Misdiagnosing cancer is more common than we think, according to Best Doctors, Inc. And breast cancer, in particular, is the second most deadly cancer for women in the United States.
A delay in the diagnosis of breast cancer means a delay in treatment, and oftentimes, a poorer prognosis. This is exactly what happened to the woman in the following story and she is sharing what happened to encourage other women to get themselves checked out.
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First Pregnancy
Others thought she was just a pregnant woman going to the doctor for a check-up before the birth of her first child. “Any other day they would have been right, though not that day. I had found a lump on my right breast and had come to get it checked out,” Kristie wrote in her story on Fabulous Online.
Lump On Right Breast
Kirsite Galbraith, 25, from Scotland, knew she was a worrier, so she took her partner of two years, Stephen Dott, to her appointment. After a doctor felt around the area, he said it was nothing more than an abscess. She was simply written a prescription for antibiotics. “Take these and it’ll go down in a few weeks,” the doctor told Kirstie.
Antibiotics
Kirstie was frustrated after the antibiotics didn’t do anything to heal the abscess. In fact, her pain only got worse. She then went back to the doctors and had another examination. This time, she wanted the GP to refer her for surgery to have the abscess cut, but she was told she had to wait until the baby was born as the injection used to numb the area could harm her.
Birth
Leading up to her child’s birth, Kirstie coped by taking painkillers, although she was in constant pain. Harley was born in December, and she was a welcome distraction to the turmoil that Kirstie was experiencing. Kirstie then had the surgery to remove the lump, leaving a wound on her torso that failed to heal properly.
After Harley
For the first three months after having Harley, Kirstie was making daily trips to her GP and going back and forth to the hospital. As the wound became progressively worse, Kirstie was taken in for more surgery, but when the wound began to open again, she feared for the worst.
Returning To The Hospital
Only days after going under the knife, the dressing felt full and heavy with fluid. “I undid them to have a closer look and to my horror, the hole was leaking pus.” Kirstie immediately called Stephen to rush her back to the hospital. She screamed after looking in the mirror and was scared for her life.
Checked Again
“The wound wouldn’t heal and kept bursting. I started to think it could be cancer and after finding another lump under my right arm, I asked to be checked over again. I knew deep down something was seriously wrong but the doctor and nurse shrugged off the notion and said I was too young to have cancer,” Kirstie told the Daily Record.
Ultrasound
Doctors never paid attention to her request for a CT scan and said that if it was cancer, it would show up on an ultrasound. “They tried to reassure me by saying the wound looked good, despite half the flesh from my breast hanging off. They didn’t listen and never carried out proper checks.”
Operation
After having a third operation, Kirstie was still in pain and nothing seemed to be addressing her problem, whatever it was. Doctors tried so many different types of dressings on the wound, but two weeks after the procedure, it was soaking with blood again.
Reconstructive Surgery
Kirstie was at her wits end and it was only when she was referred to see a plastic surgeon for reconstructive surgery on her breast, that it was discovered something was seriously wrong. The surgeon discovered she had sepsis in her breast tissue and he arranged an emergency operation for the next day.
CT Scan
Kirstie recalled how the doctor removed a large piece of flesh and a CT scan showed that it was stage three breast cancer. “If it wasn’t for my wonderful plastic surgeon, I don’t know where I’d be. He listened to me and knew it was far more serious than just an abscess.”
Breast Cancer
“I’ll always be grateful but I should have been properly examined for cancer in the first place,” Kirstie said. Doctors successfully removed Kirstie’s right breast but the cancer had already spread to her lymph nodes.
Infertility
Just as she was coming to terms with her cancer diagnosis, Kirstie was told that chemotherapy could leave her infertile. This news devastated her and her partner. “I’m on stage three and grade three and the cancer spread because it took so long to be diagnosed,” she said. Kirstie said she always wanted more kids, so finding out about the possible damage to her ability to have children on her own in the future was devastating.
No Children In The Future?
“To add insult to injury, I’ve now been denied the chance to have more children in the future because the NHS refuse to freeze my eggs for free because I already have a child,” Kirstie told the Daily Record. “It would cost 5,000 pounds, which is a lot of money when you are dealing with cancer and we just don’t have it. I feel cheated out of my future.”
Feeling Hopeless
“Because I have Harley, I’m classed as already having a family. I’m only 25 but it feels like a limit has been put on how many kids I can have. It’s a lot to deal with being 25, fighting cancer, having a mastectomy and facing the possibility of not being able to have another son or daughter,” Kirstie said.
Determined To Beat Cancer
If, however, Kirstie meets all the Scottish Government criteria and if the urgency of treatment allows time for egg harvesting which takes two weeks, she could be considered for fertility preservation. Whatever the outcome is, Kirstie is determined to beat cancer and she hopes her story will encourage women to check for lumps.
Staying Positive
“I’m going to beat this and I’m lucky to have so many amazing people supporting me,” Kirstie said. “Having cancer makes you look at life differently and I’m staying positive. I just hope this makes other women check themselves and push for a diagnosis before it’s too late.”
Statement From The Hospital
The hospital, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde issued a statement saying: “We recognize this is extremely distressing for this mom and her family. However, the treatment provided to the patient by her consultant was consistent with her clinical presentation and ultrasound results, which both showed a breast abscess.”
NHS Greater Glasgow And Clyde
“There was no obvious evidence either clinically or radiologically of any malignancy until the results of the tissue testing were received,” they added. “While we have not had a formal complaint, the clinical team will be discussing the case.”
Focusing On Her Family
After the doctors falsely diagnosed her, Kirstie says she’ll register with another practice once her treatment is finished. But, she will not take legal action. “I’ve spent almost a year battling to find out exactly what was wrong with me and I’m done with any negativity,” she told Fabulous Online.” All I want to do is focus on my family and getting better. I’ve missed so much of Harley’s first year and have a lot of catching up to do.”
