Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
General health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

CHECK YOUR BREASTS!!!

739 replies

FiveSoloRings · 20/12/2009 13:37

I got news this morning that one of my friends died yesterday. She was in her very early 30's, two young children and everything to live for. Despite a mastectomy a couple of years ago, the cancer spread and she is gone. I can't tell you how dreadful I feel.

It is so important that we check our breasts regularly. It takes a few minutes and could save your life.
One of my best friends had a message just like this one, but it was face to face and by her boyfriends exgf who also had just had a mastectomy because of breast cancer. This message from such an unlikely messenger almost certainly saved my best friends life.

Pass the message on please ladies. Make sure your friends and family are nudged into remembering to check.

OP posts:
solo · 28/04/2010 01:12

Bump to check for lumps!

Amapoleon · 28/04/2010 09:12

Off to the breast clinic again today to get the infection results. Should be a straight forward visit, but you know my luck, hahaha.

Hope everyone is well

MaryAnnSingleton · 28/04/2010 09:17

fingers crossed Amapoleon

silentcatastrophe · 28/04/2010 11:18

Straightforward visit? Hahahahaha! I had my appointment booked for yesterday. Dh came with me, as it was for results. I saw one of the nurses who asked me what I was doing at the hospital as she had spent the previous day cancelling the clinic as everyone else was on a training day. I expect I have a lot of missed calls on my dead mobile phone.

The nurse v kindly arranged for me to have a scan anyway and to see a doctor afterwards. So... all that way (5 hour round trip) to not see any of my team and to eat uninteresting hospital food instead of planned Turkish yummy food.

The sonographer found the scarring she'd expected, then something else which she said needed to be sent to the lab for tests. I felt again like a bit of hospital property,my blood ran cold and I nearly cried.

It turned out to be a cyst. I expect it will have to be drained again. Dh and I waited and waited and waited to see the doctor but she was busy and we had a train to catch. So... I am alright. We drank a lot of wine last night!

MaryAnnSingleton · 28/04/2010 15:13

well that's good news !

Amapoleon · 28/04/2010 20:59

Good news Silent!

I had my appointment today to get the results of the infection testing. Spain hadn't sent them to Gibraltar.

The Dr examined me again, is there anyone in this hospital who hasn't, hahaha. He said that the infection had gone and wasn't prepared to wait 3 weeks for Spain to give me an MRI, so I am having my lump removed next Thursday, with a biopsy to follow. Why they didn't just do that in the first place I don't know. If it is cancerous, I will then have my lymph nodes removed.

I'm going in again tomorrow for the pre op assessment. One step closer!

MaryAnnSingleton · 28/04/2010 21:13

well that is progress ! fingers very crossed for good results- did they say if it is cancerous they'd check a few nodes ? that's the usual thing- and even if it was then it needn't neccesarily have spread to your lymph nodes.

Amapoleon · 28/04/2010 21:21

He didn't really go in to any detail about that but feel like it is really getting closer to being sorted.

silentcatastrophe · 29/04/2010 09:17

Wow Amapoleon, you really are being sent round the houses! I've had some of my lymph nodes taken out anyway. I thought it was standard. I really hope you will be ok after all this messing about. I find the anxiety awful.

solo · 30/04/2010 00:18

I'm feeling anxious for you!

Monadami · 30/04/2010 01:05

I don't understand how Mammograms are only offered from 50 in the UK, surely if they were offered from 40 onwards then more cases would be found much earlier on, possibly reducing the need for invasive treatments.

Yesterday I had a Mammogram, which I paid for myself. I'm 41 and my mother had Breast Cancer later in life. I'm never sure if I'm doing self examinations correctly and there seems little help out there.

MaryAnnSingleton · 30/04/2010 09:15

am sure it's all to do with funding !
Also possibly the feeling that younger women's breasts are less dense and mammograms not so good at picking up problems in them (ultrasound being better)
If you scroll down this thread there should be links to the Breast Cancer Care site which has lots of information on directions on how to examine your breasts.

Amapoleon · 30/04/2010 13:18

Well, i've been for my preop assessment. I did wonder if there was a hidden camera with Jeremy Beadle lurking. I had things stuck up my nose, was made to do funny faces by pushing my jaw out and asked how many pillows I sleep on. I know there is a reason for all of these thing [not sure about the pillows though] but they did make me laugh.

Anyway booked in for 7.30 next Thursday.

MaryAnnSingleton · 30/04/2010 15:43

well done ! and will be sending good vibes to you for next week.
The heart monitor thingys kept sliding off me at my pre-op and a ridiculously young child doctor checked me over !

smee · 30/04/2010 19:09

Good point Mondami - I'm recently diagnosed because I found a lump and took myself to the doctors. If I'd not found it or waited 'til the routine screening at 50 to put it bluntly I'd be dead. Lots of countries screen from 40. And did you know they've now decided women who have children post 35 have a higher risk?? I can see they don't want people exposed to unnecessary x-ray, but I know which I'd prefer given the choice.

MaryAnnSingleton · 30/04/2010 21:10

yes, that is a point Smee. I had ds at 38 - obviously the more oestrogen you have in your body from having either early menstruation or late menopause and either having children later or not at all, is possibly a cause.

solo · 01/05/2010 01:25

Eeek! I was 34 and nearly 43.

MaryAnnSingleton · 01/05/2010 08:55

Don't worry too much solo - it's only 1 factor. If you breastfeed that's a really good thing.Unfortunately I had huge problems trying to feed ds so had to bottle feed.

silentcatastrophe · 01/05/2010 12:02

I was pretty ancient when my dds were born. They don't like doing mammograms on younger women because often the breast tissue is too dense. Basically our tits are still too perky! I will be having MRI scans now. It's pretty crap in some ways because they see EVERYTHING My remaining boob is ok but they're looking at the rubber one.

I think there are risk factors, but they are not necessarily the cause. I find it alarming how little they do know. At least they're making inroads. I had cells they'd never seen before.

solo · 01/05/2010 12:58

Wow silent! you will have cells named after you for sure! wont be very comforting having cells called silent catastrophe cells though will it?
Sorry, I shouldn't joke about such a serious issue.

I'm still bfing Dd at 3.4. She wont give up and I don't mind...hey ho! so, so far, I've breast fed for almost 5 years of my life! ha!

MaryAnnSingleton · 01/05/2010 13:40

well that's good protection for you solo !

solo · 01/05/2010 14:35

Good protection and probably very saggy boobs!

smee · 01/05/2010 17:53

Sorry, I really didn't want to scare anyone. As MAS says it's just one factor, but unless I'm going mad (quite probable!) when I first got pregnant (which is only six years back) the theory then was that pregnancy helped to prevent Breast Cancer. Seems now they've changed their minds, but not a lot of people know that. I was amazed when my Consultant told me that leaving children until late thirties might possibly have triggered it for me. I think women should at least be told of the higher risk.

MaryAnnSingleton · 02/05/2010 08:52

interestingly I wasn't asked about when I'd had ds -or whether I'd breastfed. Am quite concerned about my friends who have had no children.

solo · 03/05/2010 23:35

bumping!