Hi, well I finally went to the doctors, not because I was worried about the lump I noticed months ago, but because of intense breast pain which turns out to be mastitis! So started treatment for that yesterday (saw senior practise nurse who prescribed anti-biotics) and have to go and see the doctor tomorrow. So explained about the lump, but tomorrow will ask for an urgent referral to a breast clinic.
Staff on helpline here are fantastic. Was worried and ignoring the lump for months and only person who knew was my fiance who found it, and wanted me to go to the doctors but I was being an ostrich and kept putting it to the back of my mind.
So finally getting something else, which I could not ignore has made me get down to my GP. So thats good. And tell them about the problem. So that’s good. Now I’ve stopped ignoring it I want to get is sorted quickly so I am going to ask for that referal tomorrow. I don’t think the mastitis pain which started on Monday is particularly anything to do with the lump, which I am not even sure if we found in 2011 or 2010! So I’m a nightmare yes I should have gone before but I did not so I really hope its nothing much because if it is anything I have been a real idiot and wasted loads of time.
I was worried I would need treatment and that as I don’t have private cover anymore I would not get it quick enough (ridiculous I know but it was my excuse… I thought I should put it back in place and then go to the doctors… but I did not do anything.) So really it was probably an excuse and I was scared.
Helpline was great this morning. My pain scare made me go to the doctors, and that night started googling and found this site and phone number. So grateful. Know I need a referral, and have an idea what to expect now, so not as scary. Breast care nurses, great idea. I asked for a female gp, and was not able to get an appt, but there is one on open surgery tomorrow afternoon so that is when I am going. Did not know how worried I was at the thought of a male doctor examining my breasts until I asked the nurse who was a nice female GP to see (I’m new). I felt like crying. Won’t be so bad at the breast clinic, any doctors there probably look at boobs like they look at feet they have seen so many. (Funny I don’t really like feet).
I’m 40, and was flat chested in my teens, had late puberty at about 15 and was AA chested until my later 20s. And I was a bit embarassed about my boobs so did not really pay them much attention. Now at 40 having gone from the bottom to the top of the healthy BMI range they are probably a C but not sure as the bras I bought last time don’t fit. 2 stone difference definitely makes a difference to boob size. But I was not paying much attention to the changes.
So I hope this bump is nothing to worry about and hope I get an urgent breast clinic appointment and don’t have to wait long to find out!
Kate 
Dear Kate
Welcome to the forums. I am sure some of the other members will soon be along to offer support.
I am glad you found it helpful to phone our Helpline.
Take care
Very best wishes
Janet
BCC facilitator
Hello Kate
Try not to beat yourself up about the past. One member on the forum recently wrote that her breast surgeon said to her “we don’t deal with the past but with the future”. It’s good you kick started it now by seeing a GP. As far as referral time is concerned it says something like two weeks.
Please let us know your outcome if you don’t mind, we’re here for you either joy with you as it’s nothing sinister or really support you all the way through treatment.
Love and hugs,
Christine xx
Kate, for every woman here who went straight to her doctor when she found a lump, there are probably ten who found any number of reasons not to go. My own delay from first symptoms to diagnosis was about 8 months. When the surgeon told me I had cancer I said " I should have come here sooner". His wonderful reply was “We don’t deal in the past here, we deal in the future”.
In spite of my silliness and having a large tumour, I’m doing well. I chose a mastectomy (I’m 61 so less vain than I was twenty years ago) and have almost finished 6 rounds of chemotherapy. None of it has been anywhere near as dreadful as I expected.
I hope that you find yourself among the majority of women who walk away from the breast clinic with a huge smile of relief. That’s your most likely outcome. If not, then come here for all the support you need. I surprised myself by joining in the thread of women who started treatment at the same time as I did last December - I’ve never joined any group in my life before. No-one understands any part of this like the people who are going through the same thing.
Hoping to hear that you have nothing to worry about.
Much love,
Kathleen
Here’s a statistic that might help you keep a lid on things. NINE OUT OF TEN REFERRALS TO THE BREAST CLINIC ARE *NOT* CANCER.
The Waiting Room is a horrible place, where your fears and worries sneak up and bash you round the head. But if you can keep that stat in your mind it might help. And there’s nothing you can do about the past, just pat yourself on the back for eventually getting round to doing something about it.
Good luck, and please keep us posted. And come on here and rant away as much as you need to, we’ve all been in The Waiting Room and it’s the pits.
CM
x