is power!!0 -
Jill, good for you. pushing for an answer, remember that in reality many of these things are just cysts and well, hoping yours is as well.
best of luck and my advise is always to stay busy the next few days, and some spa treatments will take your mind off of things. Get a pedi! and, take a hike! really, can not hurt and will help you mentally
let the folks here know your results as folks here, do worry~~
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Jill,
I agree!!! push for answers to your questions. If you don't get any satisfactory answer from one person, go to another.....I am almost 70 (come Feb) and have found, we sometimes have to be our own advocate. We have to stay on top of our treatments. After all, our mds are human too, and not infallible...
Good luck with the US. They are painless, and hopefully your mind will be put at ease. PLEASE let us know how it goes. We each care for each other, and know what the waiting for 'news' can do to our minds!!!!!
Vickie
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Anyone have a indention or dimppling? if so how bad was it?
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I found the little lump which was not the cancer, but the big one underneath....
One week prior, I noticed my nipple inverting and dimpling in my breast. Then when I found the lump, I just knew it was breast cancer. And it was.
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Thank you for making this thread. Thank you ladies for sharing your stories. I have been putting off going back to my doctor because of that stupid myth. I am going to be 45 soon, family history of both breast and OVCA. I was a BIRADS 4-5 back in March 2011. Did a biopsy on a 2 cm lump at 2o'clock and another odd shaped one at 1 o'clock. Found no cancer. Had a 3D mammo back in Feb. Surprised they did not do an ultra sound. Said the lumps have not grown, which is good. But now, it feels like the lump at 2 has a mind of its own. it feels like its growing! It's hard like a marble and squishy around it. It is also so tender that I find it hard to type, wear a bra for a long time, and cross my arms. If I apply pressure it hurts! Can the b9 lumps grow and become malignant? Also my breasts have itched like crazy! I thought it was due to our hot weather in Phoenix. Anyway, you all have inspired me to take this seriously. I made an appt to see my GYN on Monday morning. I am going to ask for an ultrasound this time! I am scared, but glad I read this thread.
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