Breast lump from bruise

[pushka]

3 weeks ago I believe I bumped my left breast on my bedroom door handle.  A few days later a large lump appeared with a faint yellow sheen on it.  Within days a massive bruise covered 2/3rd's of my breast..I take warfarin so am used to this occurring.  The bruise has all but gone now, but the lump is still there, still the same size and very prominent.

I went to the urgent care centre today, hoping they might be able to treat the lump immediately if it was found to be a Hematoma which needed draining or anything. The doc who examined me said that the lump was quite large for the kind of injury I described, thought I ought to have fallen over to get such a large lump, and said that it may just be a result of the trauma, but has recommended a Mammogram be taken asap.  He asked me to make an appt. with my doctor for tomorrow, so that the mammogram can be ordered.

Has anyone had similar circumstances?  I know that I was concerned that a lump may have been developing on another part of my left breast in the days before this one appeared, and that I can barely remember bumping my breast, so was unsure whether or not the lump/bruising was from an injury, but the bruise did take the typical route of all bruises as in colour changes, spreading due to gravity and use of warfarin etc.

[pushka]

Hi again..well I must admit that my mood is much better right now..it wasn't earlier but is now, lol.

My GP rang me back to discuss the changes to the lump..the yellowing and extra bruising in particular.  She said that the behaviour shows that the lump is most likely to be the Hematoma that I first thought it was.  She said not to cancel Monday's appt. as the specialist can confirm whether it is a Hematoma, but that she feels more hopeful than she was before.  Of course I jumped on this because it is what my gut had been telling me was the issue all along, and if it is that, then I'm really happy.  I'm only frustrated/annoyed that the medical staff to whom I first described the lump originally.. the original colour changes/bruising pattern, didn't then say to me that if it was a hematoma it might start to bruise again or something..I suspected that the extra bruising may have been a hematoma trying to go away/be reabsorbed, but nobody told me that this could occur in this way..if they had, I wouldn't have been as worried about the extra bruising as I have been.

The only real worry that I have/have had regarding the bruising is the fact that I'm on warfarin which makes you bleed more, and that I'm afraid if a hematoma is a blood clot, because with my heart condition the last thing I want to be nurturing is a blood clot!!

So, I'm much happier than I was yesterday, tho still a little concerned about what the hematoma actually is, and how its behaviour could be affected by my warfarin intake, and what effect it could have on my heart conditions..but I'm sure the clinic will reassure me on these matters and I've been in touch with the anti-coag clinic who didn't seem too concerned about it :)

Kat, thank you for all your helpful comments.  I really do appreciate them all.  You have voiced some of the concerns that I have been having myself, and it's good to know that somebody can empathise with those concerns.  Thanks for your comments about Fentanyl too, I think I've had depression for so long now..since I was 15 at least, that no matter what other medications may add to it, I just have to put up with it to an extent, so I will continue to take my chances with the patches as having the pain relief does relieve some of the depression too as it allows me to exercise, which is the main thing I've been wanting to do again for so long.

I'm really sorry to hear of the struggles you've had, and really hope that everything turns out well for you.  All the best, Michele x

[katarina777]

hi again, i hope you know that I do not think what you have is IBC; it's just a worry like you worry and I do not want any doctor to miss  a mere thought about all conditions that may not be mainstream. Zouzi knows about that one too.

Plus, you, as I, but in different ways, have other coexisting illnesses and that changes symptoms and the course of events as well.

The weakness was in my muscles, mostly legs. I also gained weight before diagnosis, quite a bit and mostly generalized swelling.

Then, just a bit of food for thought. I also took Fentanyl for a while when I had a condition that percocet did not control. The fentanyl was incredible, and i really think the painkilling effects healed my leg in itself. But, unlike something like oxycodone, the Fentanyl made me really depressed and I was so relieved to get off it; to the same extent as I was relieved to get on it because I needed this help so badly if only for a few weeks.  Katrin

[pushka]

Hi, thank you for your latest post Zouzi, it really is much appreciated and helpful :) x

[zouzi]

Hi again,
You are right! Sometimes when we don't know what's the problem with our health,we tend to let our mind take us very far! usually the wrong way.
The only thing I can suggest to you at this point is to try your best to relax and not to think too far ahead...Yes being well informed about all the possibilities is very important so you can mention all your worries to your doctor when you'll see him/her,but for now, don't let your mind take you places where it can make you so worried and depressed to the point of torturing yourself and lose your sleep over it!.
Soon enough you will know,until then don't think about the worst case scenario.. you'll only make yourself sick believe me.Keep busy as much as you can,go out,see friends and do the things you most like....the time will go by sooner than you think.
Be positive and optimistic in your thinking ...As I mentioned before,things could turn to be alright.
Please take care...

