Copping A Feel - Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Hi everyone, this October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and so to coincide with this, I wanted to write this post.  Several months ago I found a lump in my left breast, I did the sensible thing and got it checked out and thankfully all was well, you can read about it fully here if you'd like to and the updated post here.  I knew straight away something didn't feel right because I had a similar lump about 10 years ago, which thankfully also turned out to be ok.  Since back then I've always made a regular point of checking my breasts and so this time, I was more prepared.

Recently I was chatting to a friend about this and she said she never gets round to checking herself and it made me realised that not enough people do take the time to check themselves or know how to do it properly.

So I've done a little research for you and made a list of several very helpful websites for you to go and look at, to give you more information on the subject and to clearly explain what you should be looking out for.

BreakThrough.org.uk

BreastCancer.org

You can also click on the link below and donate some pennies to help with the very much needed research.

BreastCancerCampaign.org

Also, below is a diagram that I found on BeutifulMagazine.com of how to check yourself properly.  I sometimes think, if I hadn't kept a check on myself and the lump was something serious, I may not have been able to get it treated in time, 'prevention is always better than cure'!

If you just take 5 minutes of your time every couple of weeks to check yourself, you could help prevent yourself getting ill and 9 times out of 10 there's nothing to worry about anyway!

Even if you do find something, don't worry about it alone, tell someone and go and see your doctor.  There are usually female doctors at most surgeries and they've all seen it all before.  It can be embarrassing but there's nothing worse than worrying about something which is most likely nothing.

I also found this helpful but amusing video, which should give all you ladies a chuckle!

YourManReminder - YouTube

I hope this post was helpful and please leave me any questions in the comments, I'd love to know your thoughts.  Until next time, stay safe and stay happy ♥

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Keeping A'breast' of Things - Update

Hi everyone, just over a week ago I wrote about the lumps I had found in my breast, you can click on the link HERE, and told you what happened when I went to the doctors and that I had a follow up appointment at the hospital booked for last Thursday (the 13th of Feb).  So, I can now tell you what happened there...

My appointment was booked for 10.15 am and thankfully my best friend and I got there about 10 minutes early.  It didn't take too long to find the department and I recognized it straight away from when I was last there 11 years ago!
After booking in at reception, we sat in the waiting room for what seemed like ages but must have only been about 15 minutes.  Finally my name was called and we went through to see the doctor, a very nice man and thankfully the same one I had seen the first time around.  I was amazed he remembered me!  He read through my notes and the letter from my local doctor, then asked to examine me.  Yes it was a little embarrassing but nothing he hadn't seen a million times before and of course it was necessary so it didn't matter too much.

He asked me if I got any discomfort or pain and I said that I did get a bit of discomfort in that area, especially when I lay on my front in bed but he said, if it hurts that's always a good sign!
He told me he could feel something but was sure it was nothing bad and assured me they would do a scan anyway just to be 100% sure.  So after putting on one of the hospitals' patterned gowns, my friend and I took my basket of clothes in to the small separate female-only waiting room.  We waiting for a short while on our own, then another couple of other ladies came in, we were all waiting for scans, so it was nice to be able to talk to each other about it all.

Eventually, I was called through to the scanning room, there were a couple of nurses in there and another doctor.  I was asked to lay on the bed, had very cold gel squirted on me and then the doctor did the scan over both sides just to be sure.  He then confirmed that all he could see was glands and normal breast tissue and nothing else out-of-the-ordinary!
After cleaning myself up, I was then told to go back and wait in the little room again until the doctor could have another chat.  Thankfully the other lady's scans went well too, as did the third younger lady that came in while we were waiting, we were very pleased for them too!
It was strange how the atmosphere changed in that little room, from when we were all in there waiting for the scans, not knowing what to expect, feeling sick with nerves and worry, to the feeling of it afterwards when we all felt so relieved!

After about another 10 minutes, I went back in to see the doctor and once again he confirmed everything was ok and totally normal.  He said that these glands can come up and go down again for no real reason!  He said it's mostly a hormonal thing and not just around the time of your monthly visitor, it can happen any time.
He also told me (which I didn't actually know), that if you feel over the area with your fingers you will always feel any number of lumps and bumps and you will drive yourself mad (his words!) and that you are supposed to feel with the palm of your hand!  So at least I know how to do it more properly in future!

I finally felt like I could take a proper sigh of relief then, because it finally felt 'over with'.  Of course I was still right to get it checked out but I honestly don't think there could have been a better outcome and it was definitely better than I expected after last time, no biopsy yeay! :-D   Once we'd finally got out the hospital, we decided we needed to have a little celebratory shop lol, and as I didn't feel too bad we went off in to town and bought some very nice little bits, most of which I will show you in another 'mini haul' post.

So that's it, I will of course keep a check on things and make sure I'm checking in the proper way!  But literally thank God I don't need to worry now :-)


For more information on how to check your breast and what to look out for, I found this website helpful - NHS Choices

Keeping A'breast' of Things!

Hi all, today's post is slightly more on the serious side.  This maybe a delicate subject for some of you but I wanted to share my story (I guess you could call it), in the hope that it may help some of you if you are going through the same thing.

I recently discovered a lump in my left breast.  I had one in my right side about 11 years ago, thankfully it turned out to only be a fatty lump.  It was called a fibroid-melanoma (also known as a breast mouse), I had a biopsy done to test it properly and then a small operation to have it removed.  After a couple of weeks recovery, it was pretty much all done and dusted.
However , it was a very worrying time and I was very lucky and grateful that's all it turned out to be ok.  So when I found the new lump a few weeks ago, although I was immediately apprehensive, I knew the first thing I needed to do was go and get it checked out.  I thankfully managed to get an appointment the next day with a female doctor at my local surgery, she was very nice, very thorough and very reassuring.
After a brief chat, I explained what I could feel and when I found it etc, she examined me and told me that she could also feel 2 more smaller lumps on the left side and a small one on the right side, strangely enough right next to the scare tissue I had left behind from the previous operation.

I wasn't exactly thrilled to hear the news of the additional lumps and still now I'm finding it a little hard to think about but the one thing that made me feel a little easier, was when the doctor said straight away, "oh yes that feels like cysts".
The main things I've always been told is that if the lump is reasonably soft (not rock hard at least) and quite movable; for instance when you try and feel it with your fingers it keeps running away from you (like a mouse), then that is always a very good sign.  And that's the first thing I took notice of when I found it.

Anyway, after examining me, the doctor said even though she didn't feel it was anything to worry about she still wanted me to get a second opinion and a more thorough examination at the hospital.  So she dictated a letter to her little tape recorder and told me I would probably have to wait a few weeks before I'd hear back from the hospital.

Well about a week went by then I got a letter telling me to call the hospital and make an appointment and thankfully I managed to get one for two weeks later (now just under a week away).

I am nervous, I hate the idea of being poked and prodded and I'm especially dreading the idea of them doing a biopsy, because yes they do hurt not gonna lie!  But always better to be safe than sorry of course and it's always better to get these things checked out as soon as you find them, because you never know and the sooner you can get treatment, the better!

I've got my hospital appointment booked for next Thursday (13th of Feb) and thankfully my best friend is going along with me, so I will give you all an update a day or so after that and let you know the progress of what happens with me next.

If you are going through this or if you have been through this before, please feel free to comment.  Let me know your thoughts and tips and please don't hesitate to ask anything either!

Hugs,