Hi everyone.

I am 29 years old, and yesterday I found a hard lump on my left breast, just below the nipple. I was away at the weekend, and carrying a heavy backpack, so when I started experiencing an achy sort of feeling there on Sunday I figured I had just strained a muscle! However the pain got worse yesterday and by the evening it was driving me nuts, so I examined my breast to see if I could see anything and felt the lump. Fortunately I had a doctors appointment booked for this morning (for something else), so managed to get examined, and secured a referral to the breast clinic pretty quickly. The GP said that it doesn't "feel" sinister to her, and she suspects a Fibroadenoma, but obviously wants to check. She told me not to worry (ARGH!)

Unfortunately I have a fairly extensive family history of cancer. My mum passed away from oesophageal cancer when I was 17 - and hers was secondary when she was diagnosed, so we aren't sure where it originated. My dad is also in remission from cancer, and so is his brother - my uncle. His Dad also died from bowel cancer 7 years ago. My sister has also had "pre-cancerous" cells removed from her cervix a few years back. I'm so terrified that I these occurences will make a big C diagnosis more likely!

I am absolutely 120% freaking out, which I guess is to be expected, but I honestly don't know what to do with myself. The pain is slightly better today with ibuprofen, which is apparently a good sign according to the GP - and I have experienced no other symptoms in my arm pit or the surrounding areas. I do have a nipple piercing on that side, which was actually what I thought the soreness was in the first place - I don't know if a piercing can produce these kind of symptoms, has anyone else experienced something like that?! I feel so stupid asking all these questions and floundering around worrying before a definite answer, but I think my thoughts are just running away with me a bit.

Anyway. I guess the point of this post is to reach out to everyone currently waiting for an initial hospital appointment that feels alone. And to everyone else in between, and everyone living with a diagnosis. I hope everybody is feeling ok today.