Hi Pds,

A very warm welcome to our forum. 

I am sorry to hear of your concerns and, having had 2 bouts of breast cancer myself, I understand them.

Many women have naturally lumpy breasts and one breast is usually bigger than the other. It is also perfectly normal to have changes in the breast around the time of your period. The benign cyst that was found is of no consequence, unless it gets too big, in which case, it could be aspirated. Having seen so many doctors about this, I am sure that if there was anything untoward, it would have been picked up by now.

Have you had any bother with your teeth recently, or even a cold or a sore throat? Any mild infection is enough to cause the lymph nodes to enlarge (reactionary), but they will usually settle down again, given time. Some can remain swollen, without anything untoward being found. Your care team are obviously being thorough, which is why they are bringing you back for a follow up appointment to check on your lymph nodes.

Have you done anything to try and help with your health anxiety? It might be worth asking your GP for a referral to see if you can work on this.

Please keep in touch and let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Thank you so much! This really helps. Sharing experiences and getting insights on this community. Will keep you all posted. 

My warm regards to everyone. 

Also regarding the lymph nodes, it showed a 4.4 mm thickened cortices. Interestingly though my left breast was giving trouble, the lymph nodes with thickened cortices were on both sides. I asked my family doctor in India who said that there’s nothing to be terribly worried about as the measurements seem insignificant but a follow up is a thorough routine process which is good. 

Hi Pds,

Many don't get given a follow-up, so you are lucky to get it and hopefully, it will give you the reassurance that you need.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Thank you Jolamine. 

Yes, I agree, the NHS radiologist and in breast surgeon have  been thorough including their notes. I went to the GP twice and then got referred 2ww as I was worried sick and my symptoms hadn’t improved (could be benign, but I didn’t know what it was). I was wishing for a endocrinologist referral (and maybe musco-skeletal too) but in hindsight I realised that the standard rationale of a breast clinic is start by elimination of cancer risk first. I appreciate the fact that they want to catch things early and leave no stones unturned (though invasive procedures like biopsies can cause worry and some level of infection risk). I also empathise with the many who have to wait weeks to get much more urgent and critical appointments. 

I’ve gone private too and a senior oncologist thought it was fine. Then I got my NHS appointment as I was in the waiting list. Earlier when it began, I’d got things checked in India whilst I was there with family. So that’s how it all got down to 10 doctors. Keeping records and symptoms documented. 

I’ve been reading stories here and the courage, strength people have and all the kindness that is part of this community. I’ll try and contribute to the best of my abilities.

Kind regards

Hi Pds,

It's always great to get contributions from new people. We all learn a lot from our own experiences, and this can help others along their journeys. 

I hope that all continues to go well for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx