I'm terrified too I've been referred and have burning pain realise I've had itching for months but not thought anything of it. I'm so scared too 

It's just awful. Did the doctor tell you what they thought it could be? 

Hi

I've just been diagnosed with IBC. Unfortunately it's stage 4 and has spread to both lungs and liver. However my symptoms were not like yours. About 10 weeks ago I started to get a really sharp stabbing pain in my breast. This was quickly followed by swelling ( the cancer cells blocked the milk ducts so lymph drainage stopped) and you could tell that there was fluid stuck and causing it because it was "pudgy" ( not sure how to explain it) The breast reddened and started to dimple like orange peel and nipple inverted. As well as this I also had a lump. At the beginning it was a 2p piece size. My oncologist measured it to be 11cm by 9 cm on Friday. It's incredibly painful and my breast is huge now. I start chemo on 7 th Oct and wish it could be sooner as it's still spreading whilst I'm waiting. It is rare so hopefully you won't have it. I had no idea that it had spread so much. I knew it was under my armpit because the pain moved there. Had everything not been slowed down by covid and I'd been seen within the referral time instead of it taking 5 weeks perhaps my outcome would be different. Who knows.

These are only my symptoms but they're pretty text book. Other symptoms such as bruising might or might not be IBC. The waiting is the worst. I wish you well and hope you don't have it.

Barb xx

Oh my god, I am so sorry to hear your story and outcome. I hope they can do everything for you. Have you heard of bruising being a symptom of IBC? 

Thanks Leonella.

To be honest I'd never heard of it until I got breast pain. It's incredibly painful. I take morphine for it. So apart from my symptoms I don't know anything else. Obviously I've read every article I could find but there's not been much about bruising. More about the swelling and redness. They appeared about 2 weeks after the pain began. 

Barb xx

Thank you for your message! I think it's terrible that you had to wait 5 weeks! Shocking. I just feel absolutely petrified and can't seem to think of anything and have totally convinced myself that I have it. I can't seem to believe that a bruise quite big would be on my breast for nothing! But it has turned a yellow colour around the edges. 

Leonella,

The important thing is not to jump to conclusions. Waiting is the worst part for us all and I understand fully exactly what you're going through but it might be nothing. Fingers crossed I'm right on that. 

When is your appointment?

I'm still frustrated because my treatment seems so far away and because of the pain I can feel it spreading. It's moving towards my collarbone where there are more lymph nodes and I wish treatment was immediate but.....

So try distracting techniques so that each time your mind runs down that road you busy yourself with something else. It's hard, all this waiting.

Barb xx

Yes, it's annoying they haven't started your treatment straight away! 
well I only went to the GP 5 days ago. And they said that I wil be seen within 2 weeks. But I am going to ring tomorrow. Would the GP have referred me if they thought it was nothing? I'm really trying to be calm and focused, but it's so hard xx 

GP'S refer everyone so don't read anything into that. It's so they can't be sued lol. 

You may have to wait longer because of covid as I did. My GP advised me to phone the surgery and speak to the secretary if I didn't hear anything within 3 weeks ( I'm in Wales so it's 3 weeks here). I phoned the unit and asked for any cancellations but as you can imagine there aren't many.

You can friend request if you want to chat more at anytime.

Barb xx

I think I have sent you a friend request xx