Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
Quick history: diagnosed with seronegative RA 09/2013. Rheumy at the time was aggressive - we started with methotrexate, no help; went quickly to Enbrel (stopped due to no help and raging respiratory infection) and then Humira (same issue as Enbrel). At that time I stopped all medications. About two months ago I returned to a rheumy and started Plaquenil (along with meloxicam). I am having some relief.
I do not have a family history of breast cancer to my knowledge. My mother died from small cell lung cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of cancer. There is a history of melanoma and pancreatic cancer as well. I am very aware of my body and have had swollen or infected lymph nodes in the past, but not in the last like 8 or 10 years. I am currently 36 years old.
This morning I found a lump in my armpit. It is not warm, the area is not red, it is not painful at all. It was not there Sunday, or if it was it was significantly smaller. I shaved my armpits on Sunday and would have noticed. This morning I was just washing in the shower and my fingers felt something in my armpit. It is about as big as the tip of my thumb, hard, and fixed. I called my doctor - of course my PCP of 15+ years is on vacation for two weeks - and was seen this morning. The doctor I saw remained very calm, examined my armpit, performed a breast exam (which appeared normal) and referred me to a surgeon. She said the surgeon would decide what to do next.
I was able to get into a surgeon tonight after work. He said it does not seem to be part of the breast tissue but could be. He affirmed that it was hard and fixed and definitely a real thing (reassuring that I was not overreacting). He has ordered a mammogram and a sonogram of the area surrounding the lump. I am terrified and angry and unsure what to do. My mother died from small cell lung cancer 13 days after her diagnosis; the only symptom she had was loss of vision, which occurred after the cancer spread to her brain and caused 4cm lesions, one of which affected the part of her brain that controls vision.
So, yeah, I'm terrified and unsure of what to expect. Anyone in my family who had cancer died within 6 months of finding it. Two of my high school classmates had breast cancer and one died at age 35. I don't really have a question, just need to tell people who understand.
I do not have a family history of breast cancer to my knowledge. My mother died from small cell lung cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of cancer. There is a history of melanoma and pancreatic cancer as well. I am very aware of my body and have had swollen or infected lymph nodes in the past, but not in the last like 8 or 10 years. I am currently 36 years old.
This morning I found a lump in my armpit. It is not warm, the area is not red, it is not painful at all. It was not there Sunday, or if it was it was significantly smaller. I shaved my armpits on Sunday and would have noticed. This morning I was just washing in the shower and my fingers felt something in my armpit. It is about as big as the tip of my thumb, hard, and fixed. I called my doctor - of course my PCP of 15+ years is on vacation for two weeks - and was seen this morning. The doctor I saw remained very calm, examined my armpit, performed a breast exam (which appeared normal) and referred me to a surgeon. She said the surgeon would decide what to do next.
I was able to get into a surgeon tonight after work. He said it does not seem to be part of the breast tissue but could be. He affirmed that it was hard and fixed and definitely a real thing (reassuring that I was not overreacting). He has ordered a mammogram and a sonogram of the area surrounding the lump. I am terrified and angry and unsure what to do. My mother died from small cell lung cancer 13 days after her diagnosis; the only symptom she had was loss of vision, which occurred after the cancer spread to her brain and caused 4cm lesions, one of which affected the part of her brain that controls vision.
So, yeah, I'm terrified and unsure of what to expect. Anyone in my family who had cancer died within 6 months of finding it. Two of my high school classmates had breast cancer and one died at age 35. I don't really have a question, just need to tell people who understand.
You are doing everything you ned to do! Just keep doing what you are doing. One step at a time. When will you have the mamma and sonogram?
And please try to ficus on the fact that whatever it is you found it IMMEDIATELY. On day it wasn't there and then it was. Early detection is very important for a good outdo,e. There is every likelihood that even *IF* it is cancerous, they can just remove it.
You have a scary family history, but many, many, many people survive cancer *IF* that is what this is.
Wishing you to be as calm as you possibly can and that you fin out soon and all goes well.
It's just been a shit week. DH and I have been having some issues in our marriage and he relapsed on alcohol last Friday. This past weekend until Wednesday was pretty weird. Wednesday night we had a good talk and things felt like they were evening out - and then this. Ugh.
hugs
depot
I hope this turns out to be a whole bunch of nothing.
The diagnostician that spoke with the doctor (results involving breasts are read immediately by a doctor in another office) said 'it's a lymph node' and sent me on my way. It doesn't make me feel much better since I figured that's what it was. I should be able to see my surgeon Tuesday morning and I guess he'll determine the next steps. The other day he said something like, if it's anything other than fatty cyst it's coming out.
Going to try and stay busy this weekend and stay positive.
I went through the what the hell do I do for a course of treatment the past 18 months - messing around with thyroid nodules.
aspirating again and again and re-measuring again and again and yadda yadda yadda.
finally took the three nodules out on the right side of the thyroid along with the right thyroid of course. the pathology returned one of the tumors was cancerous and an additional two were benign . this puts me on the watch, again, for the left side, due to the malignancy on the right. plus neck and head cancer is in my family with all kinds of weird stuff. i thought like you did. I get it.
i could deal with the arm pit stuff better. find it. take it out immediately. pathology on it. immediate answer post pathology.
I will be thinking about you. sending benign thoughts.
if it's sunny in NY get outside.
Depot
I had the same thing happen as you a few years ago. I shaved my arm pits, and a few days later I noticed a very large and growing lump in the right one. It freaked out my family doctor, and I got into see the surgeon in 2 days, which is unheard of in Canada.
It also turned out to be a swollen lymph gland. I talked about shaving my arm pits, and she was sure that triggered it. Although that has never happened before, or again. (I do get yeast infections now if I shave, but I am on prednisone, and also antibiotics)
So a big scare for me. But it also turned out well. It is just so hard to be so sick already, and pile more on it!
I would suggest don't think about family history so much. I have no history of cancer anywhere in my extended family (well, an aunt who got breast cancer at age 90, who had worked with a lot of chemicals as a nurse a long time ago. She had no problems and survived)
So it can happen to anyone! But also, it doesn't predict what you are going to get. Those are "catastrophic" thoughts. Hard to avoid them, I know! But at least tell those thoughts to shut up and go away - it may help a bit??
So glad it turned out ok. Also praying for you and your husband. Esp. that he would stop abusing alcohol, and for peace to be in your home.
Ginny