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Follow up after mammogram and really need some advice.

Gigi_advice
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Hi, I posted here 10 months or so about lumps found while breastfeeding my new born. I had an exam by consultant and he wasn't worried at all but said to have a routine mammogram when I'd finished feeding my baby. I had the mammogram last week (my baby is almost a year) and I got a call to come back for an ultrasound as one breast is denser than other. The breast in question has always been painful and a bit bigger than the other. I've also alway had shoulder pain on this side (for years!) and I'm gone into panic mode that not only do I have breast cancer but that it's spread. I know I'm jumping so far ahead but I can feel so many aches and pains on this side that I'd been kind of ignoring. My breast looks relatively normal with none of the typical visual symptoms you might have with breast cancer. Sorry I'm rambling but any advice or reassurance would be welcome. 

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    Hi Gigi, I have had breast cancer twice (still got it in fact) and on both occasions I could feel a hard immovable lump in my breast.  I had no pain at all.  The only other signs that I had that something was wrong was that I kept feeling very tired, but because I am my husband's carer, I simply put it down to that.  I know it is frightening when you are going through stuff like this, but honestly, it could be so many different things that are causing the denseness in your breast.  Try to keep yourself really busy, I found that doing things to distract myself helped when awaiting results and scans and mammograms.  Take care, Violet, x

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    Hi

    I hope the consultant explained to you that dense breast tissue is,common, especialally in young woman, and is not in itself abnormal, However, dense breast tissue can make it harder to evaluate the results of your mammogram as everything is white on the mammogram scan and therefore the technology is switched to ultrasound so the radiographer can get a better look at the breast tissue.

    Breast pain on its own is not one of the symptoms of breast cancer and one breast bigger than the other is quite common.

    I think you know you are focusing on the worst-case scenario rather than just dealing with facts. It's easy to do as it can be emotional and frightening but to date, no one has said you may have cancer, no biopsies taken and all they want to do is make sure they get proper scans of your dense breast,

    Try and focus on the current state of play and keep your unfounded fears in check.

    Enjoy your baby, they really are a blessing x

     

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    Hi,

    As Magpimaggie says, it may just be because you have dense breast tissue. I'm 32 and on my first appointment at the breast clinic, they gave me an ultrasound first rather than a mammogram due to my age.

    Also as Magpiemaggie has said, breast pain isn't normally associated with breast cancer. 

    90% of breast clinic referrals are not cancer so just try to stick with those thoughts until your appointment and try to keep yourself busy .

    Fingers crossed for you x 

  • Offline in reply to Violetgirl

    Thanks everyone, appreciate your replies. Stay well x 

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