Swollen lymph nodes below collarbone
Doing the waiting game again. 3 yrs ago I found 3 masses, all came back benign but one area did have microcalcifications. And they wanted to watch it in 6 more months. At 6 months, I went to a breast clinic, and right from the start they made it clear that I was "too young, and wasn't at risk". I was 34 with a history of family BC and dense breast. They told me to come back when I'm 40.
Then covid hit.
And now at 37, I found a new lump on the same side. After some research...im pretty certain it's not actually a lump, but 2 swollen lymph nodes right next to eachother right at my pectoral muscle(interpectoral nodes). They are exactly where all the diagrams show. And one feels like a ball, and the bigger on feels slightly more oval, but definitely both swollen. Other "odd thing's" that have been going in the last 2 months are:
My armpit is also swollen, though I can't pin point any swollen nodes in there. But definitely noticable when comparing to the otherside.
Constant nausea for the last 6 weeks with no appitite.
Shoulder and upper back pain on the same side(with no shoulder injury).
Extreme fatigue. Like sleep 10-13 hours at night and still need to do a 2 hour nap halfway through the day.
And I had all of these before I found the lump, so I know my brain isn't making them up. Haha
I have an ultrasound and diagnostic appointment next Tuesday...so im just doing the waiting game again. I'm mostly irritated that if the 2nd dr. Hadn't told me to come back when I was 40...then maybe I would have caught this earlier(if it is infact cancer in the lymph nodes)
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SSC I am hoping that you get clarification quickly on what is going on. Obviously with the swollen nodes and fatigue your body is fighting something and maybe just maybe it is a regular old infection process of some type. Or an extreme reaction to a case of Covid if you contracted that. I will say a little prayer for you.
I also experienced the "age discrimination" about being too young to be imaged etc when I found a mass at age 30. Yes, I wound up fitting the profile of being too young to get cancer (yet), but I found doctors that were willing to continue to monitor me. My cancer at age 54 was still hard to catch via standard imaging so it really is a crap shoot on finding things if you have extremely dense breast tissue. Please keep us updated on how things go. ((Hugs))
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thanks for the positive thoughts!
I have yet to get Covid, and haven't been sick at all or had any injuries or infections(that I know about) recently. But...any of those would be better than what we suspect.
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ssc110907,
I suspect that the required "age" limit to get cancer is about as useful as not finding a way to get alcohol before the legal age of twenty-one.
I did have extreme for six months prior to my dx. I couldn't make it through the day without napping which was not a part of typical routine since youth.
I hope you get some answers on Tuesday. Hopefully, it will turn out benign. If you don't get answers continue pushing every six months for repeat checks. I always assumed a negative/birads 1 meant no cancer. That was an incorrect assumption.
Sending warm thoughts your way. I know it is a LONG weekend for you. Try to find something fun to do to keep you occupied. :-)
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ssc, I hate that you're being told you're "too young." Just because something is "highly unusual" doesn't mean it can't happen. I'm glad you're getting the US next week. I hope they can figure out what's going on. Keep us posted.
Carol
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just had my mammogram and ultrasound this morning. And I guess it's all good news. They did find a growing lump in the other breast that he assumes is a cyst. But when it came down to the palpable lump I went in for...he really had no answer for me. It's in a spot that the mammogram can't see. So he could only go based off the ultrasound. And when he was looking on the ultrasound, he was really grasping at straws. He was showing me an area directly under the skin that he thinks is the lump...but it was such a small spot he could only find it everyonce in awhile. He said it could just be some tissue mass right below the skin. And to come back in a year.
But I'm still having a hard time believing it's a random tissue mass he could hardly pin point on the ultrasound(wasn't even able to do measurements of it). When I can plainly see and feel two distinct masses. But what I feel isn't right under the skin..its deeper. They also said nothing about seeing the interpectoral lymphnodes (and being normal), as if they couldn't see them at all. Which I've read can't always be seen with mammogram and ultrasound. They also didn't even check my axillary lymph nodes in on that side at all, even with my armpit being swollen.
Am I missing something? Why wouldn't they check the axillary nodes, and is it possible to not see the interpectoral nodes because of their depth, and because he was only looking at right under the skin depth?
