Lump in breast, on holiday, health anxiety

[shadylane18]

Hi there, I'm not sure what I'm really looking for in posting this. I know there's a million of these posts already. I know statistically it's probably nothing but I can't get my brain to co-operate. And I don't know who to talk to.

I'm 30 and I'm on holiday right now, very far from home. I go home in just under a week and have an appointment booked for when I'm back. But I have health anxiety and just can't get my brain to calm down in the meantime.

I noticed sort of breast pain a couple of days ago, like an ache, and when I touched it I found a lump in my right breast, upper area. I don't know if it could've been there before and I just didn't notice until there was pain but it also seems very noticeable - it the size of a large grape and sort of feels near the surface. But then it feels large enough that I don't understand how it could appear so suddenly? Its also hard but not hard like a rock- but I wouldn't call it squishy either. It feels like a very firm/taut grape maybe. And I don't know if it's movable - my breast tissue moves but it definitely feels like it's stuck to that. My period ended a day or so prior to noticing. I never really get sore breasts before.

The pain has gone except occasionally if I lie on that side or something. I just don't know how to stop thinking about it. It feels so hard to ignore once I know it's there - trying not to touch it but also keep hoping it might have disappeared as quickly as it appeared. I manage to distract myself in the daytime but when I sit back in the evenings I find it hard not to cry. My dad was diagnosed with bowel cancer during my last holiday and is currently going through chemo so it all just feels so forboding.

Just venting I guess. I want to enjoy this last week but I don't know how. All my dreams are full of me at the doctor.

Hi op. Been there twice and both times was benign. Sorry you found this on holiday. The chances and massively stacked in your favour(9/10 are benign) and you have been sensible and made an appointment. Worrying won’t change a thing now. Having said that I was exactly the same both times. Leave it alone and just check/assess once a day as it may reduce now your period is over- my last one was a cyst and reduced by the time appointment came though still needed draining. My first was firm and rubbery- a fibroadenoma and benign.
Time to distract you with whatever you can and well done for booking the appointment.

‘My dad was diagnosed with bowel cancer during my last holiday and is currently going through chemo so it all just feels so forboding.’

I’m so sorry for your dad op, but this doesn’t symbolise anything. As a fellow health anxiety suffered, we try to look for certainty and deeper meaning in everything but it’s not logical and what happened on your last holiday has no links to what’s going on now. It’s highly likely that this is benign - I know many women who have had lumps.

My therapist told me to view my health anxieties and worries as a speeding train running off into an imagined awful future that wasn’t real. She told me to ‘stay on the platform’ I.e. to think about was has actually happened: you have found a lump which is highly likely to be nothing at all. You are on holiday and you can to enjoy your time away. That’s the platform, don’t get on the train.

You can get all sorts of lumps, OP. I have a lipoma - it's a fatty lump. You are doing the right thing getting checked straightaway but keep in the front of your mind that lots of lumps are just harmless fat/cysts etc.

Breast pain is rarely indicative of anything more sinister. Most breast lumps - 9 out of 10 - are benign. Remind yourself of this, and when you get home, call the GP immediately and tell them you have a lump in your breast. They will see you next day and you will be seen by the breast clinic within a fortnight, if not sooner.

The main thing is not to panic or worry, more so as there's nothing you can do while you're away. Additionally, even if the lump is cancer, nothing is going to happen while you're away as cancer cells do not multiple that quickly. Your lump is probably just hormonal something or other, or even a cyst, Both can suddenly appear, the latter of which can be drained and the former and vanish as quickly as it appeared.

Lastly, and without wanting to sound unsympathetic, your father's bowel cancer has zero bearing or even relevance to this. You need to shut such thoughts down immediately.

Thanks ladies for the messages of support. Just needed to lay it all out somewhere. I know logically it's likely nothing but hard to train the brain to not think like that is hard.

