Small lump in large breast

[Adviceplease123456]

I’ve found a small very hard lump in my breast - it’s roughly the size of a pea but shaped more like a balloon with a pointed end. I obviously need tk go to the gp but the issue is my breasts are quite large and very deflated thanks to breastfeeding 3 kids! So it can be quite hard to find and get the right angle to feel it - sometimes it can take me ages, but then it’s so obvious when I find it. Will the Gp refer me on anyway if they can’t feel it themselves? I doubt they’ll sit there for 10 mins as i prod around for a needle in a haystack! I never go to the GP and am the opposite of a hypochondriac - many times I think I should probably have gone but am so worried about being fobbed off and them thinking I’m wasting their time I don’t go. I’m so worried of plucking up the courage to gl in there and then them saying sorry can’t feel it, won’t do anything.
has anyone had experience of similar?

Please don't hesitate to get this checked. The gp would absolutely you rather go.
I found a small lump earlier this year. Then I couldn't feel it again but it was playing on my mind so went to get it checked out.
Most lumps are absolutely harmless - my sister and at least two of my friends have had lumps that turned out to be nothing sinister at all.
Mine turned out to be breast cancer but it was caught early. I've been very lucky - but I nearly didn't go because I didn't want the worry and thought i was being silly. Book that appointment tomorrow. Good luck xxx

They will likely ask you to lie down and put your arm over your head as it's often the best position to feel something.

My educated guess is that you will be referred for an ultrasound, mammogram and breast surgeon appt all in one day. One of those scans will pick up if anything is there

And just to add the gp couldn't feel mine - but she took me seriously when I said I'd found it and referred my on the 2 week wait to get it scanned x

Ok thank you so much for the reassuring prod - that is exactly what I needed. I have just messaged the surgery to get an appointment booked in. Hopefully they’ll see on my records I haven’t been in over 3 years and realise it is seriously worrying me.
two of my friends have recently been diagnosed with breast cancer with no family history so I realised that I have to swallow my usual mistrust of GPs

Draw a circle around where it is and take note of what position you were in when you found it

Former breast cancer patient here, glad you're getting it checked. Hopefully you'll be seen within a couple of weeks. Like others have said, there are so many things it can be other than cancer and it's far better to be checked. I also had no family history. Good luck!

Thank you, this is such an obvious suggestion I hadn’t thought of. I’ve marked it now in case I manage to get an appointment today.

Just to update I’ve got a call booked Thursday morning with a rapid diagnostic service - very bizzare, it’s a 30 min virtual call with a nurse to discuss your symptoms and decide on next steps - she said that could be to visit a GP, referral on two week pathway, or a wait and see…which seems crazy without actually seeing someone in person but might make it easier for me to not just dismiss my worries and push to be seen if over phone not in person! Sounds like a new pilot scheme they’ve implemented - will report back!

Wtaf?

I'd be refusing that appointment for an appt with a doctor..

How can they possibly say what's for the best over the phone?

Btw op, I go to the doctors loads (hrt, other stuff) and no one has ever suggested I'm wasting their time.

And absolutely do not apologise when you speak to someone. You have just as much right to be seen.

agreed it’s so weird. If they say “wait and see” on Thursday morning I’ll be booking an app with GP then and there! Luckily quite easy to get at our surgery so wouldn’t be a long wait. But I’m hoping over the phone I can emphasise my symptoms more to be taken seriously without them saying “nah can’t really feel it”.

I wouldn't explain yourself as such. I'd be very firm and say "I've found a hard lump in my breast and I would like a referral to the breast clinic under the two week pathway". The end. It sounds like some sort of weird triage system but this is not an occasion where this is appropriate IMO.

I'm in a similar boat in that I've found a hard lump that definitely wasn't there last month. I also am on the larger side!

When I phoned for a GP appt I got a return call by a GP that morning and she said there was no point in seeing me, and immediately referred me on the 2 week pathway. Im waiting to hear about an appointment with the breast clinic.

I think you need to be very firm on Thursday and make it very clear you want a face to face appointment asap!

All the best. Hope that you get good news

Really hope you get an appointment quickly and all is simple! I suddenly realised I’m covered by my husband’s private medical insurance through his work so I rang them today and have an app at a one stop check centre next Thursday. (I was surprised it took that long even private but I’m sure a bit quicker than NHS in any case). I’ll update next week.

Brilliant. Good luck!