[pushka]

Hi,

Thanks for your replies.

Zouzi, I would love to find out that it wasn't IBC, or any BC for that matter..and yes, in the back of my mind, in spite of all worries, I keep reminding myself that there are plenty more benign causes of lumps than malignant ones, and that the 2 I had previously were both benign, so I try to stay hopeful.

I must admit that I was pretty convinced that there was no lump with IBC, and that as my breast isn't now bright red/pink and warm it couldn't be that at all, however I did read up today on a couple of cancer sites which mentioned the lump appearing suddenly after a few weeks, and that it would most likely be large as mine is, also when I had the first lot of bruising my breast was very red/pink and warm, but I put it down to the bruising, didn't associate it with IBC or anything.  I noticed today also, that it mentioned the breast itching, which is something mine has been doing the whole time, and again I didn't associate that with anything which is why I didn't even mention it in my initial post.  It also mentioned bruising that won't go away as being a symptom..and lots of others, some rarer than others.

So, it does appear that there are many symptoms associated with IBC, in addition to those mainly mentioned by professionals, and that lumps do occur at some stage, sometimes.  I really do hope that I'm just jumping on a set of symptoms and fitting them to my condition incorrectly, and I do know that I won't know anything for sure till the tests are done..but I do feel better at least being aware of what could be, whether that be IBC, some other BC or any other kind of condition or just nothing at all..then I won't be as shocked if it does turn out to be anything bad and I may be able to cope with the information that bit better.  Unfortunately, until I do know, and know if any treatment is required, I don't cope very well thinking something may be the matter..I've taken to my bed again today, unable to think about doing anything else except wait for the phone calls I had earlier, and to keep checking if the bruising has started spreading yet..I suffer from depression, unfortunately..but I've told one or two close relatives of the changes, not of any of my suspicions tho, I don't want to needlessly worry anyone, and they have told me to let them know if I need any support in the next few days.

Kat, your instincts were telling you correctly what was the matter once you saw the first signs..I'm glad that you were able to spot them when you did, and that you were taken seriously by the medical profession eventually..when you say you had muscle weakness, was that in your limbs and such?  I have arthritis and use Fentanyl patches for the pain..the arthritis is supposed to be just in my hips, and I have a problem with 2 vertebrae, but since Christmas or round about I have had terrible pains in my feet and ankles which do not respond to the patches..I had thought of going back to my doctor for more pain meds, but thought they may laugh at the 'my feet are aching all the time' symptoms, especially as I'm a little overweight..I was thinking maybe my arthritis was more widespread than I thought, I've had problems with my knee and one elbow too but for a longer time..but I did wonder whether some other kind of illness was causing the more widespread pain too..now you've got me thinking :(

Thank you so much for your suggestions.

[katarina777]

The image people have of IBC is the one told to us by professionals, and the pictures as well. This is good information, but understanding is very different from knowing your own cancer. And trust me,  I lived in an active relationship with my cancer in the same way you do when you are pregnant with your baby. It does not kick always, right, and surely not when you go for your check ups. so let me a little about it was for me, and unlike many of you I always knew that I would never in my life get cancer, never mind bcd. I was not the least bit worried!

But then, after this started, at some point I was certain I had bc, and this was after I could stand 50 feet away from my naked breast and see it all in the mirror; no need to touch.

it started out like fibrocystic breasts, the whole right breast was lumpy, and the other was not. in my case also, the troubled breast was, and remained much smaller than the left one.

Yes, inverted nipple big time. then the lumps and bumps moved around and changed colors, the rash, heat and redness was very mild. I also  had some bruising and most of all i felt physically really terrible. i.e. extreme muscle weakness.

And then one day, about three/four weeks since I had noticed strange things first, there was a huge tumor. I did draw pictures of my cancer as time went on, and my oncologist was both jealous and impressed. he so badly wanted to be able to draw all this as well.  "I wish I could draw like you, because then I could explain everything so much better." On my first visit with the oncologist I brought a piece of cardboard that I had cut out in size and form to show what my tumor looked like to the doctor. I first asked him to tell me what it measured on the images and he said 10cm by 9cm. i then asked him to measure my cardboard piece and it was exactly 10 by 9 as well.

I saw a doctor who was substituting for my PCP and told him I had cancer; he never argued and sent me to this great surgeon who saw me two days later. Even before starting the biopsy, he made an appointment for me with the oncologist, said he was 99% sure it was IBC.

The end; i am too tired to write more. (not edited) Kat