Lump on my breast - hand hold please...

[Bloom007]

Just that… a lump in my breast. I felt it last night, and I feel like the ground has shifted beneath me. It’s in the lower inner quadrant, hard, about the size between a chickpea and a pea. My heart sank the moment I realized it was there. I know this isn’t the most common location for breast cancer, and I’m still fairly young, in my 30s, but I can’t shake the fear.

I keep checking it—over and over—sitting up, standing up, lying down, arm up, arm down, you name it. Just trying to convince myself it’s not there, that its my lobules, that I made it up. But it’s there. It’s too defined.

My husband is away for business, 13 hours away by plane, and won’t be back until Friday. I can’t bring myself to tell him—I don’t want to worry him from so far away, and I rather tell him in person, not on a call/FaceTime. I feel so sick to my stomach...

Right now, I just need to say it out loud. I’m scared.

Thanks so much, everyone, for the words of encouragement! 💪🏻

This particular GP surgery is absolutely shocking when it comes to making appointments—honestly, it’s a whole other story. Online forms aren’t reviewed until later in the day, so it would be another full day of waiting, I’ve used that system before for something else unrelated, and it wasn’t any smoother. Over the years, I’ve lodged several complaints and had my fair share of heated conversations with them. Normally, I’m pretty good at standing my ground and speaking up, but I think today’s just not the day....

This was me, a year ago. Found a lump, a big one and about had a heart attack. Called the GP, no appointments available for a month and no, they didn’t consider it urgent because of my age (mid 40s). Definitely wasn’t waiting a month so long story short, went private and it was all sorted within literally 2 days. It was a cyst. And yours very very likely is too. But I can absolutely understand how you feel. Would it be an option for you to go private?

@Wheredidallthegoodmengo

GPs surgery's seem to really vary.

I did the online form and they wanted to see me the same day. I was on holiday but they were really insistent that I saw them as soon as possible.

Lucky you. Mine were and still are, shit. We don’t have an “on line” form option either!
I have entirely given up with them now and use the private GP but at £120 a time I am very fortunate to be able to afford it in an emergency. Obviously, not everyone can. And we shouldn’t have to.

@Wheredidallthegoodmengo Yes, I have private insurance which I can use and it covers GP but it's only video appointments and obviously I need hand of exam for this one. I'll see what's gonna happen tomorrow, I'm actually not calling them, decided to just show up at 6:40am and wait till they open at 7am, so I'm first in.
I'm glad to hear that yours turn out to be nothing serious x

I'm also in my 30s. This happened to me last year. I'd had a run of bad health and feeling awful so convinced myself this was why when I found the lump.

It was hard and felt like a little ball bearing but it didn't really move which I'd read was a bad sign. They did an ultrasound and tried to drain it but it wouldn't drain so they said it must be a solid lump. It got biopsied and sent away - worst 10 day wait ever but it turned out to be something called a fibroadenoma which is not cancerous. I can still feel it now but they don't remove them unless they grow really big.

The breast clinic were amazing and the doctor did say before the biopsy that whilst they have to wait for the results, it was presenting as benign as it moved! News to me as I thought it didn't move. So try not to make any assessment of things until you've had the appointment but I know it's hard

If you have an option to wait at your gp (mine don’t) that’s a good idea! But, if you’ve got private health, it might be worth paying for a private gp? They can refer you to the breast clinic (I came out of my private gp appointment white faced and terrified after the gp said it was “definitely concerning”) and the lovely lovely lady who makes the appointments took one look at my face and squeezed me into the breast clinic the following day, at which point my private health kicked in. I know how scary and awful it is and I’m sending a massive hand hold. The odds are absolutely with you op and it probably is nothing xx

For anyone wondering… I managed to see the GP first thing this morning. Up at 5:30am, got to the surgery at 6:40 a.m. to make sure I was first in line (they open at 7 a.m.), and by the time the doors opened, there were already 10 of us standing outside.

