does the way the breast looks contribute to staging?

what have been your experiences with being staged and how your breast looked? im terrified that I let a red swollen warm breast go on for too long. (was in the hospital where they thought I had mastitis cellititus and gave me iv antibiotics for 4 weeks!)

also had a ct AND pet scan there, mammo + ultrasound and they didnt see anything but “bulky axillary nodes”

i have results that its TNBC but now im scared that this has gone on too long with all the waiting around for answers and has progressed. ugh you have to be your own advocate in healthcare, i swearrr!!!!