I had been hauled backwards through the whole local government restructuring process and was made redundant after 15 years the job. Which I also loved. My recurrence was diagnosed 6 weeks later, even though I had been banging away about being unhappy about a spot in my armpit for 4 years.
My original diagnosis (ten years earlier) came after a similar protracted investigation process; in the end I had a relationship breakdown and the resultant weight loss that made the lump/not lump thing more obvious. Lobular BC is an absolute bitch when it comes to hiding from scans.
It may be stress. Thing is, I think the need to blame something can be seriously counterproductive. Once cancer is your new nasty neighbour it doesn't help to try and figure out how you could have stopped it moving in. You're stuck with either living with them, legislating them out, moving out or planting a serious garden. Attacking the real estate agent won't help.
MMM, mixed metaphors, much? Margxx
