Hello everyone, i’m Hayley and i have been reading through some of your posts, finally i decided i needed some advice myself.
I found a lump in my left breast a few days ago. The lump is about an inch (maybe more) above my nipple and feels like a little raisin, it kind of feels rounder at one end but the other end merges into my breast tissue. I would say its about 1cm in size. Its also easier to find if i am sitting up rather than lying down.
I haven’t really got any pain, but my breast ‘feels’ strange, sort of fuller and tighter than normal and a little bit achey.
Also under my armpit is slightly swollen and aches as if something has been digging in it. My breast doesn’t look any different.
I went to see the nurse practitioner as my g.p was on holiday and she said my g.p deals with breast lumps so she just made me another appointment for monday morning. I half wish she had at least felt it then i wouldn’t be worrying that i am barking up the wrong tree with it.
I have just been referred for endometriosis so going back to the dr so soon with another problem is embarrassing, yet i know with lumps you shouldn’t doubt and just get it checked.
I can’t help thinking its not really a lump but i don’t remember it being their before.
I feel so confused, i know that it could be nothing but i also know that it could be cancer. I have told my hubby and made him have a feel, he said it is there but its tiny, i think he thinks that all breast lumps are the size of golf balls!!
I just fear going to the g.p on monday and her saying she can’t feel it, or its normal.
Has anyone else had a similar experience?
p.s i am only 27 and have 3 children
Hi Hayley,
I am sorry you have this worry, and have to wait until Monday. You are doing absolutely the right thing getting it checked out. Too many women delay going to their doctor because of embarrassment which, whilst perfectly understandable is sometimes disastrous. If your doctor is at all unsure they should refer you to a diagnostic clinic, where you can have an ultrasound, mammogram, and a core biopsy where they use an ultrasound scan to guide a needle into the middle of the lump and extract a few cells. The staff were exceptionally kind and lovely where I went (St Albans) and I would hope they will be like that everywhere. There was then a wait of about a week for the results, although the doctor had prepared me for the worst, as she thought it looked like cancer in my case.
It’s especially hard when you have children as all you want to do is protect them, but remember that even if it does turn out to be cancer, you have noticed it quickly, and treatments are so much more effective these days, that very many women are cured.
I wish you the very best
Jacquie
Hi there
I hope this might reassure you a little, but there was another lady who posted on here not that long ago with a lump. She said she told the doctor at the breast clinic she had to sit up to find the lump. The doctor said if you have to sit up to find it, it’s not a lump and told her all was OK.
I remember the posting but not who posted it. Hopefully that will make you feel a little bit less anxious.
J x
hi hayley
you are doing the right thing getting the lump checked out because u will just worry yourself sick if u dont. i am sure your doctor would rather you went back to her so soon after your last apptment. good luck and let us know how you get on.
best wishes
maria
You are doing the right thing by getting it checked out. No need to be embarrassed by going back with a new problem after a recent referral… illnesses and the likes are not limited to one at a time unfortunately.
Hopefully the lump will turn out to be nothing sinister but best to get it checked.
Thank you for all your kind words and for being so welcoming. I am trying not to get too worried, i stupidly told my grandma today about the lump, the whole family will know by tomorrow! I was trying to keep it a secret, but she asked me to take her to the cemetery to put some flowers on my great grandmas grave and i felt a bit emotional, plus i was in agony with my tummy from the suspected endo, when she looked back at me through the car window when i dropped her off at home i saw the fear in her face and i thought how stupid i had been confiding in her without thinking about her getting worried.
Its just that i am trying to not tell my mum ( i normally tell her everything!) because she has her own worries and is not sleeping and my dad is drinking from stress, so me turning up and saying that i have a lump in my breast won’t help! I decided that i would only tell anyone if it was cancer. i am so mad with myself!!
