breast worry- doctors or is it normal??

[belcantavinissima]

i dont know if this is 'normal' or not but i suspect it might not be. just wanted to know if anyone else has had this or whether it might be a sign of something more worrying.

i stopped breastfeeding my last dc a yr and a half ago, after 2 yrs.. prev bf my other 2 dc as well but not for so long. (i dont know if this is relevant you see)

for about a month now my left breast has been feeling a bit odd, kind of achey to ttouch and for the past week or so it feels like the 'let down reflex'- kind of throbbing and heavy. cant feel any lumps- yet when i try to feel around it i get this feeling again. nothing in the other breast and never felt it before. oh and its not when i see babies btw!!!! it can be anytime. generally not feeling too wll atm so wonder if this is connected

any thoughts greatly appreciated.

Have you done a full and proper breast exam, google it, there are many sites that give you proper blow by blow instructions on how to do it.

Firstly, are you really certain you are not pregnant? The symptoms you describe can be signs or early pregnancy.

I don't want to alarm you, at all, but feel I must share my SIL story with you. She also had a similar un comfortable feeling in her left breast. She's br fed about a year previously to this 'feeling' she had. She could find no lumps at all, but just didn't feel right. She was sent for an ultra sound, and general tissue biopsy. plus a mammogram. She had pre cancerous tissue, throughout her breast. They advised a mastectomy immediatly which she had. Fortunately, it was caught very early, and had not progressed or spread. She is really well now, and just so thankful she trusted her instinct that something was not quite right.

Of course, i'm not suggesting that this is the case for you, however, it would honestly be worth seeing your gp or womans health clinic.

maybe jut check you are not pg first though

My thoughts are that you should get this checked out with your GP. Any changes in the breast should be investigated. It may be nothing, it may be normal changes but, it's better to be safe than sorry.

I have no idea but it is best to get it checked out if you are at all worried.
I hope someone else can help more!

so sorry, I feel my first sentence sounded really horrible! I really didn't mean it to, i was distracted by Dd drawing with chalk on my brothers fire place!

susie- def def not pg- cant even remember when we last had sex . oh god, i cant even get an appt- have phoned dr and they are totally full.
i am paranoid about breast cancer since my (non biological) mother was dx with it last yr. i have been examining them regularly since then but not sure if i am doing it right and tbh whenever i try it now i get this weird feeling so it kind of puts me off. will my gp have to examine it? god its making me just thinking about it.

They will probably want to examine you. You can ask for a woman, although fr some reason, I actually feel more uncomfortable with a female Dr doing it!

I had a lump a few years ago, I was terrified and ignored it. This was a log while ago... I had a brief fling with a gorgeous Dr I worked with, and he found it, when having a it bit of a fumble. I was so embarrassed that I knew it was there and had not done anything about it. I should have 'know better'. He did a proper - professional examination, made me go to GP and I was fast tracked and seen, and diagnosed with a fibroadenoma within 2 weeks. Told it was ok to leave it. So I didn't have it removed. Then I had a patient, who had had exactly the same, left it, found another lump thought it the same, and it wasn't. She was my age too. sadly, her prognoses was very poor.

I promise you, I'm not telling you these things to scare you. you sound incredibly sensible. I really think its one of those things you jut have to let happen, IYSWIM? I mean the letting a Dr examine your breasts. Take a deep breath and let her/him do it. Try to get an appointment tomorrow, or even, tell them you simply must be seen today. They have to give you an appointment same day. JUst that you have to say if asked that is is an emergency

I'll have a look for an online video for you of how to examine. I really want you to go and be seen though. please?

yes will def make an appt. dont worry. i know really i need to go. was blindly hoping tho that some other poster might come on and tell me they have it too and its perfectly normal!
hows the weight loss going btw? mine has slowed right down and i havve hit a bit of a wall . must try and make it back over to katys thread. tell em i said hi wont you? when i have something positive to report i'll be back!

this is a fantastic video

ok so a little funny but gets the point across

Please try not to worry about it. Apparently self-examination isn't particularly useful. When I have been examined by a doctor, they haven't half pummelled me! I don't think I would do the same to myself!

Gosh hi bel, I totally didn't fully take in it was you! was thiking the name was really really familiar, and was going to call you bel, then thought how overly familiar to someone who's never spoken to me!!! so sorry!!!

Erm as for weight loss, mine has also slowed too much. I've not been onto Katy's thread, just feel too guilty!!! daft I know. I'll tell her you said hi though, i'm aout to call her.

