Aa
How do you know you have an abscess? Do you do self-check or use the mammogram results?
Can someone answer this question: How do you know you have an abscess? Do you do self-check or use the mammogram results?
JoJo- My Thyroid test came back negative so I've continued to avoid soy products as much as I can which is very difficult since almost everything has soy including vitamins. There are a few multi-vitamins that do not have soy but you have to search hard. Also, Thanks for starting this forum!
To All - I've continued the American Heart ***. diet for sodium free diets, increased my fruit & veggie consumption by drinking smoothies almost everyday. I'm looking into the "Nutritarian Diet". It's basically just eating healthy by avoiding meats, fried foods, desserts, etc. Anyway, it's worth a shot in the dark. Does anyone want to join me in this effort to see if diet affects GM symptoms?
FYI - I'm 52 and I'm determined to "fight" this and I'm seeking control over this disease...I'm not going to let it overcome me by becoming depressed, etc.! To update some of you on my situation, I was diagnosed with IGM April 2010, had the excisional biopsy (left breast) in which the breast surgeon (who had never heard of IGM & dismissed me after the surgery....the jerk!) removed the IGM mass. I felt abandoned and that's when I found this forum which I'm eternally grateful for.
I finally found a doctor who was familiar with IGM! In a nutshell, since the IGM mass was removed I'm not on any meds., my new doctor (a female) wants to monitor my health every 6 months to do a sonogram and or mammogram, whatever. She told me to avoid soy and to not smoke (which I'm not a smoker). She said that if I came to her first she would not have done the surgery. Personally, I'm relieved that the mass was removed because that was when the second pathologist confirmed IGM. My new doctor said that she usually treats her IGM patients with prednisone and or other steriods and goes from there. Fortunately, I do have insurance but I do have co-payments that have been adding up and I guess I'll be paying for this the rest of my life.
Last Jan. '11 was my first IGM 6-month check up which consisted of a Breast MRI and a sonogram which was negative.
June 27th will be my second IGM 6-month check up. Now, my doctor ordered a "Diagnostic bilateral mammogram on the left breast". Then, I will get the results from my doctor after the mammogram. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
Mum 2206- I thought it was interesting that you mentioned irregular periods because, I have very, very irregular periods and I keep a personal journal on my cycle. Thanks for bringing it up because I will share this with my doctor to see if it could be related to the IGM. Also, I have not been on birth control for years. My mother died of breast cancer over 30 years ago and I remember her telling me that she always suspected that birth control pills plus environmental factors was the cause of her B.C.
Everyone- Thanks for sharing all your thoughts, and comments. It helps me to compose a list of questions I'm going to ask my doctor on Monday.
Again, I'm keeping my fingers crossed, too!
JoJo- My Thyroid test came back negative so I've continued to avoid soy products as much as I can which is very difficult since almost everything has soy including vitamins. There are a few multi-vitamins that do not have soy but you have to search hard. Also, Thanks for starting this forum!
To All - I've continued the American Heart ***. diet for sodium free diets, increased my fruit & veggie consumption by drinking smoothies almost everyday. I'm looking into the "Nutritarian Diet". It's basically just eating healthy by avoiding meats, fried foods, desserts, etc. Anyway, it's worth a shot in the dark. Does anyone want to join me in this effort to see if diet affects GM symptoms?
FYI - I'm 52 and I'm determined to "fight" this and I'm seeking control over this disease...I'm not going to let it overcome me by becoming depressed, etc.! To update some of you on my situation, I was diagnosed with IGM April 2010, had the excisional biopsy (left breast) in which the breast surgeon (who had never heard of IGM & dismissed me after the surgery....the jerk!) removed the IGM mass. I felt abandoned and that's when I found this forum which I'm eternally grateful for.
I finally found a doctor who was familiar with IGM! In a nutshell, since the IGM mass was removed I'm not on any meds., my new doctor (a female) wants to monitor my health every 6 months to do a sonogram and or mammogram, whatever. She told me to avoid soy and to not smoke (which I'm not a smoker). She said that if I came to her first she would not have done the surgery. Personally, I'm relieved that the mass was removed because that was when the second pathologist confirmed IGM. My new doctor said that she usually treats her IGM patients with prednisone and or other steriods and goes from there. Fortunately, I do have insurance but I do have co-payments that have been adding up and I guess I'll be paying for this the rest of my life.
