BC FEAR!!

[Thrufaith 9]

Hi, so I just turned 40.....and have been having anxiety about this big 40!!! It is as if 40 means something scary to me...the beginning of mammograms, and such...Anyways I was doing a breast self check and noticed that I have 2 rubbery moveable lumpy type things in my left breast. I went to the doctor and he checked me and said he is not concerned and will send me for a mammo to just ease my mind. He said it is most likely dense breast tissue or Fibroadenomas. I scheduled my mammo and nothing is available until Jan 5th!! I am having major anxiety over this and I keep poking and prodding my breast and now it is hurting and that is making my anxiety worst! has anyone ever been through this? please help me! 

[BeautifulDisaster 68]

I would take a few deep breaths here. You have the appointment scheduled. The doctor himself says he wouldn’t worry about it. And that the mammo is for your peace of mind. Doctors know what they are feeling. He wouldn’t have said that if he wasn’t confident. Yes - I had a breast biopsy once that both the ob and the breast surgeon told me was only happening because my mother had breast cancer in the past - that it all looked fine but we are doing it because of that. So basically over checking. I was so freaked out, I couldn’t think clearly and I had it done. And everything was fine. That is likely what is happening to you. Please stop checking it. No need to. The dr thinks it’s all fine and you have a test scheduled. No amount of checking will change anything and can actually irritate the tissue and make it sore or inflamed. And you don’t have to check to see if it changed. If it goes away, you will still do the testing anyway. Just let it be. Having your doctor be that confident is very reassuring. Also are you near your cycle? Because you are more likely to feel all kinds of things then if you are. Hope this helps.

[TightlyWound 1]

Hi there,

I just turned 40 too and I'm not handling it well at all. I got my first mammogram and they found two cysts in the right breast and calcifications in the left.The radiologist gave it a low possibility for cancer but I was still a nervous wreck until the biopsy, and then waiting for the results (benign). None of the professionals were overly concerned and, looking back, I should've been reassured by that, but we always think we're the "special" case that will prove their expertise wrong. By all means get screened and stay on top of your screening schedule. The good news is BC is more treatable now than ever. Catching it early makes it even more likely you'll have a good outcome.