I couldn’t let anyone else know, my mother in law thinks she is right and would keep saying ‘oooh its nothing, i’ve had that!’ or tell me it just a blocked duct and make me feel as if i was stupid running to a doctor again, i just couldn’t deal with that now i would end up screaming at her that i didn’t know she had x-ray vision!
Sorry i am just chuntering to myself now!
I will let you know what happens on monday.
xx
hi hayley
i think you were supposed to tell your granny today.i believe your granny will have enough strength to support u. the fear u thought u saw in her face is emontion,love and comfort that she has for u. i didnt tell my mum as all she would say is ive had that and that so dont worry. you may think me mad but i do a lot of talking up at my dads grave, its the only place i feel i can express my true feeling with what i am going through.i feel i get a lot of strength and good memories…afterwards i always feel i have sorted out another wee corner in my brain…i laugh sometimes because my dad was a bit of a prude, u no like thats womans troubles…i would love to see his face when im explaining to him with the tears pouring doon my face.if my dad had still been hear he would be the first person i would have spoken to. so maybe your granny was there today for you.i do hope so
take care hayley and you never no she may want to help you
best wishes maria
Hi Hayley
I agree with above, don’t give yourself a hard time for telling your granny, and I know it’s easier said than done but try to relax, stress is no good for anyone.
My thoughts are with you
Hope everything goes ok
Let us know
Love Mel x
My mum now knows!
She phoned me this morning, said ‘whats this about a lump?’ my granny had phoned her and said she had to tell her, of course mum phoned me in a flap asking where it was, the size, what i was doing about it?
I managed to reassure her that it was probably nothing and not to worry. she wanted to come to the dr’s with me in the morning but i said no, i would rather go myself and i don’t want this turning into something that its not by having people escort me to appointments!
I have convinced myself its nothing now, although i find my hand roaming to my breast for a quick feel every hour or so…does anyone else do that???
I am going to spend my sunday doing my homework for college, (its quite ironic all my health problems arise when i am about to become a nurse!) and cooking sunday lunch for my family,then an early night ready for tomorrow eeek!!!
I wouldn’t feel badly about telling your family. I am sure if it was the other way round you would want to know it it was one of them.
One of the worst things I had to do two weeks ago when I found my lump was tell my mum. The reason it was awful is she was diagnosed with bc on 7th March this year and she is going through treatment and is being incredibly brave. I was worried that it might worry her lots and didn’t want to put a pressure on her, but she is glad I told her and is hoping my results will be nothing on Thursday when I go to the clinic to have it investigated.
I went through a stage of keep checking/feeling my lump, but stopped doing it. Last night I did it in bed and was worried that it felt bigger and panicked. I have made myself not do it again now until I go to the doctors on Thursday.
It is a hard time, but everyone on here will give you lots of support.
Hugs J x
hi hayley
mind and let us no how you get on tomorrow. i totally understand about you wanting to go on your own. i took my mum to one appt with me and while we were waiting for the doc to come in the bc nurse asked me to get undressed,so my bra was lying on the bed and my mums a bit of a prude and gets easily embarrassed at personal things said to me hide that before the doc comes in, so i stuck it on my head and well guess who walked in. my mum said she was mortified and has never asked to come to any appts again.
again best wishes
maria
hi jules
how are u doing. thursdays nearly here. hows your mum and daughter doing.
thinking of u all
maria
Hi All
Mu mum came with me for my 1st chemo session and it made her feel alot better. Her mother died of BC 40+ years ago and she has taken it hard that I have been dx with it. She totally crumbled when I told her. I certainly will be taking her with me again!!!
Anita
Hello everyone…
well i went to see g.p this morning and she confirmed that their was a very small lump there, she wants me to wait two weeks and go back if its still there then she will refer me to breast clinic. Not a lot more i can say is there??
so its just a waiting game for now.
Hi Hayley
i know you must feel anxious but at least your gp isnt worried enough to immediately refer you, i know its not much comfort, but fingers crossed
Anna