Hello Newmummy, 

I can understand why you are feeling so worried at the moment by what the surgeon told you. I hope you manage to get to the bottom of this soon and that the GP can shed more light on this. I hope you won't have to wait too long to be seen again at the breast clinic and that you get some answers very soon. 

I know it is really hard but try not to worry too much or read too much into what the surgeon told you. The best thing to do to avoid thinking too much about this is to keep busy and distracted if you can - I bet your little baby is very good at keeping you occupied! Also I know it is really hard to resist but if you can, avoid looking things up online as it will help you feel a little less anxious. 

I hope you will also hear from others here who have been in a similar situation before and that they will be along soon to share their story with you. 

Keeping everything crossed for you that everything turns out fine. 

Best wishes, 

Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator

Thank you so much for your reply. Very grateful. I have been refered for an urgent breast clinic appointment so at least I will have some results soon!

Hello, I hope your results came back clear and you are recovering nicely. I know first hand how stressful the wait is. 

I hope your BIA ALCL concerns are way behind you but if not, I was diagnosed with BIA ALCL in 2017 and there is a wealth of knowledge available at biaalcl.com/.../ 

There is also a great forum on Facebook (members only) which offers information and incredible support for diagnosed women. It’s called “ALCL in women with breast implants”. 

Hope you’re doing OK,

Carla

Hi carla!

thanks for your comforting message! I have had two ultrasounds and an MRI as initially I didn’t have enough fluid to aspirate & test ... but now after the MRI they now want to aspirate fluid and test for CD30. It’s been the most drawn out experience of my life and I can’t wait for the results! X

Hi Newmummy,

So you’re going through all this. It’s not fun being sent all over the place and no one really knowing what to do with you! 

It’s great you’re getting CD30 testing. Please make sure they aspirate at least 50mls of fluid. 100mls is better but less than 50mls and the testing cannot be accurately performed. Many doctors don’t know this so be an advocate for yourself! I had to stop mine pouring the “excess” away becuse he wasn’t familiar with the correct protocol. You can print out and take along the NCCN guidelines which advise on the process to follow for diagnostics and treatment. It’s the global standard for BIA ALCL and is very specific. You can find them on the website I mentioned before.

Fingers crossed everything comes back negative and you can move on with your life. If it doesn’t, then I’m here if you want to talk it all over. I remember how confusing it all was for me and even the doctors didn’t really know what was happening or what to do. I ended up having to take the reigns myself but thank god I had the support of the wonderful group of diagnosed women on the Facebook group I mentioned before. 

Keep in touch xx 

Hi there, I appreciate this was a long time ago for you.  What was the outcome?  I have recently had a mammogram, ultrasound and MRI and found out that it wasn't a rupture as originally thought but they have detected fluid so having another ultrasound tomorrow but not scheduled to speak to the breast consultant for 3 weeks.  I wondered if there's a chance this could be anything but BIA ALCL.  Thanks a million x

Hi [@CaBa1]‍ 

So, they also suspected a ruptured implant but instead found a lot of fluid which was a red flag. I had surgery in the end, i had both implants removed and capsulectomies to both sides! My NHS consultant was amazing after reviewing my MRI, bloods, ultrasounds and biopsy's the results were hugely inconclusive and so i spoke at length with my consultant. He said if i had the savings to go privately and get them removed and have capsulectomies (i did and i actually paid my nhs consultant privately). i'm wishing you all the best x

Thanks so much for replying. Can I ask what the outcome was and were you happy with the end result? My interactions with the NHS breast consultants haven't been all that positive but I am already in touch with a private surgeon who specialises in reconstruction. I have also been in contact with the implant manufacturer Allergan who, it seems, are prepared to pay towards surgery. 
 

Thanks again.