Last Jan. '11 was my first IGM 6-month check up which consisted of a Breast MRI and a sonogram which was negative.
June 27th will be my second IGM 6-month check up. Now, my doctor ordered a "Diagnostic bilateral mammogram on the left breast". Then, I will get the results from my doctor after the mammogram. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
Mum 2206- I thought it was interesting that you mentioned irregular periods because, I have very, very irregular periods and I keep a personal journal on my cycle. Thanks for bringing it up because I will share this with my doctor to see if it could be related to the IGM. Also, I have not been on birth control for years. My mother died of breast cancer over 30 years ago and I remember her telling me that she always suspected that birth control pills plus environmental factors was the cause of her B.C.
Everyone- Thanks for sharing all your thoughts, and comments. It helps me to compose a list of questions I'm going to ask my doctor on Monday.
Again, I'm keeping my fingers crossed, too!
Hi Frankie:
I agree with you on the Soy - it acts as an artificial hormone in the body, and while some theorized that it was good for breast health (Japanese and other women with naturally high diets in Soy have less breast cancer, but they also eat foods with high Omega 369 levels, fish, etc. - so there is no definitive data I don't think), I think it is very important for those of us with active breasts to stay away from it- fibrocystic breast disease, IGM, etc.
I am quite interested in the comment that hispanic women have more incidence...I have seen some of these studies...personally I think it is just a matter of awareness of treating doctors to diagnose this disease as opposed to Inflammatory Breast Cancer, and some of these doctors may be in areas of high hispanic populations. I have also seen theories that IGM is more prevalent in third world countries and lower socio-economic groups. Frankly, I think that IGM has a much higher penetration in all women, in all countries but if they are not aware of it in a particular hospital, region or country, and not looking for it, they don't find it. But I could be wrong.
PLEASE tell your doctor about our forum, our sample of women from around the world and that we would love to be involved in any study....how can they ignore our sample? We must be the largest in the world.
Take care
Jo
I agree with you on the Soy - it acts as an artificial hormone in the body, and while some theorized that it was good for breast health (Japanese and other women with naturally high diets in Soy have less breast cancer, but they also eat foods with high Omega 369 levels, fish, etc. - so there is no definitive data I don't think), I think it is very important for those of us with active breasts to stay away from it- fibrocystic breast disease, IGM, etc.
I am quite interested in the comment that hispanic women have more incidence...I have seen some of these studies...personally I think it is just a matter of awareness of treating doctors to diagnose this disease as opposed to Inflammatory Breast Cancer, and some of these doctors may be in areas of high hispanic populations. I have also seen theories that IGM is more prevalent in third world countries and lower socio-economic groups. Frankly, I think that IGM has a much higher penetration in all women, in all countries but if they are not aware of it in a particular hospital, region or country, and not looking for it, they don't find it. But I could be wrong.
PLEASE tell your doctor about our forum, our sample of women from around the world and that we would love to be involved in any study....how can they ignore our sample? We must be the largest in the world.
Take care
Jo
Thanks for your comments. I thought I would just share the results of my 6 month visit with my doctor last Mon. The bilateral mammogram was negative for cancer....great news. I also learned that IGM does not show up in a mammogram. Overall my examination was good and I don't have any visible signs of IGM. So, maybe it's in remission or maybe I just had it one time.
But, I'll never forgot how painfull the IGM mass was last year before my surgery and how relieved I was when it was removed. Yes, I was scared because my mother died of breast cancer at 48 yrs. old and I've been the type that has always "ran" to my doctor every time I felt a lump which has been 3 times in my life time so far. All lumps were filled with fluid and were sore which makes me wonder if I had IGM all these years and never knew it. But, the last lump grew rapidly in a solid mass in a short amount of time which made me aware of what I'm eating might affect my breast health which was drinking too much soy milk supplements, hence I've omitted Soy Milk from my diet. From now on, I will continue to do self-examinations and omit Soy Milk and soy products from my diet. I encourage everyone to do the same.