Despite that, the receptionist still made a fuss. “We don’t do walk-ins,” she said. Yes, I know. But I called yesterday, and you had no appointments—and I have a lump in my breast that needs checking. Plus, I have to be in London for a 10 a.m. meeting. I can’t just wait all morning. Eventually, she reluctantly gave me an appointment at 7:20 a.m.

The GP was polite enough, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t really listening. I explained that I’d found a small, distinct lump, and she did the usual breast exam—two fingers, big circular motions. When I told her it’s much easier to feel when I’m lying down, that when I sit up it’s not that obviously she tried again, but still using just two fingers. “I can’t feel anything,” she said. But I could feel her pressing on it. Maybe if her gloves wasn’t 3 sizes too big she would felt it better….

But she referred me. When I checked my NHS notes later, I saw she’d written, “breast tissue felt lumpy.” 🤨

But at least the wheel is in motion now. I’ve got my email, text message, the lot—the referral is official. Now, we wait

Well done OP. Excellent idea to just turn up ready for them to be open and be first in line, and well done for advocating for yourself and pushing for that appointment.

It can be a bit overwhelming going to the breast clinic if you've not been before, but the breast nurses are usually absolutely lovely. I had one occasion in my 20s where I had to have a lump biopsied, and I was petrified waiting for the results. HOWEVER, it turned out to be a fibroadenoma - totally benign.

I really hope your breast clinic appointment goes well.

Good for you turning up in person. I might try that myself when I next have issues in trying to get a GP appointment.

The breast clinics I've experienced are so helpful and they are all very kind. Waiting is the hardest bit so keep yourself busy.

From previous responses, I understand that not all GP surgeries offer this, but its always worth trying. We are on a commuter line, so the general (unwritten) rule has always been that those heading to London in the morning can usually secure an early appointment. It changed slightly after Covid.

Otherwise, I have no idea how I would be able to get an appointment by phone. Normally, but the time I finally get through on the phone, the lines have been engaged for ages, and by the time I reach the end of the queue, every appointment is gone.

Thank you. Yesterday, I was completely deflated. In the end, I told my husband over FaceTime—he could tell something was wrong straight away, and, honestly, I’m a terrible liar. I needed that conversation more than I realized; it gave me the extra energy I so badly needed.

This morning, I woke up thinking, “There is no way they’re turning me away today.” Gave my cat a cuddle on the way out—who, in true cat fashion, wanted absolutely none of it 🥲😂—but still, I feel recharged, whatever comes my way 💪🏻

Hope you hear soon from the referral and you get seen quickly. Good luck OP xx

@Bloom007 as regards the appointment system, the majority of health centres are notorious for getting dr appointments! I remember phoning up for day and one day i was fourth or fifth in line/ no appointments left!! I asked the receptionist exactly how many appointments were available before they opened up the lines and she very embarassedly said ONE!!! one appointment when there were probably another hundred behind me in the phone queue!!! I was disgusted!! but apparently you cannot prebook so how does the system get full? i dont understand it!!

Good luck xx

Op just to prepare you the two week wait isn’t a thing anymore. It’s now an “urgent referall” and the target is to get you a yes/no on cancer diagnosis within 30 days. This could mean you are still seen in 14 days or it could mean (like me) you are seen a little later. I was 25 days which was awful but I think it was made worse that I was expecting it to be sooner.

Yeah, it’s incredibly difficult to get an appointment at any time of the day. I completely understand that some conditions are considered less urgent than others, and they try to triage patients, but my experience over the past two days has left me wondering what exactly a patient has to say to be taken seriously.

Yesterday, despite explaining that I’d found a lump in my breast, I was told there were no appointments available. Today, when I showed up in person, I was given a reluctant, begrudging appointment—as if I was asking for a favor rather than seeking necessary medical care.

It really makes me wonder: what does a patient need to present with to receive a bit of compassion and some urgency? In my clinic, everything seems non-urgent. It’s a large practice with at least five doctors, and they bring locum dr as well, yet getting seen feels like an impossible task. I’m honestly baffled.

well done standing your ground! But what a hassle. I should say that my GP seemed to do a much more thorough examination, she felt all round my armpits and compared to my other side, arms up, arms down etc. I asked if she could feel what I was feeling and she said she could so at least I didn't feel like I was going mad. I've now got a new appointment for next wednesday, this was after being placed back on the list on monday, so hopefully you will be seen as quickly and we can both just move on.

