Hi Cf5,

A very warm welcome to our forum. I am not a doctor, but have discovered from reading this forum that ladies of your age are less likely to have cancer than older ladies. Your GP has examined you and didn't feel concerned which is good news. Not all lumps are cancerous. It is common to get cysts or fibroadenoma or other far less worrying outcomes. Your GP has left it open for you to return to see her again if you remain concerned.

Try not to check your breasts all the time, as this will only make them sorer, but if you remain unconvinced that all id ok, please get a referral to put your mind at ease.

Please keep in touch and let us know what you decide to do. We are always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine,

Thanks for your reply. I'm going to try and not touch it so often and see how I feel in a few weeks time - I need to try and trust my GP more but I wish I didn't have so much anxiety around my body, and I guess I'm a bit freaked out as I wish it wasn't there at all. I know we can't control these things though. 

I'm happy that I went to get it checked though so at least that's a positive step and I'll try to take some comfort in that. I'll let you know how things go if I go back to the doctors. 

Thank you for listening, I really appreciate it. xx

Hi Cf5,

As I said before, we are always here for you, so please keep in touch and let us know what you decide to do.

I hope that everything settles down for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine,

I didn't have a very good day yesterday and a terrible sleep last night. I phoned the doctors today and he's going to have me back in on the 19th to check my breasts during a different time in my cycle. He was really lovely about everything. There's another area I'm concerned about in my left breast so I'll speak to him about it then.

Thank you xx

Hi Cf5,

I am sorry to hear about this new area and your disturbed sleep. I am glad to hear that your GP is going to see you on 19th and hope that he can put your mind to rest.

Please let me know how you get on.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine,

I suspect this new area I've found has been there for a while - I always check in the shower, breathe in and run my hands and fingers over both breasts. Before I was digging in too hard and becoming obsessed with every feeling.

Now that I'm becoming worried and consumed again, I've noticed this lump/thickening that doesn't feel like the surrounding tissue or the same side in the other breast. I have no idea if it's a good or a bad thing that I haven't noticed before when I check in the shower. Maybe it's normal for me or it just felt like part of my rib but I worry in case I've missed something bad, and that the doctors have too. It's roughly 2cm long and 1cm wide.

I know there are more positives than negatives going for me but I just can't get my hopes up.

Thanks again for listening xx 

Hi Cf5,

Many of us tend to find additional areas to worry about after we find something out of the ordinary. Try not to overthink these, as most can be attributed to anxiety rather than anything untoward.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine,

I've now been referred to the breast clinic - GP didn't have me back in to feel the new lump but I'm glad I've been referred. This lump is completely pain less and I just have a feeling it's bad news.

When I pull my breast back a little bit I can actually see the lump through the skin as well. I just hope that if it's bad then I've caught it at an earlier stage.

Thank you for being there xx

Hi Cf5,

I am glad to hear that your GP has referred you to the breast clinic. You will usually be seen within 2 weeks from referral, although this can take slightly longer with the current pandemic. Not all lumps turn out to be cancerous, so here's hoping that this is just a cyst or something similar.

Please let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.

KInd regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Cf5,

I am glad to hear that your GP has referred you to the breast clinic. You will usually be seen within 2 weeks from referral, although this can take slightly longer with the current pandemic. Not all lumps turn out to be cancerous, so here's hoping that this is just a cyst or something similar.

Please let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.

KInd regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine,

I have an appointment on the 19th - not too long to wait thankfully but every day feels like a month at the moment. Hopefully it's something benign but I'm not convinced this time. I just hope that if it's something bad then it's caught at an earlier stage. 

Thanks again for all your support xx

Hi Cf5,

Did you have both breasts examined two years ago, or just the one? If there was nothing obvious there then, you should be catching this early on if there is something suspicious.

Keeping my fingers crossed.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine,

Yeah, had both breasts examined but just the right breast had an ultrasound. 
 

I'm just terrified that it'll be stage four - the lump under my armpit could be a lymph node where it's spread to and none of us have realised. I keep beating myself up that I wasn't checking well enough. I thought I was being thorough but now I feel like it's my fault and I won't have a fighting chance. Just feeling so scared as I've heard younger women can have more aggressive cancers. 
xx

Hi Cf5,

Don't beat yourself up. Look at the worst case scenario. Even if it has spread to the lymph nodes, these can be removed. If it has spread to other parts these can be zapped with chemo or radiotherapy. Having said this, it is more likely to be early stage if anything and, this is easier to deal with.

It is all the unknowns that tend to set our minds racing. Try to keep busy to distract yourself from the wait for your appointmentand, whatever you do, steer clear of the internet, as this will only scare you further.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine,

I just keep shaking all the time. I feel like my lymph nodes are all showing up on the same side now, and I can feel flat, smooth almost glass like lumps around the lump of concern now and a few leading up towards the armpit. I just can't believe this is happening. 
xx

Hi Cf5,

From what I have read on this site, most of the smooth lumps are not the ones to worry about. It is the more ragged edged ones that can prove problematic. I know that it's hard to believe that this is happening. Many of us are almost in denial at this stage, so how you are feeling is perfectly normal.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine,

The main lump of concern feels that way to me. My family and friends keep snapping at me for not thinking positively but they don't have what I have, and it doesn't feel good. I feel like I'm being realistic. 
 

I just I haven't been too late in finding it but I'm desperate to know. You just want to give yourself the best chance possible for treatment purposes.

So sorry to be messaging you so late. I just feel like I need to get my feelings out there. 
 

Thank you xx

Hi Cf5,

You can message me at any time. It is hard to be positive all the time and it is good to be realistic too. That way, if the diagnosis turns out to be unfavourable, you are in some small way, prepared for it. On the other hand, if nothing untoward is found you are free to celebrate.

We're always here whenever you want to express your feelings.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine,

I had an examination today from a consultant (unfortunately I couldn't get an ultrasound today) and he doesn't seem concerned. Part of me feels relieved but it all happened so fast - I feel like he barely examined me and he only used the palm of his hands. I'm worried in case he missed the areas that I'm worried about, they just feel so sinister to me. I have a hard time trusting doctors due to health anxiety - I just don't want to get my hopes up but I'll try to take some comfort. 
 

I should be able to get an ultrasound in 2 weeks time so I'll let you know how that goes. Thank you for being there. Xx

Hi Cf5,

Thank you for the update. I'm sorry to hear that you couldn't get your ultrasound today and, that you don't feel totally reassured by your consultant's examination. It is good to hear that you will still get the ultrasound in 2 weeks, so take heart that your consultant is not discharging you without any further tests and, wants to be absolutely certain.

You will normally find that most consultants have seen so many cancer patients that they are pretty accurate with their own gut feelings. I sincerely hope that this will be the case for you. I look forward to hearing the outcome.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx