Hello All
I have been told I have a moderately high risk of developing breast cancer due to several cases on my mother’s side, including my mum.
I have very lumpy breasts and hardly dare check my breasts (although I do) because I seem to find something between each annual mammogram. For this reason, I am a frequent visitor to the breast clinic. Unfortunately my breasts only seem to be getting lumpier as I approach the menopause. I find it increasingly difficult to know what’s normal and what is not normal anymore and it weighs on my mind such a lot.
Ten years ago an NHS consultant told me if she had anything to do with it, I’d have ultrasounds with my annual mammograms as my breasts are so dense and so “difficult to read”. Around that time I was referred to the Family Breast Screening programme but when I asked the nurse about this she said that that wasn’t needed, that digital mammograms are very good today at spotting changes.
However, I found a lump recently which hadn’t been picked up by the routine screening seven months before. I was sent to have an ultrasound only to discover that the lump that took me to the doctors was benign breast tissue, but there was yet another lump that I hadn’t noticed. This was biopsied and very thankfully turned out to be an intraductal papilloma.
Sorry for this rather rambling post but I wanted to know if there is anyone out there has found themselves in a similar position and has managed to get additional regular ultrasound screening through the NHS. The way things are where I live is one goes to see the GP with each new breast issue, invariably one is told to come back 2-4 weeks later to see if it has gone (mine never do!) and then there’s a 2 week wait to see a consultant. Please don’t get me wrong, I’m so grateful for the NHS, but it all quite stressful really with my family history.
