Occipital neuralgia (maybe)?
I was just recently diagnosed with IDC (grade 3 breast mass, also found in lymph node biopsy grade 2). I see a surgeon in two days.
Over the past 3 weeks or so, I've had an on-and-off sharp, stabbing pain up the back right side of my head. It started while I was getting over a head cold, which was a slow process… lymph nodes didn't seem to be draining well, or maybe I'm hyper-conscious of them now.
Lymph nodes pressing on the occipital nerve might possibly explain the headache though. I will mention it to the surgeon, at the risk of being fobbed off. It could be something else as well, I know.
Just feeling like more of a hypochondriac these days. And the headache pain is real. I never know when it will flare up.
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Hi @doodler , You should definitely mention the neuralgia and headaches to the surgeon. If he thinks it is unrelated to the bc see your GP about it.
You are not being a hypochondriac. When I was diagnosed with bc I ended up with at least a dozen other problems, some caused by the cancer and its treatment and some seemingly unrelated. At my one year checkup the breast surgeon likened me to a car whose warranty had just expired and everything was malfunctioning. I think much of it was the result of the stress cancer puts on your immune system.
Three years out I still see four of the eight specialists I was referred to but things are under control. This situation was a surprise for me since I hadn't had to take a sick day from work in over 30 years.
Don't ignore any aspects of your health. I hope the headaches clear up on their own or with medical help.
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Hello @doodler. Ouch!! I’m so sorry you’re having to deal with headaches on top of everything! Truly the last thing you need. I hope you find relief soon. I would definitely mention it. Hopefully it’s completely unrelated!!
At a recent appointment with my plastic surgeon’s assistant, she asked if I’m having any pain … they ask it every time … and I asked if they want to only know about pain in my breast or are they referring to anywhere in my body? She emphatically said any pain, anywhere! Good to know. I think we hesitate to look like crazy hypochondriacs if we say too much but it makes sense that they need an accurate picture of our health as they try to treat us. I’m pretty sure your surgeon will want to know what all your current medical concerns are and your family history too. Is it a breast surgeon or plastic surgeon you are meeting with?
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Hi @needs.a.nap - it was a breast surgeon that I met with today. I'll have a lot of scans coming up (breast MRI, CT) and that will include a scan of my head now, as I raised the headache.
And beyond all the scans, the surgeon is going to connect me with a medical oncologist. Things are moving along for staging and the hormone analysis. More answers on the way in the coming weeks.
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Hi @doodler. I’m so glad your surgeon is covering all bases!!!
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