You take care, ad get yourself checked out sweetheart, I can be a bit firmer with you , now that i've twigged!!! so sorry about htat

Let me know love, please? Cant rememer where you are in country but if you want any other support, let me know, id be happy to help if I can, although I'll not feel up your norks for you, i'll let yo find a nice young chap like Cam to do that.

lol! dont worry susie. i live in devon which i think is nowhere near you. ds2 home early from school poorly so doubt i will be able to get self to gp tomorrow now. damn it.

yes send me a tasty young chap with big hands to do the examination. that'd be great lol

i have an appt this afternoon with gp. will update when i return.

soooooo- i went to the doctors and she had a feel and said she could feel a pea size lump. oh god i feel sick. she says its possible it may be a blocked duct thats causing an infection. but..... i have had lots of those when i was breastfeeding and it didnt feel like this. its not red or tender or hot. so i have to take antibiotics for a week and see if it improves. if not i have to call her and she will refer me to the breast surgery team . am sh**ing myself now as my mum has breast cancer last yr and a friend of mine has just had a mastectomy for a tiny lump. oh god oh god oh god. i know realsitically its not likely to be anything but cant help feeling terrified. i really and truly didnt expect her to find anything at all.

Hi

Try not to panic and try not to worry, easier said than done I know! It could be a number of things, a fibroadenoma (sp) for example, otherwise known as a breast mouse.

I have an appt at the breast surgery clinic next week for investigations on a lump. I had a little panic attack in the first instance but now I tell myself it's a 50/50 chance it's nothing so I would rather believe it's nothing than worry myself sick that it's something.

Try to think positive xx

thanks timeforme. sorry to hear you are going through thistoo. finding it hard to not think the worst at the moment though but that must be completely normal. i hope it goes well for you next week. are you having a mammogram?

Yes, mammogram, ultrsound and whatever else they throw at me

do you mind asking me how old you are? just wondering as there seems to be an age where these things are more worrying if you find them.

do you know if you will get any results the day of your tests?

I don't mind you asking at all I'm 43, a young 43 mind

It is a one stop clinic I'm going to and I thik they do three tests, an ultrasound, a mammogram and a fine needle aspiration/biopsy. I'm not sure if I will get the results the same day but I think the consultant will have a good idea of what she is dealing with and be able to tell me if I have anything to worry about or not.

For now though, I'm thinking positive I hope you are feeling better about things today xx

Bel, Hi. SO pleased you went to the doc. Sorry I coudlnt get the young chap there in time to have a feel...

OK, so what happens now;

If and I say if the lump doesn't go or things improve with the antib's, your GP will send you to Hospital for appt with br care specialist nurse, or Dr.

They will send you, on the same day, same appt, for an ultrasound scan of the lump, to see if it looks like an obvious cyst. They may also if i the right age bracket, send you for a mammogram also. It is not worth it on younger women as the br tissue is not dense enough for the mammogram to pick up much.

Next, they will send you back to the consultant, for me, it was still on the same day. He looks at result and will tell you his opinion, ad will want you to have a 'punch needle biopsy' which is exactly what it says on the tin... not too sore at all, well I didn't think it was. They put a local anaesthetic into the area, and release a sprung needle. Its ok though, honestly

you then wait for the result, I had mine in week, they ask you to bring someone with you to that appointment, as standard procedure, just in case . so if they do say this to you it doesn't mean it is anything nasty.

Lastly, I will of course come and be with you, for any of it, if you would like. I can always get a train

Let me know how it goes, please love? lots of love, from you large slimming buddy!

susie brett at mac dot com xxxxxxx

susie you are so lovely!

its great to know there is support. i have always felt like i am the one supporting other people so its really nice to feel it reciprocated iykwim.
got dh to have a (non sexual!) feel tonight! he found the lump- about an inch above the nipple, not very big, cant tell if it moves or not. the whole boob seems slightly larger and is heavier/denser than the other one.
not sure how to feel atm. last night i was on my own at home, getting pissed on wine (how tragic!!!) and my mind was racing ahead of me and making me think only dreadful things. i suppose thats totally normal.
where do you live anyway? surely you wouldnt actuallyu want to come and hold the hand of a (virtual) stranger?!!!! to know you have offered in itself is very reassurng should i need it. i know for a fact dh wouldnt come- too busy at work no doubt . ah well, at least i have friends