Daisy, I love your candid comments and that you posted here. Even if it is something, you are strong and smart and handling the situation as best you can. Please keep us posted, and know that you are in our thoughts and prayers. I bet your dh and mom would be excellent support for you, whether you feel like freaking out or not.

I had one of those lumps but I'm worse than you.
I ignore...
Go to webmd...
(Come on ! That's almost a doctor.
Besides,I tend to like to diagnose myself first).
Then freak out...
Finally saw a doctor with an actual office :)
Benign...Something like 80% are !!

Daisy, that's my 'normal' also! I had a lump many yeas ago, and after a week, finally made an appt with my doc. Of course she suggested a mammogram, which was 6 days later, and by that time it was gone, but still had the mammogram. Turns out it was just a cyst which did hurt when pushed on. I've had no other problem since, and I'm 71.

Realistically, there is no other choice but to get checked and
get a mammogram! It sure takes care of the anxiety!

jan, thank you for your response. It helped to calm me. I've almost told dh a couple of times, but keep thinking I'll wait until after the appt, so he doesn't have to worry unnecessarily.

forboystoo, very cool website. I could see myself going overboard and checking everything. 80% is a very comforting number.

patty, I am betting on a cyst. Other websites said that a cancerous lump will likely feel lemon seedish and a cyst will be more grape-like. Mine is sort of halfway between, so I'm going to be optimistic. Just wish I could have got an earlier appt so I'd less time to imagine all the possibilities.

Thanks for listening and support. Not sure why, but this is easier.

I understand completely. I had a terrible cancer scare recently, and some other scary health problems, so I understand the worry.

Yes, it's fine. It's fine. Lots of people have lumps that turn out to be nothing. Even if it turns out to be something, lots of women have good outcomes with breast cancer. It's fine.

Make sure you keep your appointment on Monday.

It's scary, but you will be fine. Hugs to you, and I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

There seem to be two kinds of people in this world -- those who run to the doctor at every twinge and those who do what you do -- deny it, scoff at it, and ignore it until you can't. I think most of us fall under type two. I just had my mammo and was surprised to learn it had been five years since the last one. How stupid. I have insurance and plenty of time. Lucky for me, all is normal.

I used to work in a hospital in a non-clinical position. The nurses said that if people would not ignore symptoms and have things checked out it would be easier to treat them and there would be many more happy results.

My doctor told me a cancerous lump feels like a hard pea, and to feel for that when doing self exams (which I don't do very often). Yours will be what it will be and all the worrying in the world won't change it. Try to put it out of your mind for now -- not easy! Odds are strongly in your favor that it will be a cyst.

Go talk to Mom. It will help to get it out.

Please tell your husband. Besides the support he can offer you, I am sure he would want to know and may be hurt if you do not share this with him. That's what partners are for. Let him help you deal with this.

You are doing the right thing. My MIL is going through cancer treatment now and things could have been much easier if she had not ignored symptoms for several months. You are doing what you need to do and you will deal with the outcome, whatever it is. Hopefully it is nothing! Like Ded said, the odds are in your favor.

Thinking good thoughts for you -

tina

Thanks for sharing with us here. Best bet it is absolutely not a worry. But you won't know not to worry until you get it checked out. Even if it is something, you will find the strength to deal with it. Many, many women have faced this before you and and many, many women yet to come will face the same issue. The good news is that, even if it is something, it is so much more survivable than in the past, and the techniques they have for dealing with it are so much better than before.

Friend had a lump that turned out to be cancerous so she went through the lumpectomy and they decided to be absolutely safe, they gave her some radiation too which is actually very easy...more of a PITA just getting there and back. She is all set, and in fact is thankful that they found it and found it early so now she knows to be more diligent about her mammos so, should it happen again, she will be on top of it. She's also thankful that her daughters know too so they will be more diligent as well.

I would share with your DH, not to worry him, but to help reduce your stress and get some needed support. Also, in case you react with the stress, he will be more understanding of why you are acting that way.

