How I found my cancer by accident
Hi,
my name is Myra and I'm 43 years old. I have a strong family history of breast cancer, so have been diligent in breast screening since I was in my mid 30's, however all the knowledge and screening I had didn't prepare me for actually getting cancer. This is because I really had no idea that I had it.
I discovered the "lump" and I use that term loosely in early December 2013. I was lying on my back watching TV with my hand resting on my chest. I was tapping my hand and noticed a sort of thickening sensation in my breast. It didn't feel like a lump. All the literature says to look out for a lump or a dimple or a strange change to the breast. It didn't hurt and just felt a bit ropey or fibrous... like when you are massaging someone and you find a bit of a muscle knot. Also, I kept losing where it was in my breast, so I really didn't think it was anything. I just filed it away in the back of my brain and went on my merry way.
Just after Christmas I was lying in bed again and I thought to myself, I wonder if that funny ropey thing in my breast is still there. So it took me a while to find it (and I only have small breasts, so it shouldn't take long), but yes there it was. I had a pap smear due in a few weeks so I thought I'll get it checked while I'm at the doctor, but I still wasn't a bit concerned. I mean if it was cancer it would be a hard lump, right?
So mid January, I went along to my GP to get a papsmear and mentioned the weird ropey thing in my breast. The doctor at first couldn't even find it. When she did, she said it's nothing but because of my family history, best be safe and go for a ultrasound and mammogram. So a week later, off I went for my ultrasound and mammogram.
The radiologist found the small mass in my breast and also thought it was nothing, but said that to be on the safe side we'll biopsy it anyway just in case.
Well thank God they did... because 24 hours later I was told I had cancer, which was an absolute shock after all the assurances of "it's probably nothing". A week and a half later I was in the hospital having a 15mm tumour removed from my breast. It is now 3 weeks since my surgery and I'm waiting on the results of the Oncotype DX test to find out if there is any benefit to chemotherapy. Luckly the cancer hadn't spread to the lymph nodes and its hormone receptor positive, so I have a 92% survival chance at 10 years.
I really wish I had gone to the doctor as soon as I noticed the lump and not waited 5 weeks.
The moral of this story is that even if you are dilligent at checking your breasts, women need to be aware of any and every change in their breast - anything at all, no matter how insignificant it seems. I'm not sure if that message is really out there, or if most women, like me are looking for an actual lump. I can't stress this enough to my friends and family and I hope that my story may inspire others to get even seemingly insignificant changes checked.
