Getting paranoid re breast cancer risk and need reassurance

[Posey]

My sister was diagnosed with breast cancer last year at the tender age of 40. She has had double mastectomy and chemo and is doing very well.
As she's got better I've found myself increasingly paranoid about my own risk. I get pre-menstrual tenderness and lumpiness but last month found myself over-reacting to it and convincing myself it was abnormal.
Then a bit of an itch (due to some rough lace) and I'm worried about that.
How can I get this in proportion? Any experience of this? Thanks.

Have you spoken to your own gp? Have been referred by my gp to a cancer centre who are assessing my risk re breast cancer.

Presumably, if they think the risk is high they will start early screening. Early mammograms aren't necessarily best for pre-menopausal women because of dense breast tissue and other scanning methods advised (forgotton the name!)

All the best to your sister.

Posey, you might know I'm being treated for breast cancer at the moment.

My advice would be, imagine the worst. What if you do develop it? You might. You might have to have surgery and chemo like your sister, and like me. It's not much fun, but I can still do lots of things on the days when I feel well, and I haven't given up living just yet. Even if you did develop it the chances are that you would be treated and survive and go on to live a normal life.

Then imagine even worse, what if it was terminal? What would you do? You would undergo treatment to help you live longer and feel better. You would use the time you had left to do what you wanted to do. And then you would die. Is that frightening? Perhaps it is. I don't think it's so bad to have lots of warning before you die. It gives you time to do and say things you want to do. I've had to give this a lot of thought over these four months since my diagnosis.

All of us, those with or without cancer, could suddenly drop dead of a heart attack or be run over, or murdered by a robber...or anything. Are you obsessing about all those things? They could happen to you too.

But the overwhelming likelihood is that you will live to be an old lady, be as grumpy as you like and die in your sleep. Worrying won't change the odds, or if it does it will worsen them.

Have your screening without fail, check for lumps, live a healthy life and have fun, lots of love, and lots of laughter. Then when your time comes you won't feel cheated, because you will have had a wonderful life.

Blimey anorak, that was some post(that's a compliment btw). Thankyou.
I strive for all those things you mention at the end of your post, and hope I die old (and just a bit grumpy!)
Have heard conflicting things about sisters' risk, but then my sister had none of the predisposing factors either and she got it...
Good luck to you anorak.

Thanks too Heated for posting. Should I speak to my GP do you think?

Anorak, lovely post...we should all read and pay attention to it

Posey, my friend was in your exact same shoes....she got put onto a programme for screening at the Royal Marsden, if I remember rightly. You can certainly ask your GP. IME, taking a positive action is one half of letting go of worrying!