Hi Lorna,

A very warm welcome to our forum.

You have come to the right place for support and advice, as most of us on this forum, either have/have had cancer, or are caring for someone with it. We usually advise people not to go to google at this stage, as most of the cases are aimed at the more spectacular and newsworthy cases. They won't pertain to you, and, as you've discovered, they only serve to scare you further. Many people here have had similar symptoms, with varying results.

A number of people have naturally lumpy breasts. Not all lumps are cancerous. Many turn out to be  benign cysts, fibroadenoma or due to hormonal changes. It is a fact that only 20% of all referrals to the breast clinic, get a cancer diagnosis.

I know what a worrying time this is, but you have done the right thing in getting it investigated. It can indeed be very frustrating and even annoying when well-meaning family and friends keep trying to reassure us that all will be ok. They tend to look on the bright side, whilst we tend to give rein to our imaginations, which can take us to some dark places. Fortunately, the reality is seldom as bad as we envisage.

I am glad to hear that you already have your appointment through for 2nd January. We usually advise people to keep themselves busy, during this wait - that shouldn't be difficult, with Christmas so close.

I myself, have had 2 bouts of breast cancer, That was 14 years ago and I still lead a busy and fulfilling life. What ages are your daughters?  If it does turn out to be cancer, you can get a BRCA test carried out to see the likelihood of it being genetic, and the possibility of it passing from one generation to the next.

Please keep in touch and let us know how you get on and remember, that we are always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Thank you Jolamine for your response.  I have only told 2 people and haven’t really engaged in discussion about it with them.  I do feel for them because they don’t know what to say and neither would I in their position.  I’ve taken the route of trying to ignore what’s going on until the appointment.  Easier said than done but it definitely helps being Christmas and the fact I’ve got a broken ankle so everything’s taking four times as long anyway.

i hope you have a lovely Christmas and thank you again for reaching out, it really helped x

Hi Lorna,

Unless people have had first hand experience of cancer, many are unsure what to say. It certainly isn't easy to ignore what is going on, no matter how hard you try, but no amount of worry will change the outcome. I am so sorry to hear about your broken ankle - it can't be easy dealing with that at such a busy time of year.

Thinking of you and wishing you a Very Happy Christmas.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx