Is it normal to not want to get my lump checked out?

[DisorganisedMummyTurningOrgnaised]

I know I am BU, but one minute I want to have my screening tomorrow, the next I don’t want to even book it and convince myself it’s nothing.

I asked my SIL whose a sonogropher to check out a potential lump today, I thought she would say it was just muscle and/or she couldn’t feel it (DH can’t) but instead she said “yeh, there’s something there, go get it checked out”. Now I’m spiralling and it’s Xmas, then Boxing Day and then the weekend so I can’t do anything to speed the process up…

i have private health insurance so I’ll book something for first or second week of Jan, but 50% of me thinks that’s so far away, the other half of me thinks if I don’t book a screening, it’ll be nothing and it’ll go away.

Is this normal?!

Yes.

@DisorganisedMummyTurningOrgnaised It’s normal because it could be what we’re most scared of. It’s likely nothing but you have to get it checked out.

Thanks… I’ve had scares in the past but my intuition was “it’s absolutely nothing” and it wasn’t even something I thought about. But I have two kids now, youngest is 16 months and it’s completely hit me in the gut… my brain is still telling me that chances are it’s nothing, just some tissue, but I can’t stop thinking about it

I have had breast cancer so I should be really hot on this, however I had a lump and it took me several months to actually go to the Dr.
I was scared of the whole pathway again, which inevitably I ended up on, and which fortunately turned out to be nothing.

However, yes, ignoring it, convincing yourself it’s nothing, saying you’ll do it next week then finding an excuse not to go is a thing. Cancer, and the possibility of it taps into a fear for most people, and it’s scary once you think you’ve uncorked thst bottle.

However. Please do go.

I am currently feeling like you OP, but not due to a lump! Please don't delay. My situation is more complicated, so I am going to have to wait. At least a little while longer.

Yes it’s normal. But you know its much wiser to get it looked at. To stop it in its tracks asap if it is anything and if it’s not then it won’t be lurking in the back of your mind.

It's a lump. It would be a cyst. A fibroadenoma. A benign tumour. Or any number of things perfectly harmless things, or it could be cancerous. And until an oncoplastic surgeon or consultant tells you it is cancer, the odds are actually in your favour that it is nothing serious whatsoever.

At the very least, the sooner you go get it checked out, the better it is - the earlier cancer is detected, the more treatable it is.

The sooner you go the sooner you’ll be told it’s nothing serious, or if it is serious the sooner you can have treatment to stop it becoming more serious.
i absolutely get you as I’ve actually had breast cancer and still have panic over any scans, but odds are in your favour.

Yes it is normal to not want to potentially find out bad news, denial is much more comforting. But if is something, it is better to treat sooner, and if it isn'tyou can be relievedand go on as normal. The waiting is the worst part.

I'd say it's totally normal but something you need to have checked

Hope it turns out to be nothing serious

I've always had lumps checked.

Normal to just want to ignore it

its crap timing admittedly but odds are it’s just a harmless lump

assuming you are in the UK and can get a go appointment when you call on Monday I don’t think you need to use your private insurance. GPs will refer very quickly and you will be at the breast clinic within a fortnight. Been there a few times with various lumps all harmless

You can delay your nhs treatment by going private for diagnosis…..seen this happen a lot….nhs get seen on 2 week pathway at an nhs 1 shop stop….then treatment follows via the pathway….private patients can wait to be transferred back to nhs ( not applicable if your intention would be to have private treatments) ……I was under clatterbridge cancer care ….seen in 9 days from gp referral….biopsy results 9 days after this….surgery 7 days after this ….it all happened so quick…..that said…..you don’t have cancer til someone tells you that you have cancer…..but early diagnosis is key…good luck🍀

Thanks everyone, I’m still spiralling (looking up BC statistics and bursting into tears randomly) but my rational brain keeps telling me that the chances of it being BC are low and even if it is, there are 4 stages it could be AND the prognosis is much better than it used to be… (you can see how I’ve just been in my own head the whole day). Yesterday I’d managed to convince myself it was something serious and to start preparing (without even a mammogram or US). Today I’m thinking it might be fatty. My hormones have been all over the place and I have been wondering recently if I’m in perimenopause (even though I’m only 35). And the fact of the matter is that I’ve been blessed with the body I have - I’ve never had a serious diagnosis, my body is amazing at fighting stuff and looking after itself, so it may be nothing! Plus I’m breastfeeding (although only a couple of times during the night, never during the day).

you can see I’m spiralling…

Thank you! I had wondered about moving my care over to NHS but my private would cover everything. I was lucky the the virtual GPs were working yesterday so my private referral is already in process and there are two breast clinics near me, closer than our local hospital. If I have access to private, I dont want to be a burden on the state and our amazing NHS, especially if it is nothing.

I've had a 'lump' but it really isn't, its thickening like the rest of breast tissue which disappears when lying down for a few years so don't see the need to get it checked out.

But my BF did have a lump at 39 which she got checked out and it was cancer that was already serious and she died at 41.

Yours will probably be nothing but I and everyone else thought hers would be nothing and it was something very bad.

But you won't know till you get it checked. But the likelihood is it's fine.

I’d still get a thickening checked out tbf.

FWIW, I can only feel mind when I have a bra on and my clothes on. I can feel it without my clothes on, when I’m lying down, or even if I don’t have a T-Shirt on and only a bra. I also need to press down hard

@DisorganisedMummyTurningOrgnaised keep busy and get thee to the GP first thing when they open. Hopefully it will be fine, but if it is something the sooner you’re having it sorted, the better.

@LoyalSquid worth getting checked out. I don’t want to worry you but bluntly, my consultant said he couldn’t feel my cancer as a lump but as a slight thickening.

*can’t feel it without…

It isn’t uncommon but it’s completely ridiculous not to check.

Try not to spiral, just try to stay in the here and now and remember nothing has changed you’ve just found what is perhaps a lump. No one has said its cancer, it could be anything.
I actually had bc at the same age as you ( and found the lump myself too and immediately made an appointment which is what you have done) and I’m 59 now and here I am talking to you 😉
It’s highly likely that it’s nothing to worry about but you are going to get it checked and then you can forget about it. If it is something the Dr’s will know exactly what to do about it, the level of skill and treatment for BC is outstanding.

Thanks all, I’ve calmed down a lot today. I had a huge cry at my husband last night and saying it all aloud made me realise how I’m jumping to conclusions. The chances that it’s something are small, and the chances that it’ll be lethal even smaller. I’ve also had more of a feel around and google today - it’s not firm by the internets definition (like a rock), it does move and has smooth edges. I do think it’s more likely to be a cyst. Regardless waiting for Monday so all appointments can be booked!

Hi OP, my breasts have always been full
of large cysts. As you say, they are moveable, have smooth edges, and are firm but not hard like granite. It’s almost certainly a cyst, but you must still get checked out. Hugs - I remember how completely freaked out I was by mine.