About 2 months ago I noticed a hard painless pea sized lump in my underarm. I ignored it, but since it didn't go away I figured I should get it checked out.
I went to see my doctor a few days ago and she didn't seem concerned because she said it seemed to be right under my skin and that she could even pick it up. And she thought it was a small cyst or maybe an infected hair follicle, so she prescribed antibiotics. Later that day it became sore, I'm guessing from me and her poking at it. I tried to squeeze it, and a small amount of clear liquid came out. By the next day it had gotten much larger, around the size of a quarter, and very painful. I called her office and she sent an order to get an ultrasound at the hospital.
Today I had the ultrasound, it really worried me because the black mass I seen on the screen had a very jagged outline, and there was a small solid white circle in the middle of the black mass, (That's the best way I can describe it). It has me so worried and my follow up appointment isn't for another week!
I'm wondering if there's anything the mass can be that's not cancer, since the outline of it is so jagged/spiky looking. All of the ultrasound pictures I've found online of cysts and abscesses and things like that have smooth round borders. And this definitely didn't :( I know I really shouldn't be looking online for answers, and that I need to be patient and wait for my follow-up. I'm just terrified! I'd appreciate any advice!
Worried about ultrasound
Mandy0210
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Reply # - March 7, 2020, 04:25 PM
Hi Mandy, Welcome to Grace.
Hi Mandy,
Welcome to Grace. I'm sorry you have this worry. Obviously, I'm not the person to tell you you shouldn't be looking for information online. Though you do have to be careful about your resources. No one online can tell you what your nodule represents. A biopsy, tissue in hand is the only real way to know. Inflammation, infection, clogged hair follicle as your doctor suggested are all possibilities. The shape may suggest one thing or another but anyone would only be guessing.
I understand that waiting is difficult, actually it seems that it is one of the hardest things to do. As the song says, waiting is the hardest part. I didn't realize the truth of the statement until my husband's diagnosis. It's otherwise known as scanxiety. Holding your nerve and finding other things to ocupy your mind is helpful.
I hope this is nothing and life goes back to normal.
All best,
Janine
I joined GRACE as a caregiver for my husband who had a Pancoast tumor, NSCLC stage III in 2009. He had curative chemo/rads then it was believed he had a recurrence in the spine/oligometastasis that was radiated. He's 10 years out from treatment.