First of all, hello everyone ♀️. So as I'm sure many of you probably started out the same as me when first coming accross the chat forum, I have read and read and read everyone's experiences and advice/support they have received. I was a little aprihensive about posting in the first place as there is still this small voice in the back of my head telling me I'm being a little bit of a hypochondriac, but I have silently worried for over 2 weeks now and again have been met with another hurdle. It's a little bit of a long read, so grab yourself a cuppa....
So over 2 weeks ago whilst getting out the shower and doing that hair towel wrap thing us long haired individuals do, I noticed when I lifted my arms up above my head a very prominent dimple appeared at the bottom of my left breast. Concerned I booked a doctor's appointment; first receiving a over the phone appointment where they decided I needed to go in for a face to face appointment, which was then booked for the next day. I went to the appointment and the Dr agreed that she could visibly see a dimple and then carried out a physical examination where she stated she could feel a lump. A urgent referral to the breast clinic was made and I was told to expect a appointment for within 2 weeks. Since then I have obviously read information (orriginally as a way to put my mind at ease; googling sentances like "natural breast dimpling" "weight loss and breast dimpling" "weight gain and breast dimpling" "weight lifting and breast dimpling"....spoilers there is no such thing on the internet that indicates breast dimpling as being anything other then cancer.
The first week come and went and still no letter. I did however recive a phone call from the track and trace team informing me that I had been identified as coming into contact with a person who had tested positive for Covid-19 (I work in the health care sector so this a expected risk). I was then informed that I was to self isolate for 14 days, reguardless of the results of my own Covid test (it was negitive by the way). I explained about the expectance of receiving a appointment for the breast clinic, which going off the information I was told about the 2 week time frame I knew that the 14 day isolation would overlap. I was informed that I was not to go to this breast clinic appointment. I wasn't reassured that I was receiving the correct information and felt as if I was just being read the blanket guidelines that everyone is told, so I asked and asked again (it's quite surprising that when you ask someone to officially put their name to the instruction of missing your breast clinic appointment no one wants to, this ment me getting passed around on the phone/ waiting for call backs from 10am to 4:30pm) eventually I gave up with anyone telling me diffrent and rang my GP who informed me that I was not to miss my appointment. Track and trace did actually end up phoning me back (not a expected call back) as they had read on my notes that I had been advised to ring 111 to seek further advice and wanted to reiterate I was not to attend my appointment. I informed them of what my GP had said. This whole day upset me and I felt physically, emotionally and mentally drained after it. What I find very dangerous is that there are none medical professionals out there in a call centre reading off a script and actually giving out instructions to people to not attend medical appointments! In my opinion this is beyond dangerous, and I stated as such to every person I spoke with on the phone, highlighting that if I had a diffrent type of personality I may have accepted the instruction to miss my appointment no questions asked. Anyway all that worry was for nothing as I recived a phone call the very next day saying that the person had been retested and it had come back negitive, which ment the first results where a false positive, so I was to ignore all instruction to self isolate and resume normal activities. But please anyone reading this, question them relentlessly and dont just accept what these none medical professionals instruct you to do in regards to any health appointments you may have. If they are not happy putting their name to it, they are not sure it's the right thing themselves!
Now we are at the end of my 2nd week and I should have recived my appointment by now. So I phoned the breast clinic to chase up my appointment, as the thought of waiting for the bank holiday weekend to be over to recive a date by post was too long if they already had it on the system and could verbally tell me it over the phone.
So the person on reception took my details and told me that I am on the waiting list to be transferred to the appointment list....So as it stands I don't even have a appointment yet, she said that they are very busy at the moment and working reduced clinics due to Covid, she then said she was waiting for her manager to authorise extra clinic days and only then could she assign appointments, and I wasn't even on that list, I would have to wait till the people on that list had been given appointments then my name would transfer to the 'waiting for appointments list'. So I responded optimistically "okay so I should recive a letter next week". I kid you not the receptionist did this little exhaling laugh thing and went "oh it won't be next week, or even the week after that" I explained to her that I was confussed as I had been sent as a urgent referral which ment I should have been seen by a breast clinic consultant within 2 weeks, she again just said her hands where tied.
So I phoned my GP who basically pulled up my notes, confirmed that it was a urgent referral sent with notes added confirming visual dimpling and a lump felt by the Doctor. She said that they have a obligation to see me within the 2 week time frame as it had been flagged as urgent, she was annoyed at the receptionist for laughing at me (all though I did explain that it wasn't really a laugh at me, more at the situation that I thought I was going to be seen quickly), and said that yes if their is a need for extra clinics that will be because of the obligation to see people within the timeframe so it's more likely that my appointment will be next week. She said for me to phone them Tuesday (Bank holiday weekend) and if they tried to say the same to me again to phone her and she would directly phone them herself.
I suppose what I'm worried about is the more I am now being conscious about my body I can recognise symptoms I've had for a while, (and been to the doctors about in the last year, but there has always been alternative reasonable explanations). These symptoms coupled with the lump which is not small and a newly developed dimple on my side (below the armpit about half way down my ribs, and in line with the lump I can feel in my breast) is making worry that I've not detected it early, so any extra time added delaying a diagnosis is massively worrying me.
I've seen a lot of posts recently on here about other young women (I am 31) having appointments with the breast clinic and no mention of delays. Has anyone else experienced extra hurdles due to Covid?
Thanks for reading
Cee Cee