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ssc, it is good at least you feel okay. Your radiologist talked to you, I don't have any info what the suspicion is and how high it is, directly being ordered biopsy. It is good to hear that armpit is not checked, me too.
Waiting for your final benigh news. I am deeply depressed due to it.
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SSC who is directing your care at this point? Are you being seen by a breast specialist?
If you are told that you have dense breast tissue, a breast MRI might be the way to supplement imaging. Imaging is tricky in dense breast tissue. Some things show on Mammo, some on Ultrasound, and others only on MRI. I am unclear as to why with a palpable lump and swollen armpit, your axilla was not imaged by ultrasound. Time perhaps to be a pushy patient and if not to receive clarifying imaging in both breast and armpit to be told why not. You will have to be your own advocate here.
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ssc,
I don't recall getting an ultrasound (I've had a few) without the axilla included in imaging. My right and left axilla were imaged during the last ultrasound to compare the two. I agree with rah to get pushy. I know it is hard to ask during the procedure while you are lying there worried about what may get found. You could call back and request a re-do to request the axilla get checked and an MRI. Rah is right that you have to be your advocate. I have found you have to PUSH to get imaging done even if you have to request it more than once. Please don't feel like you are overdoing it when asking for more than you got. You know your body better than anyone.
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thanks everyone.
I'm currently just being seen by my primary care dr, who sent me over for the mammogram and ultrasound. But I'm actually going to make another appointment for some other concerns that have gotten much worse in the last 3 weeks. So maybe he will get me in for different imaging.
My shoulder pain(same side, and only about 5 inches away from the palpable mass) has increasingly gotten worse over the last 6 months. But over the last 3 weeks has become so much worse. And then I started having jaw pain about the same time(on the same side), and have just found a lump on my jawbone(maybe a swollen node?)
I'm still nauseous daily, and sooo fatigued. So I feel like there is SOMETHING going on I'm my body right now...even if it's not in the breast. But with the lack of LOOKING...im worried if they missed something in my breast, or auxiliary lymph nodes.
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I am brand new here and have two biopsies tomorrow. Experiencing similar situation as you, I have shoulder pain and some discomfort in my neck. The report says I have a 1.4 cm cluster of microcalcifications in one breast and a 5 mm area in the other breast. I’m 41 and worried.
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manders04- I'm sorry you are dealing with this too. 😔 How did your biopsies go? I'm sure you don't have the results back yet....more waiting.
I had my follow up appointment with my Primary Dr today. I mentioned to him that I was concerned with the ultrasound they did, but his response wasn't for a second opinion..it was to let him know if the lump get "oh shit" big! Hmmmmm.
I also talked to him about my other symptoms that have all started within the last 6 months.
-Continuous shoulder pain deep inside (with no injury)
-Ive dropped 15 pounds in 10 weeks...without trying. And I NEVER lose weight...only gain. Haha
-Nausea and loss of appitite (but still forcing myself to eat, so that's not where the weight loss is coming from)
-night sweats about 4-5 nights a week. (I'm 37, so it SHOULDNT be from menopause)
-extreme fatigue...I can barely stay awake during the day, even after 12 hours of sleep and a 2 hour mid day nap. I'm on my second nap already today.
- aching pain in my collar bone and mid to upper spine. (Not constant, but often enough for me to notice)
After we talked about ALL of these other symptoms, he excused himself for about 10 minutes to consult with another Dr. And when he came back in, he said he wanted to start with some basic bloodwork(cbc, metabolic panel,thyroid, sed rate) to see where that lands us. And that "you don't have anything, until we know you have something". And to not stress. And then got me in with an Ortho. To have a look at my shoulder and do imaging of it.
So...maybe between the shoulder imaging and the blood work, ill hopefully get an answer. But I still can't shake it that they very well all could be connected to the breast lump.
So far my cbc has come back with everything in Nirmal range. And my sed rate was 20(which is the max of normal).
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Got all my blood work back, and everything is in normal range. A few things are at the very high end/max of normal..but still in range. ( calcium, protein, alkaline phosphates and anion gap)
So I should get a call from the Dr tomorrow to tell me that I'm nice and healthy, and not to worry about all those symptoms. Uhg.
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ssc, I'm sorry they are not finding any reasons for your symptoms! It's so frustrating. Let us know what your doc says.
Carol
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