Most likely, it's nothing. If it is something, then most likely it will be just something you need to deal with and then it will be fine and may actually be a beneficial heads up.

Try not to worry, do some meditation for stress reduction, do your body a favor and eat well, eat some greens and broccoli. Maybe do some yoga. You will be ok and you will find the strength to get through this...like Dorothy's ruby slippers...you already have the power.

I tend to self-diagnose and am not one to run to the doctor. That usually works for me - my mother is a retired nurse also, so I grew up with all kinds of medical information so I'm usually able to discern what needs a visit to the doctor, and what does not. However, anything dealing with my breasts means a trip to the doctor w/o hesitation. That is one thing that I don't mess around with. I've had a few concerns and all turned out to be nothing. I have small, dense breasts, and of course, they happen to be fibrous, so not always easy to know what needs to be checked out and what might be just nothing. I do get regular mammograms.

As for sharing, I always tell dh. Not to cause him worry, but more b/c I need to relieve myself of some of the burden. I made the mistake though of telling my mother when I needed a lump checked out in one of my breasts. Her response was, "I wish you hadn't told me that b/c now I won't be able to sleep b/c I'll be worried until you know what it is." Ugh, so much for her being a source of support. So now I don't tell her anything.

The beauty of the internet is that you can share this kind of information with "strangers" and feel some sort of relief or support w/o having to deal with questions/concerns from your friends IRL. Or from letting them know your personal business if you prefer to keep that kind of thing private.

i'm going to think positively and say that I *know* your lump will turn out to be nothing of concern! However, I'm glad you decided not to ignore it and are having it checked out. I know for me, it has given me peace of mind. If I ignored it, it would linger there in the back of my mind and just end up being worse for me mentally.

I'm glad you decided to share here and hope that has helped in some small way!

The internet is not your friend at times like this, daisy. Very glad you have an appointment, and it is totally up to you who you tell, or not. Unless you give express permission for your medical information to be shared with another person, even your spouse does not have the "right" to know about your appointment. Some people are better told after the fact, regardless of whether it is good news or bad, I understand that completely. No need of making a fuss if it is nothing. But, it does help sometimes just to tell someone, and this supportive, yet anonymous, forum is a great place to do that. I know we'll all be thinking about you on Monday.

It's probably nothing, but really only a doctor can make that determination. I've had many lumps over the years and I bet he won't be able to tell you anything Monday. Probably send you for a mammogram and sonogram. He may do a needle biopsy on Monday, or elect to wait for the results. It stings a little but after it's done, there is no pain.

When you have the sonogram, they can usually tell if it's just a cyst and will probably want to aspirate it. That stings like the dickens. If they determine that it's just a cyst, they may want to insert a tiny stainless steel marker. That's no big deal either and helps them find the spot later after the cyst has been aspirated or goes down on its own.

Between now and next Monday, lay off caffeine and chocolate. They are number one in causing cysts.

I would say to try not to think about it, but I know that's impossible. But when your thoughts do stray to it, think positive thoughts too, and keep that appointment.

My prayers are with you.

Only you know if telling your husband far in advance would be a help or a hinderance. My husband was helpful to me when I went through something similar. My BFFs husband makes worrying worse (he's an everything is a crisis kind of guy) so she tells him things late in the process to avoid additional stress on herself.

During my medical scare, I only told my husband. I couldn't bring myself to talk about it with my sisters or BFFs until after the negative diagnosis. I was surprised by that, I normally share everything with them but I just couldn't verbalize it until I knew for certain what was happening.

There's no right or wrong answer. Do what is best for yourself, while giving some consideration to your husband's feelings. Will he be hurt or relieved he wasn't in the knowledge loop early in the process?

Most likely your situation is nothing but a worry and an inconvenience. Good luck.

It's all been said above. I have also been there...several times. I must admit I am not nearly as scared today as I was with my first lump at 22....44 years ago...because if it's more than a cyst...the treatment and odds today are so so much better.

I will be thinking of you on Monday. (Btw...I truly believe I am the Queen of MisDiagnosis with the help of the Internet :-)

Btw...try and not touch the lump between now and Monday.