My doctor has informed me that she and other doctors at the Dallas UT Southwestern Hospital are in the process of doing research on their IGM patients. Apparently, these doctors are networking with other nearby hospitals and finding that IGM is common in Hispanic women (which I'm half Hispanic). Sometime in the future, they hope to make a presentation of some sort to the Medical community about IGM.
In the meantime, JoJo, I'm going to take your advice and keep on reading more about IGM and just stay healthy. Thanks again and take care of yourself.
Frankie53
But, I'll never forgot how painfull the IGM mass was last year before my surgery and how relieved I was when it was removed. Yes, I was scared because my mother died of breast cancer at 48 yrs. old and I've been the type that has always "ran" to my doctor every time I felt a lump which has been 3 times in my life time so far. All lumps were filled with fluid and were sore which makes me wonder if I had IGM all these years and never knew it. But, the last lump grew rapidly in a solid mass in a short amount of time which made me aware of what I'm eating might affect my breast health which was drinking too much soy milk supplements, hence I've omitted Soy Milk from my diet. From now on, I will continue to do self-examinations and omit Soy Milk and soy products from my diet. I encourage everyone to do the same.
My doctor has informed me that she and other doctors at the Dallas UT Southwestern Hospital are in the process of doing research on their IGM patients. Apparently, these doctors are networking with other nearby hospitals and finding that IGM is common in Hispanic women (which I'm half Hispanic). Sometime in the future, they hope to make a presentation of some sort to the Medical community about IGM.
In the meantime, JoJo, I'm going to take your advice and keep on reading more about IGM and just stay healthy. Thanks again and take care of yourself.
Frankie53
Hi Frankie:
I am glad to hear that things have been relatively stable for you.
Abscesses generally hurt, and I will feel very tired and unwell when I have that level of inflammation going on. Generally I will start to notice a shadow or darkening area on the skin of my breast, and then the skin will seem to thin...pain becomes more and more intolerable and you know you have an abscess about to break through. It is not like a cyst, even though they can be painful...it may start out feeling like a cyst, but the inflammation is much more active and symptomatic.
On the other hand...I have solid masses in my breast which are 'inflammatory changes', they are not abscesses, although they are caused by the GM and these never seem to go away, whereas the abscesses do. They seem to move around and do other funky things. As Jennifer has noted, the best diagnostic tool for GM is ultrasound, mammograms may show inflammation, but generally I have them for cancer screening as I am considered high risk. Same with MRI.
Hormonal imbalances which may occur with birth control use, perimenopause ( I am assuming you are in this group), and menopause, as well as breast feeding and pregnancy have all been implicated in IGM...
Good luck with the diet, I think what you put in your body right now, and your stress levels and exercise and rest are the key to controlling inflammation.
I am so sorry to hear that you lost your Mom to a very similar disease, it must be very scary for you. But it seems that your GM may be in remission and hopefully that is the case and you can just get on with being healthy.
Jo
I am glad to hear that things have been relatively stable for you.
Abscesses generally hurt, and I will feel very tired and unwell when I have that level of inflammation going on. Generally I will start to notice a shadow or darkening area on the skin of my breast, and then the skin will seem to thin...pain becomes more and more intolerable and you know you have an abscess about to break through. It is not like a cyst, even though they can be painful...it may start out feeling like a cyst, but the inflammation is much more active and symptomatic.
On the other hand...I have solid masses in my breast which are 'inflammatory changes', they are not abscesses, although they are caused by the GM and these never seem to go away, whereas the abscesses do. They seem to move around and do other funky things. As Jennifer has noted, the best diagnostic tool for GM is ultrasound, mammograms may show inflammation, but generally I have them for cancer screening as I am considered high risk. Same with MRI.
Hormonal imbalances which may occur with birth control use, perimenopause ( I am assuming you are in this group), and menopause, as well as breast feeding and pregnancy have all been implicated in IGM...
Good luck with the diet, I think what you put in your body right now, and your stress levels and exercise and rest are the key to controlling inflammation.
