Breast Cancer

[Misky]

I'm off to see the doctor early next week about a lump I have under my arm. I'm hoping he won't mind having a good rummage because I can only feel it when my arm is down, and then it's not so easy to find, but I'm terrified because it's obviously not an ingrown hair and it's soft and moveable, which appears from the websites I hate myself for looking at to be a bad sign. If it is cancer, does anyone know what I can expect to happen in the first place?

[Sqad]

It is almost certainly NOT cancer. It will either be a lymph gland or a lipoma (benign fatty tumour)

He will feel the rest of the neck for lumps and examine both breasts. He will ask you about symptoms relating to your voice and swallowing.

From your description of the "lump" that is all that will be necessary.

Extremely unlikely......very unlikely....to be anything to do with cancer.

[Misky]

Oh Sqad, you have put my mind at rest! I must have been reading those sites all wrong.... and I promise never to use them again. I have none of the other symptoms you mention. I might get a night's sleep tonight then. Thank you X

[Smowball]

My friend had exactly the same thing, in the same place, and hers was just a harmless cyst. As Sqad says, almost certainly this is what you have.

[Misky]

Thanks Snowball. I will still worry till he sends me away, but it's good to know it's not necessarily bad news...

[ojread2]

have to say, when I went with my breast lump my GP did not check both breast, not my arm pits. He did ask if I had any more lumps though
I could alos only feel my lump when sitting up with my arm up or down, it disappeared and was VERY hard to find when laying down

Mine turned out to be breast tissue, didn't even need a biopsy =)

GL - I'm sure you'll be fine

[Misky]

Thank you ojread2 - I've only just come back to this, sorry to take so long. Mine also is almost impossible to find when I'm lying down. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Every conversation I may have to have with other people to tell them bad news keeps going through my head and I don't like it.

[ojread2]

Misky, please excuse the late reply
Yes, I was the same - what am I going to tell my children, my parents, my sisters, what colour head scarf will I wear, will I lose my hair and many more silly questions - I thought at the time it was just so ridiculous to think like that but I think it's just the way we prepare for the 'just in case'. Women do things like that

Have you seen your GP yet? what did /she say?

[Misky]

Morning, I'm going this afternoon after work. I actually slept well last night - probably because I'm doing something about it and will know one way or another very soon. Wish me luck! X

[Misky]

Well I have to tell someone! The lump is not a bad lump, the doctor assured me he has felt cancerous lumps and this isn't one of them. He says it's because I'm so thin that I felt it (I am thin, and haven't worked out a way to build up my underarms!) and that if I have a poke about I would probably find quite a few more. I did and I have. Phew!. I'll tell you what, I've made so many deals with God leading up to this appointment that I'll be mistaken for Mother Theresa before the year's out... XX

[starone]

Oh, good news misky. I'm pleased to hear there is nothing drastically wrong.

[NOX]

So glad everything is alright for you Misky, now go and enjoy the summer and stop worrying:)

[Sqad]

Misky

Thanks for the feedback..........much appreciated and I wish more folks would have your consideration.

[rowanwitch]

We all do it...find a lump and end up imagining all the bad things... glad it was nothing

[Misky]

Thanks everyone - I'm so happy XX