So sorry for your worries. In my younger years I had countless lumps. After the first few I wasn't quite so scared. At that time I was lucky enough to be told that my breasts were very fibrous and though I should still be checked out every time there were changes/lumps in my breast I didn't worry so much.
If you are really concerned call right when your doctor's office opens and see if they have same day appointments. Mine does, and though I don't always see my very own doctor on those appointments, if I'm sick or worried, it's much better to be seen sooner than worry or get sicker.
Prayers said and will continue to pray for you dear. Do at least tell your Mom. You sound like me and need the personal (physical) touch that you can't get from us.

You probably already know this, but just in case you don't...double check that your doctor writes the script for a "Diagnostic Mammogram".

If the radiologist sees something that causes concern, they can immediately do a sonnogram. No waiting for your doctor to see the report before ordering the sonnogram.

Good luck.

ML

Someone above mentioned the difference between tumor and cyst. I forgot to say what makes me hopeful that yours is just a cyst is the size and shape.

If your self exam was fine one month and the size of an almond the next month, and then no change for two months, it sounds more like a cyst. They can get very big fast and then just stay that way, at least for me. But I have a tough time staying off caffeine and I can have a big cyst develop in 24 hours after drinking a 20 oz Pepsi.

I like the idea of calling your dr office to see if they can get you in sooner too. I do remember freaking and worrying with my first one. I was also 22 with my first one. Hundreds since then.

So much great advice and lovely, friendly voices. I feel much less stressed about it today. Sharing really does help the psyche (at least I find it does).

I really am quite sure it is nothing and what you've all written above makes me feel even more positive.

I think I am stressing over other things in life and this is something easier to focus on and deal with than the others. If I'm stressing over this, I don't have to delve into the really hard stuff.

Thanks so much for listening, the concern and good wishes. I will be sure to report back on Monday.

Daisy, I just recently went through this, along with the dreaded call back for more views and an ultrasound.

I will say lots of prayers that yours goes the same way mine did. Nothing to worry about.

Like others have said, only you know if telling your husband and mother will help you feel better. I told DH, but not my mom.

Beth P.

I want to jump in and remind folks that some cancers don't feel like a pea. My cancer was lobular--it makes a mass similar to a vine or tangled spaghetti. Even after the mammogram revealed trouble spots, doctors couldn't feel it.

That's why regular mammograms save lives...I would not have felt this mass until it was way tooooo late. As it was, I did months of chemo and weeks of radiation.

Wishing every one terrific health!

happyintexas, that is a very important reminder. I'm so glad you did get it diagnosed correctly. I've put off going to the doctor for months because I read online if it wasn't like a hard lemon seed it probably wasn't cancerous. Well, on further reflection, I decided this was not something to take chances on. Even doctor phobic me figured I should get my self down there and have it checked out - if only for the peace of mind.

I haven't been to see my doctor in almost 2 years and yet I worry about wasting her time on something that is probably nothing. How stupid is that logic?

While I know everyone is being reassuring by letting me know it is likely nothing, I know they are not suggesting I ignore it either. So much good advice. We really do learn so much from each others experiences.

Daisy, I am thinking of you! And yes, it's is very likely nothing, but so wise of you to get it checked out.

Daisy, you must promise us that from this point forward, you will not ignore any symptom or irregularity in your health ever again:)

Well, the doctor says it is probably nothing, but is sending me for a diagnostic mammogram just to be sure. Will keep you updated.

Any news Daisychain?

Keeping you in my thoughts.

I'm not sure why your message wasn't showing when I posted earlier today, but glad to hear your doc thinks it's nothing. It's still wise that you are having further tests. That's the sign of a good doc in my book.

Good for your doctor. I don't think he would say it is probably nothing unless he is pretty confident, but it's always good to see the mammogram and sonogram and know what is going on. Let us know when you get those too.

Good news . . .I very much agree that if the doc says it's nothing, that is a great sign. I am guessing the test is a "CYA," which is fine.

Thinking of you daisy and hoping that your mammogram was uneventful.