About Me | I Found A Lump

It's day two of Blogtober and today's topic is boobs as its Breast Cancer Awareness month. I know some people have gone off topic today because this subject is either too sensitive for them or they don't feel they can write about it as it hasn't affected them or someone close. For me I wanted to write about it for two reasons the first I have had someone close to me diagnosed with breast cancer and because of that it made me become more aware of my boobs and what they felt like. It also made me realise one day that they didn't feel their normal usual self which led me to have a mammogram.

A few years ago I was lying in bed and I had an itch under my armpit. After I finished scratching my fingers moved across my boobs and I felt a lump. I didn't panic I just checked it and checked again and then I asked John to come and see if he could see anything, he couldn't. He had a feel and he agreed there was definitely a lump. My heart sank, I felt sick and all I could think was that I had breast cancer.

I went to the doctors and they referred me to the breast screening clinic in our local hospital. John came with me and it was a horrible few hours for many reasons. Obviously I was worried what the mammogram was going to be like. Would it hurt me? Would it show a lump? What would I tell the boys? What would I say to my family and friends?

Then I looked around and saw so many worried and sad faces sitting in the waiting room. Some of these women and possibly men will be told today that they have cancer. Their lives will change forever just from a screening of their boob. It was awful and I couldn't wait to get my screening over and done with. I wanted to get as far away from that waiting room as I could.

The screening of my boob wasn't as horrible as I imagined. If you have never had one done before then I will say it's uncomfortable but it doesn't really hurt. They flatten your boob as much as they can between two plates and take the image. They were lovely to me and really tried to be gentle but not once did they reassure me that everything would be okay, that it would be nothing. They couldn't because it might have been something and I might not be okay.

After waiting for what felt like forever for my results my name finally got called. I was okay. There was a lump but it was just fatty tissue which is common. The doctor was lovely and he thanked me for coming in. I felt silly as it was nothing but he disagreed. It was something, it was a lump and it could have been something serious. If I hadn't have checked my boobs regularly and knew what my 'normal' was then I wouldn't have found that lump. It it had have been something serious and I left it the consequences could be fatal.

I walked out the room back to John and I gave him a look that I was okay. I didn't want to smile or shout from the rooftops because there where others in that room that may not be as fortunate as me.

We should be checking our boobs on a regular basis. It takes a few minutes but it is so important. Please don't think that it could never happen to you because it can. If you feel anything get it checked out because it's better to be safe than sorry.

Michelle