Bi rads 4 - swollen node but no accompanying mass. Biopsy scheduled. I can't deal with this.
Well, here we go again. I had DCIS and a BMX two years ago. They took two nodes for a SLNB (one swollen) and they were clear. I came out of it surprisingly ok, considering. I had some significant cording that broke up after a while with exercise, and no further treatment was recommended, and I bounced back pretty quick. I always had a little swelling and mild discomfort from working out my right chest area and arms, but I was told it was likely just post surgical pain. Anyway, I was lifting heavy weights at one point sometime early in December and and afterwards I noticed a weird carpet burn type feeling along the front edge of my armpit. Since then I've had intermittent swelling and burning in my armpit and that side of my chest. I got diagnosed with stage 1 lymphadema, and have been trying to manage it after a month or so of physical therapy, but it's really reactive to lifting stuff and I'm not very good at the massage techniques they teach you so it's been difficult.
After a few months I called my Oncologist about my concerns and they had me come in for a physical exam and ordered an ultrasound for me for peace of mind, more than anything (they would have done it at my follow-up in December, if I had asked but the physical exam was fine and I was afraid it would have been kind of overreacting on my part. So I did the ultrasound this week.
They asked me if I had been sick since November. I had a really bad respiratory virus in late February/Early March. I told the tech and she was like "oh ok so not since November"... I was confused by that. Like maybe she thought I was talking about last year. I told her about lymphadema, but she didn't seem concerned about it and the radiologist didn't indicate that he knew I had even been diagnosed. Granted I'm a VA patient, so some of my care is done closer to home through a different hospital system than the cancer care hospital I go to. But neither are at the VA specifically. So maybe some of this stuff isn't being communicated between hospital systems.
Anyway, Birads 4, suspicious finding. Prominent lymph node with cortical thickening near the site of SNLB. FNA recommended. They also found a hypoechoic area, but that was BIRADs 3 with another Ultrasound recommended in 6 months.
I'm freaking out. I was told I was extremely low risk for recurrence. I wouldn't have even had an ultrasound if not for that weird skin burning feeling around my armpit/chest skin. My FNA biopsy is in two weeks. There is no lump or mass anywhere... just the one pissed off lymph node. I just want to hide under my bed and never come out. I'm not even 40 yet.
Edited to add: The pressure from the ultrasound wand itself caused the lymphadema to flair up. I've been swollen and in some form of pain since, and that was four or five days ago. So that's great.