hello my name is mikki
IM 49 yrs old , puertorican whose family history consist of 9 diagnosis of breast cancer.
Four suvivors including myself. I was in the military active and reserve for 11yrs.
when I started getting sick really bad migraines so I thought ended up it was a brain tumor pituitary adenoma. I was getting really sick between living in a shelter and moving into my apt. I settled into my apt send my kids off to school started working . I had a counselor who would visit me and insisted i go to a doctor,
I described my chest pains , headaches, sleeping alot, pregnancy signs, ran all test everything negative doctor gave up said nothing i can do for you. I was frustrated i know there is something wrong no referral nothing thats it . I kept going to another ,and another all lab work negative, I finally went to gyn doctor ran routine test and Bingo. My prolactin level was high sent for mri bingo pituitary tumor 1.9 centimeters.I said get it out , thank god for DR.JEFFREY BRUCE AT COLUMBIA PRESBEYTERIAN. I had surgery through my nose and recovery took awhile. Residual effects was acromegaly, my vision was affected due to tumor leaning on the optic nerve . The tumor was a mix of growth hormone and prolactin , my spine wided at the hip it effect my nervous system. my hands enlarge and my face took a beating it was swollen, my tongue enlarge, my voice deepen, i hated the mirror it didn't represent me. It didnt help being military because i would keep going and going to i collapse. Had i stop searching for a doctor I could had lost my vision and die. This was in 1992.
In the mist of this diagnosis my background soldier, domestic violence ran to a shelter the whole time still in uniform going to the reserve and saving my checks no longer homeless medical problems became intense. On standby to go to desert storm thank god i was diagnosis right before had to get out. I learned you can run but you cant run from within it stops you dead in your tracks.
2005 , I was losing so much weight my job though i was on a diet , i went to endocrine for a follow up because the dr. said something is not right. When I went back she had moved to newjersey. A new doctor saw me i said im losing weight ect is it my growth hormone , he said no i dont know what is wrong with you but its not hormonal. WRONG MY PATHOLOGY REPORT TUMOR MADE UP OF ESTROGEN . my body keeps blinking and i have to fight to keep the light on.
Im 45 now and for years i have been going for mammo's cyst three oclock left breast. I had fibrocystic breast . I was set up for biopsy aspiration but the cyst was solid biopsy schedule , the doctor cut at 6 oclock not 3 therefore removing nothing . 2005 the cyst is biopsy again and a 2.5 found in the breast tail.
here we go its Cancer i take off running 2 opinion , 3rd opinion, mri of the breast yeah dcis in both , my life is anything but boring i end up at MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING. BIlateralmasectomy, chemo, breast reconstruction to breast implants. Chemo sucks, i thought i look bad with acromegaly that went out the window ,when i look in the mirror no hair , no eyebrows, no eyelashes, i look like potato head without the accessories. Memorial sloan is so caught up in its name the nurses are great , love my plastic surgeon DR.JOSEPH DISA, but when my breast were remove the breast fat in my right breast was just pushed aside and left inside of me. Dr called me the night before do you want to remove both breast are you sure , my response are you kidding i have dcis in both i came to you with mri results , which i had done again, at memorial brought you the biopsy slides everything you need yes both breast. I was never told till 2 years later by my plastic surgeon for him to shedule for liposuction to remove the fat. never had it done there was scheduling conflicts and when i tried my job change insurances. I go to the VA hospital my oncologist send me to they surgeon ,who told me why don't i go from saline to silicone we will give you bigger breast . I explained about the breast fat they say oh no you were probably heavier at one time. We will give you new breast and remove the fat. I was humiliated my response was I don't want bigger breast I don't work on a strip pole.
Im a paranoid patient wondering is it normal for ovarian cyst never to disappear .
To top it of im brac 2 positive and don't trust having them. all my test negative ca125 ect, im menopausal since june no menstral. My primary say they are too small to take out 1.4/1.5 centimeters. I go through headaches , vomiting to the point i black out ,and now take imetrex injections, my chest muscles become very painful with spasms and under my armpits, its like pms really bad , but i dont have breast. Before I was diagnosis my cpk was 700 it went down. but in april 09 it was going back up170. Is there a connection because i couldnt get diagnosis but the cpk was the only abnormal test , and its working its way up again. Should i have my ovarian cyst remove to beat the turning into cancer.
I hope my experience helps someone always keep an updated copy of your medical records, for second opinions, listen to your body if you feel there is something wrong you could be right. If you don't feel comfortable with a doctor change doctors. Do your research just because a hospital is reputable doesn't make it better then your prefered one.