Armpit pain….am I being paranoid
- This topic is empty.
-
Posts
-
Hi all, I hope everyone is doing well and in good spirits. Quick question to everyone as my web searches have been fruitless and I’ve pestered my doctors to no end….
A quick refresher: Stage 1a melanoma (.82mm, no mitosis, no ulceration, Clark IV). Had SLNB on right groin with three nodes given the all clear. This occurred in early Feb. 13.
Now, the question: Since mid April both of my armpits have had a constant ache. Not a pain, just an ache. The best way to describe it is to think of holding a tennis ball under your arms. I’ve been to my derm and my oncologist, both of which said it isn’t anything. I had an ultrasound that looked fine as well. There is nothing palpable, etc.
Has anyone else experienced this? Could this be a result of my WLE and my fluid being rerouted? I’ve never been one to worry about illness, but since my dx, I’ve become a hypochondriac. Should I keep pushing for more tests?
I had a CT scan in March when I visited MD Anderson and all was clear (expect for a 6mm nodule in my groin which they assume is an inflamed node from my surgery). Should I ask MD for another CT scan? A Pet CT?
Thanks for any input.
-Nick
I had 2 nodes removed from under my left arm over 2 years ago, and I still experience that sometimes. But your nodes were removed from groin, so not exactly the same as me I guess. MD Anderson gave you a CT scan for a 1A diagnosis? They are one of the top melanoma centers obviously, so if they do CT scan for 1A I wonder why that is not routinely done.
I requested a CT Scan from them. My dad died from melanoma in 2010, so I was completely freaking out when I was dx’ed. Still am to some extent. They did it more to ease my mind than anything else I believe.
Additionally, Dr. Wen-Jen wanted a baseline scan of me just in case something ever does come back.
How about mentally, how do you feel? You could elevate the ache by thinking about it to much.
You can also just be tense cos of the anxiety/stress.
in worse case you could create your own pain cos of the trauma and you have a hard time believing you are without cancer at the moment.
Hopefully its just physical and your nodes just beeing a little sensitive after the operation, they can stay that way for awile after an infection or virus.
I know talking about the mind is a sensitive subject and I’m not trying to be mean or calling you crazy or anything, i just know how stressful its to get this diagnose and almost as stressful to be sent off home saying its nothing wrong at the moment, at least not that the doctors see.
cohanja wrote:Sorry to hear that. Was he 1A?
His first melanoma was in 1998. I don’t know the pathology of it, but he had a WLE and that was that.
Then in 2004, he had another one on his arm. I was deployed at the time and didn’t find out until 2006. He didn’t want me worrying while I was overseas. I don’t have the path on this one either, but apparently it was a nasty one. My step mom told me it was bleeding and they wanted him to take some “medicine”. I assume she means interferon.
Fast forward 5 years and he fell down at work. They thought it was a stroke, but after the CT/MRI it was confirmed he had melanoma all over his brain, lungs, and liver. 45 days later he passed.
I’d love to get ahold of his original biopsy pathology reports, but no one can locate them.
HeatFire wrote:How about mentally, how do you feel?
You could elevate the ache by thinking about it to much.
You can also just be tense cos of the anxiety/stress.
in worse case you could create your own pain cos of the trauma and you have a hard time believing you are without cancer at the moment.
Hopefully its just physical and your nodes just beeing a little sensitive after the operation, they can stay that way for awile after an infection or virus.
I know talking about the mind is a sensitive subject and I’m not trying to be mean or calling you crazy or anything, i just know how stressful its to get this diagnose and almost as stressful to be sent off home saying its nothing wrong at the moment, at least not that the doctors see.
No offense taken at all. I’m hoping it is all mental and I have psyched myself out. I’ve always had sensitive skin and thought maybe I had become allergic to my soap or deodorant. I’ve changed both with no results so far. I just called MD Anderson and left them a message to see if I can speed up my next appointment.
The mind is a powerful thing. And at this time, mine is being powerfully negative.
nick wrote:
The mind is a powerful thing. And at this time, mine is being powerfully negative.Nicely stated. At least you’re aware of that.
To (hopefully) inject a bit of humor, my melanoma experience reminds me of a joke a stand-up comedian told years ago:
The male mosquito is the one who makes the noise we all hear when we think of mosquitoes; however the males do not bite. The female, though, does not make noise but they’re the ones that bite. So if you’re alone in your bedroom at night and you hear nothing…be afraid.
- The forum ‘Melanoma Diagnosis: Stages I &II’ is closed to new topics and replies.