When I say "lump in breast"

[hyphenate]

what is the immediate reaction, other than "uh, oh"?

I go in about a week and a half for the diagnostic mammogram, but I doubt if it's cancerous--based on my family history, mostly, and all the rest of the things wrong with me!

The doctor was saying something about it not being shaped like a ball or something, more like a rod or cylindrical shape, and something about fibrocystic? I was in a daze while I was in the clinic (I had gotten only 4 hours of sleep the night before) so I can't remember a lot of the conversation.

It was a surreal day, anyhow--left the clinic and was heading over to the cafeteria, tripped and fell on my ass. The nurses and all were all rushing to help me, and they took me back to the clinic to make sure I was okay. I told them I hadn't eaten, so when I was a little light-headed, I was pretty sure it was because of that, and nothing more sinister. But I guess they wanted to make sure.

Regardless, I think many of us panic or worry when they see "lump" and "breast" in the same sentence.

[Warpy]

1. The vast majority are benign

so statistics are on your side. In addition, most tumors that can be palpated are described as feeling a pea under several layers of blankets. You know something is there, hard and sort of round, but you can't quite feel it well enough to know what it is.

In other words, don't trouble trouble until trouble troubles you.

[sandnsea]

2. I went in for my second set and ultrasound today

As far as cysts go, the radiologist said there are two kinds in the breast. Simple cysts and complex cysts. Simple cysts are filled with fluid and are so unlikely to be cancer they don't do anything else with them. The complex cysts have a slightly higher rate of cancer, only slightly. I think we're going to leave them alone too. There's one other area she is going to have a different specialist look at that she's not sure what it is.

She didn't see anything that looked like a tumor which is when they do a biopsy for sure, but is also usually benign.

I was so silly that when they called me back in I figured it was just for a lump that I've had for about 15 years. Didn't expect all the hullabaloo and certainly wasn't worried about the other breast. OTOH, I didn't spend the last 2 weeks freaking out so that was a good thing.

There is such a small chance of a lump being anything, especially if the doctor is rather certain it's a cyst to begin with. I wouldn't worry too terribly much.

:hug:

[hyphenate]

3. Final and only update!

No lump. Went away. Completely. Today, mammogram and ultrasound. Nothing on either.

I had been thinking about it after my appointment, though, and I had fallen just the week before my appointment on the 10th, and had bruised my ribs and smacked my right side on the side of the bathtub in my effort to get up. I contemplated that the lump might have simply been a hematoma since the "location" was right about where I had hurt myself.

And so, it seems I was correct.

I am relieved, because not knowing--one way or another--is always worrisome.

[kdmorris]

4. First time I heard it, it scared me

But turns out I have "fibrocystic breasts". I had a "baseline" mammogram at 35 and then had to go back for the sonogram, etc. It turned out to be benign. After they told me that, I called my mom, who said that she has cysts too, and that I'm lucky because she had to have a biopsy before they used sonograms to diagnose cysts.

Now, I just get the yearly mammogram, tell them that I've got cysts and end up getting a sonogram each year. Sometimes, I think it would be easier to just skip the mammogram and head straight to the sonogram, but that's just me.

[Altoid_Cyclist]

5. I don't know if tis will help, but the Vitamin E seems to help my wife.

She says that she can really tell the difference if she stops taking the vitamin E suuplements.

http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/10/59.cfm