I know my father's cancer has no relevance. I'm not superstitious and didn't mean to imply some kind of symbolic connection. Its just a painful reminder that the anxious mind tends to cling to

I hope you can enjoy your holiday still. You really can’t do any more than you have . Good luck x

Pain is a good sign apparently. I went with a lump and pain recently and was fine. Was told that pain is usually a good sign. Try enjoy the rest of your holiday I know it's hard x

If it seems to have appeared quickly and is painful, it could be a harmless cyst. They can literally come up overnight.
As others have said, the vast majority of patients seen in breast clinic are absolutely fine. Statistics are on your side!
Try and enjoy the rest of your holiday x

Hi so sorry this has happened on holiday. I understand the fear that goes through you when you find a lump. I get painful lumps that are my lymph nodes responding to an infection or if I'm run down. Had a few mammograms over the years and ultrasounds and always been fine. I still have two lumps that I now ignore as a lot of women have lumpy breasts. Still best to get it looked at. Mine usually go down after a week or so xxx

It sounds like a cyst, especially if it popped up out of nowhere. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about.

I get health anxiety too and have had two breast lumps, which both turned out to be fatty lumps.

For the second one, the GP seemed fairly convinced it was something sinister, but the consultant very quickly was able to reassure me and said it was nothing to worry about.

It's hard not to overthink it, but just focus on the stats, the risk of it being cancer is very, very low.

Try and distract yourself and enjoy the holiday .

I had a similar experience OP when I noticed tender a lump, accompanied with some swelling, whilst I was on holiday.

I went to see my GP when I got back to England and after examining me she wasn’t overly concerned because at times the lump was painful and so I was flinching when she was touching it (or the skin around it) and she said pain is a good sign as tumours are usually painless.

She put me on a weeks course of antibiotics and said to return in 7 days to be re-examined. The antibiotics didn’t make any difference so at my next appointment she referred me to the breast clinic.

My appointment was about a week later (so 3 weeks after the lump had first appeared) and as Sod’s Law would have it, the lump was still visibly there it was much smaller.

I was seen by a nurse initially who asked me lots of questions and did a breast examination and she said she had no concerns.

The second part of the appointment was to have an USS and then be seen by the Consultant. I had my USS, which took about 3 minutes and the Radiographer said that although there was inflammation there was absolutely nothing sinister to see and it would most likely have just been a cyst. They let me go home straight from Radiography without even needing to see the Consultant.

God I felt so relieved as I’d been in an absolute state!!!

Within another 3-4 days of having attended the clinic the lump completely disappeared and I’ve not had any further problems.

Yes my cyst that I mentioned was tender.

@shadylane18 hey OP. I have similar and really really eating me up inside I’ve had health anxiety that’s very bad. How are you now?

@shadylane18 good or bad id love to hear your update, I’m 28 so similar in age, really hope all is okay 💐

@Healthfreak95 All is well, thank you. I saw my GP upon return and had a breast exam. She assured me at my age that it is very likely to be something else but that she wanted me to have an ultrasound ASAP. She booked me into a clinic that afternoon and the ultrasound confirmed it is a benign cyst, nothing to worry about. She gave me a referral to get it drained as well, I think due to the size of it as they don't necessarily do that unless it's causing problems. They did it so now its completely gone and were able to confirm there was nothing scary hiding underneath it as well, which is good. The radiographer suggested that I may experience more of them in future, as some women can be prone to them. I think I will be less nervous then if I get them again as now I know exactly what to expect, so that will be reassuring.

I'm sorry to hear you're afraid. I'm sure you will be fine as well, these things are surprisingly common, I spoke to a few friends afterwards who had actually dealt with similar things. But I know how difficult it is to make an anxious mind be quiet. But get it checked and I'm positive you will be reassured - even when chances are low, doctors will take these things seriously and I think you will find the process very fast. Good luck! 💙

@shadylane18 thank you so much for your reply! And also that’s such great news I’m happy to hear that for you it turned out to be nothing essentially 💐🫶🏼
I have no history etc with family but tbh with my anxiety my brain makes everything and anything possible and the only outcome until I get 100% certain it isn’t, if that makes sense 🙈
my lady GP is away until next Thursday but I am booked in to see her & I trust her very much.
today I am seeing a male doc with a nurse chaperone as I was told that’s now in the law. So will update on what he says / does today but I will push for referral and also go to my own GP next week as she’s very much aware of my health anxiety and understands me alot.
xx