Hi Everyone, I’m new here. I just found two lumps in my right breast. The bigger one (about the size of a big grape) is to the right of my nipple it is hard and feels bumpy and the milk ducts beside it feel hard going towards the nipple. The smaller one, ,(about the size of a pencil eraser, the ones at the end of the pencil) is just beside the nipple on the left side. It feels soft and smooth. Neither one hurts at all. I have an appointment with my GP on Monday at 12:30pm I’m so worried. So much cancer in our families, no breast cancer though.
At my last mammogram I got called back in for a ultrasound but it turned out to be a cyst. I can’t remember which breast though.
I’ve been really tired and have days I’m short of breath, I ended up with a C-Pap machine last spring for sleep apnea. It was supposed to help with the fatigue but this far it hasn’t helped. I also have Fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis and fatigue is one of the symptoms of Fibromyalgia as well .I’m also dealing with menopause and have been taking HRT for at least three years now. Someone told me it wasn’t safe to be on HRT long term as it can cause breast cancer, when I asked my GP he said it was fine, I hope he was right.
Thank you all for listening. I belong to groups for my fibromyalgia and it really helps to talk to people who understand what you are dealing with.
Well done for going to see your GP making that first move was the hardest part for me - and remember not all lumps are cancerous.
I found the waiting to find out the most stressful part once I was diagnosed and treatment started I began to feel less stressed.
There are lots of ladies on here who have been down the same path, so please come back and let us know how you get on (everything crossed for you and a good result) this board has been a real lifeline for me.
You’ve definitely chosen the right place - it’s safe, there’s a mountain of experience and you’re guaranteed to find lots of different ways of thinking about things. There is also the nurses’ telephone service which I can’t recommend highly enough. Facts, advice, sympathy…all there.
You certainly sound as though you’re having a rough time of things but were right to get those lumps investigated. Most lumps (a very high proportion, over 80%) turn out to be benign but they need to be checked in case. Breast cancer is always a possibility but, as Shi (one of the community champions) always says, you don’t have breast cancer until a professional tells you. So try to look on the bright side because you just don’t know and can’t second-guess.
Treatment isn’t great but it’s all manageable so don’t believe the horror versions of it. I was shown around the chemo suite before I agreed to treatment and was shocked to see ordinary people wired up to drips and chatting over NHS sandwiches and cups of tea, not the bald, exhausted vomiters of charity promotions (which personally I think present bc very badly). There are also several options which can be very mind-boggling at the very time you need a cool decision-making head! And treatment works for most people, so it’s worth it.
Your GP may know by examining the feel of the lumps that they are nothing to worry about or may not want to take that risk and will refer you to the hospital. You should be seen at a breast clinic within two weeks as this is the NHS commitment. Then you have to wait for test results so there are no instant answers, I’m afraid. Be prepared for lots of waiting!
Meantime, take care of yourself. There are apps the NHS recommends like Calm and Headspace, there are lots of videos online to help with mindfulness or meditation. I use Progressive Hypnosis’s videos on YouTube, guaranteed to send me off with the fairies! You need a break from constant worry and physical weariness. You already have fatigue and may feel you don’t need more sleep but meditative ‘sleep’ is very different.