High anxiety over breast lump

[mintymellons]

Please help, I'm getting myself into a right state and not sure why really.
To cut a long story short, I saw my go three weeks ago today as I'd felt a sort of bump in my right breast. I noticed it because I had a tender area in that side in the week before my period. It's hard to describe what's there, it's not a specific lump, more just a bumpy area, soft.
Gp couldn't feel anything and told me nothing to worry about. I then saw another Gp later that week as I was still concerned and she said that she thought I was just feeling normal breast tissue and no discrete lump and to leave it alone! She did however say I could go back and have it checked again at another point in my cycle (was a few days pre menstrual before). So I have an appointment this Friday with yet another Gp to see if she thinks there's anything there.
I'm now so worried about going back and it's all I can think about.
The bumpy thing is very hard to feel unless you're really looking for it and on several occasions I couldn't find it and thought it had gone. I'm going back to go as it was suggested although clearly no one is concerned about it (apart from me!!).
I'm driving myself mad over what seems to be nothing but keep thinking.
Can anyone calm me down please?!

Thank you Minty, I wrote that post in such a rush and didn't proof read it, I can see it may be hard to make heads or tails of. I could tell how stressed you felt and it resonated with me so much, which is why I thought I would post. It feels awful to feel this way when I have two beautiful babies to think about, but it's literally consuming my every waking moment. Did you find anything helped with keeping your emotions in check? I try to tell myself that it's rare to get it at my age, unfortunately, logic doesn't seem to want to be listened to atm.

mrsd I didn't find much to calm me down, but luckily my referral was less than a week after my Gp appointment so it was relatively short lived. It was the most stressful few days I've ever had though and I know I need to learn some coping strategies as I'm sure there'll be other times of stress in the future. I was the same, the fear was consuming my every waking moment. It's truly debilitating.

Actually mrsd, it might help to know that the breast clinic was packed with people yesterday and I'm guessing the vast majority didn't have BC. No one in the waiting area looked as if they'd just been told anything bad. It made me realise that the stats are obviously true and that most lumps, pains or whatever are normal or benign conditions. Hope that helps a little.

Ok so apparently the area I went in about is normal tissue. However they also saw on the mammogram (i.e. by chance, as it were!) some calcification. This is either totally normal or pre-cancerous. So I am having a special biopsy next week. If it is pre-cancerous it'll be removed in the New Year. The consultant radiologist said she was 95% sure it was benign/ normal (as she saw it in both breasts). However she 'isn't paid to be 95% sure but 100%'. Anyway, I'm kind of thinking of it as if it is pre-cancerous until told otherwise - easier to plan that way.
I'm obviously a bit shaken up but focussing on the fact that it was basically by luck that they saw this before it even developed into anything (because it was unconnected to why I went in), and as a result any action they take is preventative (if need be).
It does mean I need to take tablets to dry up my milk if I want the biopsy done ASAP so I'm off to post on the breast-feeding board...
Good luck to all those waiting for appointment. The clinic and staff were great, and the mammogram isn't like being stroked by kittens but it's basically fine.

Oh littlemouse been thinking about you. Well that sounds like a bit of a shock but in actual fact is probably really good that it was noticed. Either way it'll be dealt with before it turns into anything serious. Hope you're okay?

Meant to say, I didn't get a mammogram so have yet to have that pleasure. My boobs are really small and I think that's why they didn't bother doing one. Oh and because my lumpy area was quite palpable.

Thanks minty, yes that's how I'm trying to look at it. That instead of being told I had a lump a few years down the line, I'm facing dealing with it at this point when it is preventative. I am ok thanks - I think. Quite shaken up too. But definitely really trying to remember that in the scheme of things what I was told was NOT what I feared. I.e. I was not told I have a cancerous lump. I have an area which may (biopsy pending) be something that could turn into a lump down the line. And I can deal with it ahead of that if so.

My boobs are tiny too! I was amazed they were able to squish anything at all!

Just wanted to let you all know that Everything was okay at the hospital today. Huge sigh of relief all round.

That's great craftysewer . Enjoy Christmas!

Excellent Crafty, what a relief. littlemouse hope you're doing okay and managing to enjoy the run up to Xmas.

Glad everything was all clear for you minty and crafty. Hope you are ok too little mouse?

I went back to GP today and she did another exam and said she was going to refer me to breast clinic. Feel a bit shakey, she wasn't particularly reassuring about it although I know she can't say it's nothing to worry about.

I wish she'd just referred me two weeks ago when I first saw her, now I have another 2/3 weeks wait. Doesn't help that my boob feels a bit sore and I keep getting pain down the inside of my upper arm.

I'm hoping I might get lucky and the breast clinic will phone and get me in before Christmas but DR seemed to think I would get a letter.

Right. Brave face for the school run.

Just seen your post Ifcats.

That's exactly how I felt after the GP referred me. I too was annoyed that I'd had to wait several weeks after initially being told it was nothing.

My GP was the same, just said she would refer me so it could be properly checked and hopefully they would say it was nothing to worry about. I don't suppose there's anything more they can say, but I agree it isn't what you want in that situation.

I really feel for you and the timing is rubbish too. I have never felt so anxious in my life.

It's easy for me to say now, but you know that the vast majority of lumps are fine and normal and I have everything crossed for yours being just that.

Let us know how you get on.

Great news crafty

An update - my biopsy was supposed to be this week but the hospital called and said that three consultants had reviewed the images and were pretty sure (not sure of exact words!) that it was a normal benign condition, so it has been downgraded and biopsy will be in first week of Jan. This is obviously to be 100% certain and also to place some 'markers' so anyone reviewing mammograms in the future will know those areas have been checked (as far as I understand it).
I had quite a lot of tenderness in the breast(s) after the appointment and got quite dark about it until I realised that of course the mammogram itself crushed compressed them and obviously this would have an effect. Since then I haven't had any pain so I suspect whatever drove me to the Dr in the first place was indeed hormonal.
Obviously I am still waiting to get clearance from the biopsy but I have calmed down a bit and am managing to enjoy the run-up to Christmas.
To those of you still waiting for appointments - best of luck, the wait is horrid. But I do think that pain is actually a reasonably positive sign - I've said it upthread but my research showed that BC rarely presents with pain. Obviously I am no medic but it was something that all my frenzied googling kept throwing up.
Thanks to those who asked after me!

That all sounds positive, Littlemouse. Glad you're enjoying the run up to Christmas and fingers crossed for the all clear in the New Year!

Stop worrying. If all your docs have said don't worry about it, then don't. It is most likely a little cyst or fibrocystic changes, which don't need any care.