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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:
AWellHungParliament · 16/05/2010 01:22

I do check mine regularly. To the point of paranoia.
I am currently premenstrual and sore and have been undertaking a lot of exercise with badly fitting bras so have managed to convince myself that there is Something Wrong(there isn't actually, I've checked).

This is a very good thread though and a title to keep in active convos.
Hence my nonsense post, to bump.

solo · 16/05/2010 01:35

Thank you. Great name btw!!!

MaryAnnSingleton · 16/05/2010 08:52

thanks AWellhung..I hope you are now well hung in comfy bras ! am sure I am probably not wearing the right size !

ifancyashandy · 16/05/2010 10:06

Hi Venus what the others said - go get it checked. More likely to be a cyst but Docs won't make you feel like a time waster AT ALL.

Can't post much more as am at my parents - my mum is in hospital. I would love to be able to talk to her about her experiences with breast cancer (I was a young teen when she first had it) but really don't feelI can right now. I do need to ask her some 'medical history' questions but then it will become all about me when she needs the attention at the moment. She's elderly. I guess I'll ask / tell her if the results next Friday show it is cancer. Going to be a long week.... hope everyone else is doing ok.

Shanti - if only the adrenaline rushes were for something we were looking forward to, huh? Sending hugs.

MaryAnnSingleton · 16/05/2010 10:59

shantshanti - will be thinking of you tomorrow - sending lots of good vibes.
ifancy- it must be so hard - wanting to talk to your mum- she will want to know of course, but wait until you know what's what..remember you can share with us here...take care

ifancyashandy · 16/05/2010 12:11

MaryAnn I think you are bloody marvellous. Thank you for so much support.

Can I just very quicky ask anyone else's experience with this... one of the things that I am finding weird is that I feel, well.....well. I mean, I don't feel ill at all. Is that normal? If the lump does turn out to be malignant, surely I would be feeling ill?

MaryAnnSingleton · 16/05/2010 12:18

oh crikey ifancy - I'm blushing
That's the very weird thing - to feel perfectly well yet have something wrong (or potentially wrong ) with you - very hard to get your head around. I look back at some photos taken shortly after diagnosis and think, blimey I had cancer then, but i seem well & healthy.

Amapoleon · 16/05/2010 17:30

Shanti, will be thinking of you tomorrow.

Mary , don't blush, you deserve it

shantishanti · 16/05/2010 19:34

ifancy that is exactly the feeling I had last year when I had cancer. I felt absolutely fine and fit, but knew I had something that would eventually kill me if I didn't let them do something about it. Very weird feeling.
However, something to hang onto is that the fact that you are feeling fine and have no symptoms is a good thing - because if you did have symptoms any cancer would be likely to be much more advanced. No symptoms means probably very treatable. And anyway, as we keep having to remind ourselves - its probably just a cyst anyway.
Fingers and everything else crossed for tomorrow. Bit numb about it actually, but know I'll be terrified come the morning.

Oh, and venus my lump is about pea size. The doc was brilliant, said that most of the time these kind of lumps are nothing to worry about but that they take ANY lump seriously and check it out.

MaryAnnSingleton · 16/05/2010 21:41

courage shanti - thinking of you !

ifancyashandy · 16/05/2010 23:19

Thank you Shanti. And what MaryAnn said -really will be thinking of you. I might not be able to get online till the evening but will offer up a wish for you. And remember, it really is OK to be terrified.

Amapoleon · 17/05/2010 09:03

Hi, well another instalment! I woke up this morning in a pool of blood. I must have turned on my front in the night. I've phoned the breast nurse and she says it's probably normal and it is just a haematoma left over from the operation. Thank goodness! I did panic though as it was like something out of a horror movie.

smee · 17/05/2010 09:59

Amapoleon, poor you - as if you needed that on top of everything. I'd say it's normal too - I know I had loads of fluid that was very blood coloured after my op. I had a drain fitted so it had somewhere to go, but if you don't then I'd guess that's the answer. Only worry is infection, so make sure the wound's clean and any sign of a problem go get it checked as you might need antibiotics. Don't leave it if you even vaguely suspect one as that'd be another thing you wouldn't need.

Fingers crossed all day for shanti here too. Hope you come back to us with only good news.

MaryAnnSingleton · 17/05/2010 11:51

yikes Amapoleon - that must've been a scary thing -but agree with smee...hope it heals v quickly.

Amapoleon · 17/05/2010 12:02

Thanks all! Did any of you wear bras to bed after your ops, my mum is insistent that my not wearing one is the cause?

smee · 17/05/2010 12:24

I was told not to wear one, but to cover with a dressing if it was irritated/ rubbing.

MaryAnnSingleton · 17/05/2010 13:19

I wore one for a bit as I thought it'd hold everything together !

MaryAnnSingleton · 17/05/2010 19:53

hope all is ok shantishanti

shantishanti · 17/05/2010 19:57

What a relief! All is well for me. It's just normal lumpy breast tissue, probably gone lumpy due to post-pregnancy and breastfeeding hormone changes. Phew. I can't tell you how relieved I am, I had really talked myself into it being cancer...

Thank you so much everyone for your lovely support and wishes. Really helped me to get through the week.

Amapoleon, that sounds really awful. Must have been scary!

MaryAnnSingleton · 17/05/2010 21:20

hooray hooray hooray !!!!!! go celebrate ! am really pleased for you shanti xx

smee · 17/05/2010 21:26

Yeay for shanti!! That's fantastic news. Hope you're celebrating.

Amapoleon · 17/05/2010 21:27

Fantastic news Shanti, what a relief!

solo · 18/05/2010 01:13

Excellent news! Very pleased and relieved for you shanti.

ifancyashandy · 18/05/2010 08:08

FABULOUS news! Hope you celebrated with wine / chocolate / cuddles!

shantishanti · 18/05/2010 19:38

Thanks everyone. We opened a very nice bottle of wine last night!