My mother - 94 yrs old and in hospice care for congestive heart failure. 5 months ago she complained of a pea size lump in her left breast. She called it a cyst and everyone went along with this. Now, 5 months later the lump is the size of a golf ball, her breast is at least twice the size of her right breast, the skin is bright red in color over at least half the breast, and warm to the touch, and it appears she has a tumor(?) or some kind of quarter-sized skin eruption under the nipple that makes it appear as if she has 2 nipples.
She’s been keeping this under wraps for all these months, but the hospice nurse checked it out yesterday. She thinks it is cancer, and she will alert the hospice team. I saw her breast yesterday and I was shocked that the small lump has turned into what is happening now. From what I’ve read, it seems like she has inflammatory breast cancer. But, it seems that this is a cancer of younger women.
I am hoping against hope that this is something else. Since my mother doesn’t see doctors anymore because she is on hospice, I am asking what this could be? It developed so fast. Will hospice know what it is without a doctor’s diagnosis?
I am sorry that this is happening with your Mum. Hopefully Hospice will do their job and keep her comfortable.
This does not sound good to me. When I was 30 (I'm almost 58 now), I had an upset stomach so I was rubbing all across the area and discovered a pea-sized lump under my left breast. I went to my family physician right away and he sent me to a specialist that same day. The specialist told me right there and then that he didn't want to play a "wait and see'' game to see if it got any bigger and scheduled surgery for the following week while I was at the appointment. I was in shock because I wasn't expecting to have surgery so fast.
I had a lumpectomy - they were looking for cancer (my maternal grandmother died from breast cancer). Thankfully, the biopsy came back negative but, it sure scared me being 30 years old and thinking I would just keep getting lump after lump. From that point on, they wanted me to have mammograms every year.
I'm so sorry for the both of you that your mom has developed this with everything else she is going through. It sounds like it would be painful. I would think the hospice doctor would have a general idea what it could be. You both will be in my thoughts and prayers.
First, there is a hospice doctor.
Then, one can see a private doctor for diagnosis and comfort care.
Third, one can cancel hospice and seek treatment.
There are at least 5 other things non-cancerous that this could be.
As simple as draining an infected cyst and antibiotics perhaps.
Being in hospice is for comfort care, without extreme life-saving measures, and not a death sentence.
Hoping your mother can have her worries set aside, and that you can help with her choices on the proper care. Who is in charge for your mother?
Other caregivers may know what to do. Waiting for help to come....
my heart goes out to u.