One lumpy boob - handhold please

[Everythingnotsavedwillbelost]

I have been referred under the 2 week protocol for a mammogram for a breast lump. I have got one very weird lumpy boob and one saggy one from lopsided breastfeeding with my DS who is now 9- is that a thing? Can one be denser than the other?

The lump is in the lumpy boob but when I had a prod about again earlier, there was a similar lump on the saggy side but just not so pronounced.

I am trying not to totally freak out generally but is it possible that because the doc isn’t used to my boobs, they might have mistaken a lump one side?

Obviously the scan will tell all- I am just trying to calm myself down as have been hysterical 😩

I didn’t go to the doc for a breast lump but for more general mid life weird symptoms & they did a check to be safe

Hi OP, I went for an ultrasound for a very similar reason last month (except my DS is 22 months and still breastfeeding a bit). I have one saggy ‘empty’ boob (his least favourite one) and one much fuller one that he obviously prefers. I can feel lumps in both, in similar places but with varying density and size. I was referred under 2 week protocol but consultant explained that the lumps were milk ducts, some emptier, some calcified due to lack of use etc etc and all very normal after extended breastfeeding. He confirmed the lumps were indeed actually pretty symmetrical across both breasts in terms of location but obviously vary in size and density in line with my different sized boobs!

Good luck, am sure all will be well

Hi there,
I know it's hard but try not to worry too much at this stage. It's still much more likely that the lumpiness is caused by hormonal changes in the breast, as I think 9/10 initial referrals are actually benign, but the GP cannot tell as they are not a specialist.

www.webmd.com/women/guide/what-are-fibrocystic-breast-changes

I'm sorry it will be really hard waiting not knowing, I've been there, but I have all my fingers crossed for you

Hugs of course you will worry, its only normal.
I have a pair of very lumpy 34j that are so lumpy only mammogram can let me know whats normal if thats any help. It also depends on hormones .
Be nice to yourself
Good wishes xx

Try not to worry unless you know you have to. I had (have) similar and it turned out to be extra tissue.

I've been scanned for lumpy painful left boob. Had a few sleepless nights before I went in for the ultrasound (not mammogram). Turned out to be 'fibrous tissue' & nothing else. Common scare apparently. I've totally forgotten about it since. Try not to worry...

OP, I’ve just last week been diagnosed with the lump turning out to be cancerous. They can get rid of the little sod, and many, many women survive this even if it turns out to be the dreaded cancer. I was a lot more afraid before diagnosis - it’s natural when you don’t know what you’re dealing with. At the moment I’m feeling pretty upbeat, believe it or not, relieved that it wasn’t worse and that it’s treatable. If you hadn’t noticed it before the GP check, I’d guess it’s pretty small? That is good.

I’m not sure I’m helping - I suppose what I’m trying to say is it isn’t always as scary as you feel when you don’t know. Good luck OP, most lumps are benign, and if not, there’s a very good success rate with treatment. I know MN hates kisses, so I’ll send hugs instead.

Thanks everyone- it’s calmed me down a bit - I think it’s because one boob is so different to the other that’s causing me to freak out

If its any consolation, my lumpiness made the afflicted boob totally change size and shape (it became fuller and emptier in different places, and it became the bigger one when it was previously slightly smaller...) and it ended up being completely benign and, also my boobs eventually pretty much went back to normal. Maybe a bit of minor lumpiness with bad PMT but nothing like the original episode...

My original lump was large, tender on one side near the underwire, and I noticed it over a few months at that time of the month, but then it got stuck like that became hard, immovable and increased in size.

The lumpiness felt so prominent GP didn't even get me to lie down or complete the exam, she barely even felt it, she just immediately referred me, said it was definitely a big lump and looked like it was serious (so that was reassuring.. . I walked in thinking she would say I was being a bit silly and I walked out genuinely considering impending doom )

It became really itchy too. I was getting so worried. Other lumps appeared in that breast before the scan, including another large one. (This actually made me feel less worried, because it sounded less like typical cancer and more like fibrocystic breast disease.) But I was still panicking.

After the scan I also had a biopsy and everything was fine, it was just benign breast tissue that had became very dense. The Dr offered surgery to remove the benign lumps because the location was making it very painful to wear my bra but I decided to wait and see and things did improve over a few months - and they are totally gone now

I know waiting sucks, but I really hope you will be able to find something to occupy your mind with in the meantime and find some solace in the fact loads of weird things have happened to boobs that didn't necessarily turn out bad

Please try not to worry - I had something similar and it was all to do with breastfeeding. My baby too had a favorite side and a neglected side and so my boobs were affected in different ways! I freaked out so much but it was nothing and eventually they evened up and went back to moreorless normal.

I’ve had a massive anxiety attack today about it- trying not to go ‘there’ in my head but finding it really hard not to think the worst- how do you keep a calm mind about it?

Especially as my boobs felt normal to me & I am worried I have missed something

@LaLoba hope you get your treatment soon

It's quite possibly hormonal. I had a huge lump in my breast at 37 weeks pregnant that turned out to be a benign cyst that they drained. The consultant said it's quite common when pregnant and post-partum due to hormone changes. He said it could possibly have been there in a very small form all along and just ballooned when my hormones went nuts. There's also such a thing as milk cysts.

@Celebelly and I guess at 46 I am going through different hormones as I think I am in perimenopause

Quite possibly. Lumpy boobs in general, as opposed to one specific lump, could just be fibrous breast tissue too. It's always a shock, though, poking about and finding a lump