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Original poster

So scared..... breast lump

39 replies

Supermanspants · 17/08/2015 17:56

I have found a lump on the inside of my left breast today while i was putting cream on. I am 48 and my mum is a BC survivor. The lump feels slightly linear and flattish and is about 1cm in diameter. I have made an appointment to see my GP tomorrow. The lump was painless and there are no other visual changes to my breasts. Feels more tender now though as I have been feeling it. I can get it between my fingers and it feels quite hard. Trying hard to keep my emotions in check but.....

OP posts:
ConfusedInBath · 17/08/2015 20:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Supermanspants · 17/08/2015 20:19

Confused Thanks for your reply. Its just on the inside of my breast where it meets/touches the other one in the cleavage area. Trying to stay off google but it's hard to.

OP posts:
amberlight · 17/08/2015 20:48

Avoid google. It contains out of date rubbish. Nearly all treatment regimes and results have only come out in the last couple of years. So the statistics etc on google are as much use as an inflatable dartboard.
You're doing the right thing by going to the GP. If it helps, 9 out of 10 breast lumps are cysts or similar. If it's not, 9 out of 10 breast cancer lumps are completely treatable these days and people live as long as everyone else. Even if it's the 1 in 100 which is rudely behaved, modern treatments mean most of those are converted to well behaved ones that just sit there, doing nothing special, for years. The odds are very good. Not that this helps when waiting for results. Go find the Tamoxifen thread on there and join in, if you so wish. Plenty who will know just how it was for us in the waiting bit.

girlandboy · 17/08/2015 20:59

I had one just where you describe. Mine was easier to feel if I lay on my left side and then I could grip it. It was a bit moveable but firm, my gp said it was a "breast mouse" because he could move it around!
I went to the hospital, had a fine needle biopsy and it was exactly as the gp had said. The proper name was a fibroadenoma and although you can have them surgically removed, mine just disappeared on its own after about 6 months.
You're doing the right thing by seeing your doctor.
Oh, and I made mine hurt too by fiddling with it all the time!

Keep us informed x

Original poster
Supermanspants · 17/08/2015 21:10

Thank you Amber and Girl
Feel a bit numb really. I guess my GP wont be able to say that much aside from a possible referral. One minute life is going along normally then bam..... suddenly your thoughts are taken up with really quite alien worries

OP posts:
Me2you · 17/08/2015 21:20

I think they say 9 out of 10 are just cysts or fatty lumps. My aunty has quite a few n she always has to get them checked but there always nothing.

JDSTER · 17/08/2015 21:29

I was in exactly the same position a few weeks ago. I found a lump in my left breast and I had tenderness in my armpit. My mum had BC. Completely convinced myself it was something sinister. Saw my GP who referred me and seen in breast clinic two weeks later. Turns out it is a cyst-common things are common but it doesn't help the terrifying worry you feel. Your GP will refer you and it is awful waiting for that appointment. I hope everything works out ok for you

Original poster
Supermanspants · 17/08/2015 21:38

I am trying not to sink into this fear but I seem to have quite a few factors against me. My age (48) am 1 and 3/4 stone overweight (am working on it as go to Slimming world now and am losing) my mum had BC, I went through menopause at quite a young age (very early 40's) plus I smoke (not heavily but around 15 a day)

OP posts:
JDSTER · 17/08/2015 21:47

I know its hard not to "sink into the fear". I did it several times myself and had sleepless nights worrying about it. Strangely i then decided I wasn't going to worry about it too much. I stopped feeling it and told myself that whatever happened I would deal with it. We had a family holiday and I decided to just concentrate on enjoying the holiday with the kids- I must add it took me about a week after seeing the GP to get to that better place in my head. I think its incredibly hard when you have a family history. Keep us informed of progress. Maybe just sharing it will help a little.

daisydalrymple · 17/08/2015 21:56

Hope your gp is reassuring tmrw supermanspants xx

MillieMoodle · 17/08/2015 21:59

Hope all goes well at the GP tomorrow OP. I found a lump about 18 months ago - about the size of a pea and quite hard. It turned out to be a fibroadenoma so totally harmless. Try not to worry - easier said than done, I know.

Original poster
Supermanspants · 17/08/2015 22:28

Thank you all for taking the time to respond...... it means a lot Flowers

OP posts:
ConfusedInBath · 17/08/2015 23:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

24balloons · 17/08/2015 23:11

The exact same thing happened to me. Found a lump last night, got a GP appointment this afternoon. My GP was amazing, did an ultrasound there and then and reassured me it was just a cyst, drained it, took another ultrasound & the cyst was gone!

I hope your GP can do similar for you, I was really lucky and I am so relieved tonight. Also a history of bc in family including mother.

Let us know how it goes & good luck!

