Hi all

I am a 43 year old female (44 in April) and I have a lump in my upper right arm which I first felt in July last year.

I have private medical insurance with Bupa and so was initially referred to a breast clinic (although I knew it wasn't breast) as I have a strong family history of breast cancer - my mother & maternal grandmother both passed away from it at a young age.

At the clinic they said it was not breast but did a mammogram anyway while I was there - all clear - and they asked a radiologist to do an ultrasound.  She said that she was a breast expert and thought it was probably a fatty lump or lipoma but if it started to grow then asked to be seen again.

It has grown and so I got in touch with Bupa but they tried to send me to dermatology (even though it was definitely not my skin) but they were unsure what to do so recommended I see my GP so someone could actually feel it and refer e to the right place rather than a virtual appointment. 

I have been trying for a few weeks to get a GP appointment with no luck despite the frustrating waits at 8am to get one.

In addition I have had this cough that I have had since before Christmas that just wont go away so I got referred (again via Bupa) to a respiratory Consultant.  She was fab and prescribed me antibiotics, steroids and an inhaler after a breath test.  While I was face to face with her I asked her about the lump in my arm and also that I had been getting blood spots under my skin (which I now know is petechiae).

She said that she thought it was either a cyst or lipoma but that she would refer me for an ultrasound anyway, although she said as a respiratory consultant she may then not know what to do with the results but hopefully all was ok.

I definitely felt at ease, especially after the first scan and thought tbh I was making a mountain out of a molehill.

I had the ultrasound last Wednesday and it was done by a Consultant Radiologist at a private hospital with Bupa.  He said it's definitely not a cyst or a fatty lump and that it is a hypoechoic mass (tumor) and that I needed an urgent referral to the Soft Tissue Tumor Clinic in the Sarcoma Centre at Hospital and that he was recommending a wide excision biopsy - basically to get it cut out along with surrounding tissue then get it tested.

Tbh it came as a bit of a shock.

I got in touch with my respiratory consultants secretary who I have to say has been amazing.  She sent the urgent referral over on Friday and now its just a waiting game for them to get in touch with an appointment which she has said should be within 2 weeks.

I know you shouldn't google soft tissue sarcoma but you just cant help it!

I am hoping all is good but on the sites it says the first place it spreads t is the lungs and the first sign is a recurring cough that wont go away... plus when I google petechiae (the blood spots under my skin) they can be caused by cancer.

Mind is in over drive the waiting is horrendous.

Just wanted to vent and wondered if anyone had any similar experiences?

Thanks for listening