Quote:
Originally posted by
Envy
I was never taught how to check mine, nor to know what I'm looking for.
Goth, Sarah, here is a REALLY simple way to do it. You can go to Planned Parenthood and they will teach you how to do it for free. Or, the next time you see your GYN (if you are sexually active, you should have a GYN exam and PAP smear every 12 to 24 months) and she or he will show you.
It isn't difficult, it's just part of being aware of your body. I usually do my exam while lying down, after simply looking at my breasts in a full length mirror. Any mirror in which you can see your chest and underarms is OK, if you don't have a mirror large enough, just go on feel alone.
Here's a good site.
Breast Exam Lesson The video is short, to the point and covers all the salient points. Looking for swellings, "puckering" (where the skin looks like it's been pinched inward) long term redness, nipple discharge (some women have clear, white or yellowish discharge mid month, dangerous discharges are black, bloodlike, green or very large amounts of discharge, when you are not pregnant or nursing) and then feel the breast from the nipple outward, in enlarging circles, going all the way to your back under your arm.
It isn't hard, and you can do it in less than 15 minutes a month.
Sarah, the crystallizations your mother has are most likely nothing to worry about. I am assuming she has had several children and breastfed them? These are normal, and rarely develop into anything other than simple crystallizations in the ducts. Very little to worry about here. I know it's scary, but these are common. I'm sure she has a doctor who knows the situation, and they keep an eye on her. A good proportion of women who have had children have these and they rarely turn into anything scary.
