Possible trigger warning?

I had top surgery over a year ago. Two weeks ago the right side of my chest has been hurting and I felt my chest and its very..lumpy. I made a doctors appointment and today at the appointment, my doctor (who knows of my transition and is an awesome doctor!) felt my chest and believes I have more than 2 cysts in my chest and she scheduled a ultrasound for Monday. I'm nervous, I don't know what to think or anything. My surgeon was Dr. Medalie and he said its not a breast cancer masectomy so when I had the surgery, he left breast tissue there so its still possible to develop breast cancer. No one in my family has had breast cancer.

Has this happened to any of you, top surgery or not? I can't even lay on the right side of my body because my chest hurts badly. I'm 20, I thought I was kind of young to be having this kind of stuff happening but I guess I was wrong. Maybe some of you can give me some insight or helpful information?

Big, careful hug! I don't have any information, but I hope everything works out for you on Monday. Hugs, Devlyn

Quote from: Devlyn Marie on March 22, 2013, 09:08:09 AM
Big, careful hug! I don't have any information, but I hope everything works out for you on Monday. Hugs, Devlyn

*hugs* thank you 

Lumps are usually not cancer.

Here's somethings it might be:
Breast Cysts (fluid-filled sacs)
Fibroadenomas (glandular and fibrous breast tissue)
Fat Necrosis (dead fat resulting from trauma to the breast)
Breast Hematomas (blood-filled swelling)
Adenosis (enlarged breast lobules)
Ductal Hyperplasia (rapidly growing ductal cells)

Owls, nygeel is right, there are so many other possibilities that the lumps can be. Most. Likely they are fluid filled cysts or fibrous tissue. Try to stay calm until you have the ultrasound done. The chances of the lumps being tumors and then malignant tumors on top of that is pretty unlikely. My family has a history of breast cancer, I have fibrous tissues that feel lumpy and sometimes painful, they have always checked out to be nothing though. My doctor told me to cut back on soy products as well as caffeine...these supposedly make fibrous tissues more prominent. I hope everything goes well, you'll be in my thoughts. Good luck to you.

Quote from: spring0721 on March 22, 2013, 10:05:07 AM
Owls, nygeel is right, there are so many other possibilities that the lumps can be. Most. Likely they are fluid filled cysts or fibrous tissue. Try to stay calm until you have the ultrasound done. The chances of the lumps being tumors and then malignant tumors on top of that is pretty unlikely. My family has a history of breast cancer, I have fibrous tissues that feel lumpy and sometimes painful, they have always checked out to be nothing though. My doctor told me to cut back on soy products as well as caffeine...these supposedly make fibrous tissues more prominent. I hope everything goes well, you'll be in my thoughts. Good luck to you.

Thanks spring and nygeel. I trust my doctor and the area does feel 'squishy' so i'm looking forward to Monday and seeing what the hell is in my chest! My doctor did ask me about caffeine, but I don't consume much of it, I mostly drink water.

Good luck with this.

I think one of the cysts burst. My chest really hurts now and its burning, and when I feel the area where they are at, its squishy like there is fluid or something. Would that be a bad thing or would the fluid just dissolve itself?

Quote from: owls on March 22, 2013, 12:43:44 PM
I think one of the cysts burst. My chest really hurts now and its burning, and when I feel the area where they are at, its squishy like there is fluid or something. Would that be a bad thing or would the fluid just dissolve itself?

Might need to get it drained. Not a huge deal depending on what's going on.

Owls, it's possible it could cause an infection, I don't know....I would call your doctor today. If her office is already closed, normally they'll have an answering service that can get messages to the the doctor and she can resond if it sounds urgent.  Good luck

Thanks everyone

This morning I woke up with a lot of pain in my chest and shoulder so I took off my shirt to see my chest very swollen and and it feels like there is A LOT of fluid in the area. I took a photo, its the left side of my chest where the fluid build up/lumps are. I just showed my mom my chest and she said she thinks a cyst burst because my chest did not look like this yesterday.

Image - TinyPic - Free Image Hosting, Photo Sharing & Video Hosting

When is that appointment scheduled for?
Good luck, let us know how everything goes.

Spring- I can't reply to personal messages yet, I don't think I have enough posts but I had my aunt come over and shes a nurse. She said that I should be ok until Monday, and that's when the ultrasound is and its at the hospital so i'll see a doctor there too and see if they think the fluid needs draining or if it will take care of itself. Thanks everyone for replying, I really appreciate it! My family doctor is in California until Wednesday so I won't have the results back until late wed/thurs. I'll post again on Monday to let everyone know the news, if there is any.

You need fifteen posts to PM, hon. (Hint: the What are you listening to and What are you eating threads look nice)

Quote from: Devlyn Marie on March 23, 2013, 05:00:51 PM
You need fifteen posts to PM, hon. (Hint: the What are you listening to and What are you eating threads look nice)

Looks like he's almost there ^^
You can do it, man!

Owls,

We'll just all be happy to hear that you're okay! I'm glad your appointment is at the hospital, I'm sure everything will go well. We'll all be looking for your post here to see how things go. Take care of yourself owls. Wishing you luck & good thoughts coming your way.

Good news. The ultrasound showed nothing. No cysts, fluids or anything else.

I have no idea what this means. I am still in pain and the lump is actually bigger than before. My doctor said she felt the lumps too, I thought that meant that maybe they burst but there is still one lump that's bigger than a quarter. I feel the pain even when I move but if I touch where it hurts, its a sharp pain. Does anyone know what this could mean? I now have to see my doctor again. Should I be worried that its something else?

If an abnormality is felt by physical exam, ultrasound is the best way to find out if the abnormality is solid (such as a benign fibroadenoma or cancer) or fluid-filled (such as a benign cyst). It cannot detect calcifications or fatty lumps.  It isn't cancer or the ultrasound would have seen it.  By elimination, I'm going for a calcification or a lump of fat cells .  The single lump of calcificaiton is rare.  The lumpy fat is common.  Your probably looking at a biopsy to positively eliminate other causes.

I have a little lump in my right breast.  I kept checking it and it hurt and kept hurting worse.  Turned out to be a lump of fat and by feeling it all the time, I was causing the pain.

Owls,

Yeah jlt1, is right, they should have been able to see if it was possibly cancerous by the ultrasound...however to clear up any possiblities they might do a biopsy, just to make 100% certain.fibroadenoma supposedly is most common in people of late teens to early twenties, but usually not painful. I really thought it was a cyst, since you're in so much pain. Maybe it could possibly be an enlarged gland that is under your arm and just enlarged that much?I have had inflammed glands and they do hurt and swell like crazy. I am a bit baffled, but I would have thought the ultrasound would have shown more. Did they actually give you the ultrasound results? Because often times a ultrasound technician does the ultrasound and then sends the results to your doctor for further review? I'm sure a doctor there looked at them, but maybe your doctor will find something in them. Wow, I'm sorry you're going through this. I wish I could think of something it might be. You'll be in our thoughts, good luck at the appointment, owls.

Hi, I'm so sorry to hear that your doctor has not found the reason behind the lumps and pain you feel.  I just wanted to quickly clarify a few things, the ultrasound WILL NOT tell you if the nodules are cancerous or benign, biopsy is the way to find that out. The ultrasound is only to see if there are nodules (solid) or fluid.  Also, ultrasound IS able to see calcification, very clearly and commonly.

Get well soon!!
~Lex
(Ultrasound tech)