I wanted to write this post as my partner recently went through a breast cancer scare and having read some of the messages on this forum, I promised myself good or bad I would write our story as I found so many of the posts uplifting and honest that I thought it might help other women.

Three weeks ago but 41 year old partner found a round lump in her left breast on the side. It was about 2cm in length and hard. We were obviously concerned, her grandmother had had breast cancer so it ran in the family. She booked a GP appointment and the GP said 'ooh yes I can definitely feel it' and submitted a referral to the hospital. Fortunately the hospital were very quick to respond and had her in for a mammogram and ultrasound within 8 days. 
 

Needless to say, those 8 days were the worst, most stressful days ever. I can't really put into words how terrifying it is. We had planned to try for a baby in January and you can imagine how devestated we were to think that that may not be possible. I Googled a lot ( which was both helpful and not helpful in one ), I felt from what I read it was a cyst but on feeling the lump, it was very hard, did not move and had no pain so I decided it may not be that and could be something else.

On the day of the hospital appointment we were very nervous. The staff at Frimley Park were wonderful to my partner. I waited in the car as was not allowed in due to Covid. She has the mammogram first and messaged me to say that the nurse was completely poker faced so no insight into anything there. She was then told that the Consultant was around that afternoon so she might be able to see him. That shook us a bit as you naturally wonder what they've seen on the mammogram.

Then came the ultrasound. There was a nurse doing the procedure and a Consultant overseeing. Within 60 seconds, the nurse told my partner it was 'a cyst'. In disbelief my partner asked 'how do you know?' And the answer was that it was clear on the screen. The nurse said she could drain it which my partner agreed to and that was actually a good decision as whilst she could have left it, there would have been a lump there until it sorted itself out and I think psychologically it is better that it disappears for the woman.

She texted me the word 'cyst - coming out now' and I almost cried tears of joy. I couldn't believe it was that simple.

Now I know that not all women are that lucky, however what I wanted to do with this post is reassure some women that even when you think the lump is big, or hard, or painless or immovable that does not equal cancer. This was a simple cyst that actually had no characteristics of a cyst really but was actually fine. 
 

people said to my partner in the week leading up to the tests that 'most of the time it's fine' yet we couldn't believe that as your mind naturally jumps to the worst case scenario, but I urge you to not panic too much, be calm and believe everything is alright.