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Anxiety Ridden Waiting For Doctors Appointment - Breast Lump

Char93
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Hi folks! 

Last month noticed one of my breasts swelling larger than the other, thought nothing of it as it was near my cycle. This month have experienced quite a bit of pain in the same breast after my cycle so did a self examiniation and found a long shaped lump. The pain seems to be originating from the lump too, it's a dull ache all day but sharp pain when touched or if you move and disrupt it. Doesn't move much when touched and is a long, odd bumpy shaped lump on the right upper outer edge. 

I suffer with anxiety and of course this has got my head in a spin. Contacted the doctors and they said it's not likely cancerous but to get me in for them to look at. Which was great until I was told the only appointment they have is 3 weeks away, this is just an exam with a doctor so if it's anything sinister there will be another 2 week wait on top of that. I'm trying to avoid Dr Google but it feels like the only thing I can do at the moment.

As you can imagine I'm a bit of a mess at the moment, can't focus and with the throbbing pain it's hard to forget about it! 

Any words of wisdom on how to cope or if it is normal for such a wait with things like this? You obviously read the earlier you catch it the better so it seems odd it's such a long time to wait for the initial examination. 

Thank you in advance! 

Char 

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    Hi [@Char93]‍ 

    It is horrible to suffer with Anxiety and then when something like this happens it does make your mind work overtime and find it hard to focus on anything else.

    I am not a Doctor or medically trained so anything I say here is just from my own experience and no-one could possibly diagnose anything on here, we just help and support each other.

    Waiting for appointments when your worried is so hard to deal with, I had a breast cyst two and a half years ago and that grew quickly, became very noticeable and did cause me pain, there are other things that can occur within your breasts other than cancer, but our natural reaction is to worry about the worse thing. It is possibly / potentially a cyst and your Doctor will of course be the right one to diagnose this for you. If it is a breast cyst, if it is causing you pain you will still be referred to the breast clinic, as they will do scans and also aspirate it for you if you wish for it to be popped - which is a simple and quick and relatively painless procedure - which I was so glad to have mine done because of the size and pain!! They really look after you and as a bonus if you can look at it in this way, the scans they do, are a great base line for future scans and it will put your mind at ease that nothing else is going on in there... And unfortunately waiting is a process we all hate but it is part of the system..

  • Offline in reply to Kay-D

    Hi there @Kay-D !

     

    Thank you so much for your kind message. 

    Of course, it definitely helps to hear other people are going through similar situations helps you feel less alone in it all!  Your advice and information is incredibly helpful thank you. I really don't know what to expect apart from what I've read online (and Dr Google is not a place for anxiety haha)

    I'm nearly one week down so just another week to go, I think my anxiety, mixed with my fears of even attending doctors / hospitals has just sent me in a tailspin. Trying to distract myself with anything and everything until the date. 

    Thank you again though it really does mean alot!

     

     

  • Offline in reply to Char93

    Hi [@Char93]‍ 

    Dr Google is a very dangerous place to spend your time but it so easily done and by many of us.

    I used to love photography, but even that I find difficult to muster the motivation, I do paint and have painted some lovely scenes and hung them in my room and I find my self gazing into them and they really help calm me and make me feel relaxed, but we are all different and just need to find something to pass just a bit of time so we are not so focused on waiting, but alot easier said than done.

    I hope this next week does pass by quickly for you and please let us know how you get on. x

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