I am so sorry to hear that you lost your Mom to a very similar disease, it must be very scary for you. But it seems that your GM may be in remission and hopefully that is the case and you can just get on with being healthy.
Jo
Lumps are kinda like having a loose tooth. Once you find it...You are feeling it all the time.
I get the lumps checked right away. I have only had a few. She found fluid in them (via ultrasound) and drained them under ultrasound guidance.
I get the lumps checked right away. I have only had a few. She found fluid in them (via ultrasound) and drained them under ultrasound guidance.
Hi Frankie,
Abscesses are different from the other GM lumps. Basically, an abscess is an accumulation of fluid, debris, pus-like material, and other gunk that builds up into a big pocket in your breast. It is kind of like a HUGE version of a blister (Mine have all been the sixe of a golf ball or larger). Your body tries to wall this off from the rest of your body, and then slowly pushes it out. Sometimes an abscess can start close to the surface, and sometimes it can start deep in your breast. Basically, it is like a walled off area filled with fluid. As it stretches and grows, it can be very painful. Over time, your body will push this to the surface. It will look like a huge blister. And then eventually, it will burst open and gush fluid everywhere. It is kind of scary and gross, but once you get used to it, it won't seem like such a big deal.
Abscesses can be seen on ultrasound. I don't think that they can be seen on mammogram (but I'm not completely sure about that). Anyway, you will know for sure when you have one - it will be very obvious and you won't necessarily need a diagnostic test to confirm it.
As far as diet, it will definitely make a difference in your symptoms if you eat a healthy diet. Some of the women here have tried the anti-inflammatory diet, and it seems to help. The American Heart Association diet might be a good place to start, as it is just a healthy, straight-forward diet that emphasizes fruit and vegetables. I would love to join you, but it is hard for me to commit to doing something like that - I run hot and cold with diets. I think you will definitely find it helpful, though.
I am curious to learn what your doctor is able to see on the mammogram, if you don't mind sharing when you find out. I haven't had very good luck with mammorgrams - because of my age, my breasts are too dense for mammogram to show very much.
I have very regular periods, so that isn't something that I have in common with you guys.
I DO think that birth control and environmental factors have been part of the cause of my disease.
If you have more questions, I would be glad to help. Good luck with your appointment this week.
Jennifer
Abscesses are different from the other GM lumps. Basically, an abscess is an accumulation of fluid, debris, pus-like material, and other gunk that builds up into a big pocket in your breast. It is kind of like a HUGE version of a blister (Mine have all been the sixe of a golf ball or larger). Your body tries to wall this off from the rest of your body, and then slowly pushes it out. Sometimes an abscess can start close to the surface, and sometimes it can start deep in your breast. Basically, it is like a walled off area filled with fluid. As it stretches and grows, it can be very painful. Over time, your body will push this to the surface. It will look like a huge blister. And then eventually, it will burst open and gush fluid everywhere. It is kind of scary and gross, but once you get used to it, it won't seem like such a big deal.
Abscesses can be seen on ultrasound. I don't think that they can be seen on mammogram (but I'm not completely sure about that). Anyway, you will know for sure when you have one - it will be very obvious and you won't necessarily need a diagnostic test to confirm it.
As far as diet, it will definitely make a difference in your symptoms if you eat a healthy diet. Some of the women here have tried the anti-inflammatory diet, and it seems to help. The American Heart Association diet might be a good place to start, as it is just a healthy, straight-forward diet that emphasizes fruit and vegetables. I would love to join you, but it is hard for me to commit to doing something like that - I run hot and cold with diets. I think you will definitely find it helpful, though.
I am curious to learn what your doctor is able to see on the mammogram, if you don't mind sharing when you find out. I haven't had very good luck with mammorgrams - because of my age, my breasts are too dense for mammogram to show very much.
I have very regular periods, so that isn't something that I have in common with you guys.
I DO think that birth control and environmental factors have been part of the cause of my disease.
If you have more questions, I would be glad to help. Good luck with your appointment this week.
Jennifer
You must join this user group in order to participate in this discussion.
You are reading content posted in the granulomatous mastitis Group
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.