Mine was good she had a feel and said even if she couldn't find anything she would refer as she accepts I know when my own breasts are not right.

@Bloom007 So glad you were seen and are now in the system. I presented just before covid kicked in and they were reluctant to refer, insisting that it was "probably" a cyst and to watch and wait. I know my body and my boobs and knew it was dodgy. Thank goodness I'm able to speak up because I said I wasn't leaving until I got my referral. Thank goodness I did.

After the second lockdown, I had an accident that necessitated a trip to A&E. I was just about finished with BC treatment but was sat next to a woman who had been trying for months to see her GP because she had a lump and they wouldn't see her. So she presented in A&E and said she'd wait as long as she needed but she was going to be seen. She'd bought a book, blanket and slippers so she was comfortable. It was outrageous that she had to do that. I hope she had a good outcome. It's absolutely shocking that anybody should be in that position and unable to access basic GP care. So many people must have dreadful outcomes because of the way things are now.

I wish you lots of luck. Use your thread here if you need support, but as I say, try not to worry, it's far more likely to be nothing.

@Wheredidallthegoodmengo

I think some people don't realise how bad services have got until they need to use them. I am lucky my GP surgery has been supportive. Other services / professionals I have had have not been.

It's awful that you've had to resort to private GPs.

@Bloom007

You've done so well advocating for yourself at such a worrying time. You should be proud of yourself.

Thank you. I have a lot of unresolved frustration with the NHS, and every time I have to deal with them, it feels like I’m gearing up for a fight. I can’t help it. When my mum had cancer, it wasn’t the disease that took her in the end—it was sepsis. She was rushed to the hospital by ambulance one night, only to be sent home the next day, even though she was clearly unwell. They told me she was fine. She wasn’t. I could have taken legal action, but what would that have done besides force me to relive the worst time of my life? We don’t need money, It wouldn’t bring her back and It wouldn’t change what happened.

Now, the idea of stepping foot in the same hospital where she died makes my stomach turn. I’ve avoided it for long time like a plague , but now I have no choice. I have to go to the breast clinic located in there. I think I rather be send to the moon. That's why it’s so important for me to speak up for myself—to make sure I’m heard, to make sure I’m not brushed aside the way she was.

Then, after everything today, I looked at my referral letter and saw that they’d marked me down as needing a translator. A translator. Yes, my native tongue isn’t English, but I’ve lived here for most of my adult life, I’m a British Citizen 😂! I certainly don’t need help understanding my own medical care. It’s a small thing, easily corrected—I called to fix it right away because I didn’t want any delays in case they searched for available translator I don’t need.

So while on the phone to the referral lady, I’m explaining to her (in English) that I don’t need a translator—obviously—and she, with huge surprise, says, “Oh, you don’t need one?” You couldn’t make this up. She was literally talking to me, in perfect English, and still seemed shocked. In that moment, all I could think was: if they got this wrong, what else will they get wrong?

So many emotions…

@Bloom007

I didn't want to worry you and say this before you said about your mum but my treatment was not great. My oncologist is useless and my breast cancer nurse hasn't been around at all.

I also at first wanted to be a 'good' patient. I let them railroad me into decisions that weren't right for me.

My daughter did the advocacy for me in the end.

I think one of the lessons I've had to learn from this cancer is not be such people pleasing doormat.

I’m so sorry to hear that. Stories like this are absolutely heartbreaking, and it’s devastating to think about how many people go through similar experiences—especially those who can’t advocate for themselves or have no one to fight for them.

I truly believe that some people should never work in the medical field. You either have the calling to help, or you don’t. And yet, time and time again, I see people in healthcare who seem to have lost all compassion and forgetting where they work. It’s not like they’re doing it for the money either, so I’ll never understand how someone can choose to work with the most vulnerable and still be so cold, dismissive, or outright rude.

My poor mother was only 69—no age at all.