I Found A Small Lump...
My husband and I were playing around and he touched the top of my breast lightly. I drew in a breath. There was something...strange...about the feeling it evoked. Something a bit unusual that was slightly unpleasant. I placed my hand over the area and nothing, moved it a bit, trying to mimic his touch. And then I felt it! A small, pea sized bump under the skin a bit inside the breast tissue. My heart skipped a beat as I tried to process what I had just found.
My husband reached over and placed his hand over mine. The look on my face and the intensity in which I was checking the lump out had let him know I had found something serious. With his mom having breast cancer, a double mastectomy and chemo 14 years earlier, he knew how serious this lump could be and made me promise to call my doctor the next day. With a sinking heart, I agreed. The next morning I had an appointment for Wednesday, two long, worrisome days away.
My doctor was examining the lump and kept moving off the spot. Try as I might, I could not get her focused on the one area that needed it the most! I was getting more and more frustrated and she was drifting further from the spot in her examination. She stood up and told me that there was not one lump but a series and we needed to get me into the hospital now! She called the hospital and had a mammogram set up for the next afternoon.
As I walked out of her office worried about the lumps, wondering how on earth I was going to pay for all this, the tears that I had been holding back slid down my cheeks. The receptionist happened to be coming around the corner and pulled me aside to ask what was wrong and if she could help. Sobbing now, I spilled out my fears and financial state to her. Instead of telling me everything would be okay, she asked if I could wait just a minute while she grabbed some Kleenex for me. I agreed.
She came back in the room with a big smile and handed me the box of Kleenex and some papers. Not knowing what to think, I blew my nose and then looked down at the papers---Free!! A free mammogram, and the doctor's visit? That couldn't be right!! I looked at her and she smiled, told me about being a board member for the Breast Care
Center and that she had made a quick call and secured testing for me free of charge. My responsibility was to show up and get tested.
My husband reached over and placed his hand over mine. The look on my face and the intensity in which I was checking the lump out had let him know I had found something serious. With his mom having breast cancer, a double mastectomy and chemo 14 years earlier, he knew how serious this lump could be and made me promise to call my doctor the next day. With a sinking heart, I agreed. The next morning I had an appointment for Wednesday, two long, worrisome days away.
My doctor was examining the lump and kept moving off the spot. Try as I might, I could not get her focused on the one area that needed it the most! I was getting more and more frustrated and she was drifting further from the spot in her examination. She stood up and told me that there was not one lump but a series and we needed to get me into the hospital now! She called the hospital and had a mammogram set up for the next afternoon.
As I walked out of her office worried about the lumps, wondering how on earth I was going to pay for all this, the tears that I had been holding back slid down my cheeks. The receptionist happened to be coming around the corner and pulled me aside to ask what was wrong and if she could help. Sobbing now, I spilled out my fears and financial state to her. Instead of telling me everything would be okay, she asked if I could wait just a minute while she grabbed some Kleenex for me. I agreed.
She came back in the room with a big smile and handed me the box of Kleenex and some papers. Not knowing what to think, I blew my nose and then looked down at the papers---Free!! A free mammogram, and the doctor's visit? That couldn't be right!! I looked at her and she smiled, told me about being a board member for the Breast Care
Center and that she had made a quick call and secured testing for me free of charge. My responsibility was to show up and get tested.
Oh no! I love this story. I shared on FB too. I even learned a thing or two. When I read the part about your dr. asking how you had damage in your breast, the first thing in my mind was "the wreck!" I remembered you telling me about it. What a nightmare you had to go through. That was so awesome though, that the receptionist was so kind and did that for you. God, I love nice people! Lol.
And what I learned from you article: A few years ago, during the yearly exam crap (the breast exam and pap ugh!) the nurse I had told me I had lumps and they needed checking, but she didn't tell me much at all and scheduled an appt for 2 weeks later. I cried and was horrified! And sure enough, two weeks later, I came in and had a different (much better nurse if I must say so) and she told me they were cysts. Every since then they tell me the cysts are still there, but nothing at all serious, thank God. However, I am so glad you educated us on how those are not cancerous, even the bad ones like yours because my twin had to have this done -- where they used a needle! She was terrified, and apparently the doctor did not give her much info because she came home flippin' thinking she had breast cancer! It was awful. I think the nurse I had this past year mentioned something about fibroid something another with my lumpies, not sure if fibroid was the word, but I was certainly happy. Lol. I am so sorry you had such a huge scare and horrible time. Also, I love that you told us just how the mammagram was for you. I have been really scared of those things because I read articles all the time saying they ruin your breasts and cause long-term pain. Actually, an article right here I read said that your boobs will sag immensely after one mammagram! Lol. I believe too many things.
I am so glad you were cleared! I tell you, this article had me scared at first. I was afraid you were going to tell us some bad news. Thank God our lovely lady is well though! My partner's grandmother is going through chemo for breast cancer right now. She has been for a good while now, and she just lost her husband within the last year! I couldn't imagine going through that, and never ever want to.
Well, I loved this article! Very well done.
With your sister--you are thinking of Fibrocystic Breast Disease. The breast is naturaly fibrous and lumpy, but these lumps shrink and grow with the varying hormone levels and the lumps will shift, move completely, change shape and also disappear. I have this--but it is not as big of a deal as the name sounds, lol!! It basically is a scary way of telling someone they have lumpy boobs and need to be extra thorough with their breast checks.
Thank you, Kendra--your caring and concern means a lot to me!!! That you loved the article and that it eased some of your fears and questions about mammograms and cysts--priceless!! I value you opinions and thoughts and am greatly touched by your words and opinions!!! (Hugs!)
That sounds like a nightmare! I'm glad everything turned out okay. My grandma and great-grandma both had breast cancer, but I have extremely large (36 I cup) breasts that are also severely fibrocystic, meaning they're full of tender lumps. I was seven or eight when my grandma died of breast cancer, and I remember bursting into tears because I already had so many lumps in my own breasts! I've basically given up on ever checking my own breasts for lumps, much less having a mammogram or anything. I just hope if I get breast cancer, my body will cure it for me. I'm working hard to lose weight and avoid cancerous foods so I don't get it.
I'm sorry you had to go through all that, and glad it wasn't too serious in the end. Thankyou for sharing with us.