Original poster
Supermanspants · 18/08/2015 18:25

No sleep last night at all.... to be expected I guess.
Saw a lovely doctor but made an idiot of myself by starting to cry when she asked me what was wrong. I suppose actually hearing myself say it to her made it more real I guess.
She had a look then did an exam and commented on the size of the lump. She has referred me on and said I should have an appointment sent through or phoned through in the next few days. She felt the lump and thought that it may be benign as she did not think it was attached to anything but given my history felt a referral was essential. She asked another doctor to have a look to.
Now to play the waiting game

OP posts:
daisydalrymple · 18/08/2015 20:31

Hi supermanspants I just logged on to see how your day was, glad you came back to us. Sounds quite reassuring at this stage. Hopefully you won't have long to wait. They never usually take long with these referrals.

I have a lump in my breast that's been there 15 yrs or so. I've had it checked out a few times, as I always check it and have gone straight back to the gp if I notice changes. I know those bursting into tears moments! Just when you don't expect them.

The medical staff are always so reassuring. I generally have mammogram, exam and needle aspiration. Im under the age for the routine mammogram screening, but they've always been thorough (and reassuringly, I've lived in 3 totally different regions for these checks and each place has been as thorough).

As an aside, and probably totally inappropriate, the last apt I had, the consultant was one of the best looking men Id ever seen in real life. How ridiculous am I that I was embarrassed to have him examine my floppy post breast feeding no gravity left boobs Smile

Do keep posting here on your progress if it helps. Have you got someone to discuss your concerns with in RL?

Original poster
Supermanspants · 18/08/2015 23:56

Daisy Your post made me smile re: good looking doctor.
My husband knows. He is the most laid back, positive person you could ever meet and has been great but I can see he is trying to remain upbeat so it makes it harder to talk about in a frank way IYSWIM. He bought me some flowers. I spoke to cried to of my close girlfriends and she was great.

I have not told any of my family as I don't want to worry them. We have just come through a dreadful two years with my mum and her BC. I just can't tell them. I am also a bit worried about getting lectured as they (my mum especially) have always been going on about my lifestyle (food, weight, smoking) and just can't deal with any come back on that. I am really close to them all but know they worry about me so this will almost vindicate them. I feel sad I can't tell mum but I just don't want to out her through all of that especially so soon after her treatment. Once I know more I will think about telling her. One of her close friends dies from BC and she was pretty torn up about it all.

OP posts:
daisydalrymple · 21/08/2015 20:30

Oh bless you, it's good your DH can level your feelings, being so laid back, but sometimes your worries need to come out, and it must be so hard given your mum's history too.

Well keep popping back here if you need to, it's good to chat and please do let us know how it all progresses, I will keep checking back (changing dam password every day at the moment though Grin I often MN when getting ds2 off for his morning nap, he goes in pram in kitchen and I push back and forth for 5 mins or so, so have a quick catch up on here. - with all the hacking malarkey I changed password with the prompt but am useless at choosing them so pick a random kitchen prompt, eg think washingupliquid (obviously not used that!!) and next time I log in of course I'm nowhere near the kitchen and have no idea what my new pw is!!!)

How old are your dcs? I have ds1 -8, dd -6, ds2 -9mo. Are they aware of your worries? X

ijustwanttobeme · 22/08/2015 17:49

I found a lump last night. It's hard and around the size of an apricot but doesn't move about as such.

My GP doesn't take calls on a Saturday and it's pre booked appts only.

I called 111 who booked me an appt at A&E.

The doctor is going to fax (who faxes these days?!) over letter to GP on Monday and once referred I should get appt in two weeks apparently.

Has put a slight dampener on our holiday - off to see our DD in the US on Monday morning (but doc has asked me to call the GP first thing Monday to explain that it must get done asap).

Flowers to all in this situation

plus, AIBU to be slightly fucking pissed off with DP as he'd felt it 10 days ago but forgot to tell me .....

daisydalrymple · 22/08/2015 19:43

ijustwant sorry to hear you have this worry, but I hope you can enjoy your holiday and try not to let it overshadow your trip too much. (Nope, totally UA MOST DEFINITELY NBU re hubby).

ijustwanttobeme · 22/08/2015 23:01

Thank you daisy, I'm going to try and enjoy.

I googled I know I know and all sorts came up, but given my age, medical history, lifestyle etcetera, it's got to be hormonal cyst or something.

The Dr at the hospital,said she's going to ring me in a few weeks and check it (the appt) has arrived.

zippyswife · 23/08/2015 22:41

Hi all. Sorry to hear you're in this situation. Wondered if I can join? I'm 15 weeks pregnant and have found a large lump (think it was there back in May but it's deep and I struggled to find it again). I'm petrified and getting zero support from dh who just said I should have gone to the gp back in May (I know- but that's not helpful now and is just making me feel guilty).

daisydalrymple · 25/08/2015 14:36

Hi zippyswife, have you been to the gp now?? X

zippyswife · 25/08/2015 17:34

Hi daisy. Yes I have appointment at the hospital next tues. Feels ages away!

daisydalrymple · 25/08/2015 20:08

Try not to worry till then, I know easier said than done, but with all the hormones you've got going on you don't want to upset yourself too much (blubbering wreck at times of worry when pg me!)

We're you already pg when you first noticed the lump? Any chance it's a hormone thing?