It wasn't all that long ago, that I found a new lump..
Something was different about this one in particular, it was uneven in shape and kind of nodular.
I had been through the process a few times before, I booked an appointment with my GP. You have a family history? He confirmed this with me a few times again. Then he felt the lump and I could see, unlike the times before, he wanted further tests for more than peace of mind.
I went to the sonographer for an ultrasound, just like I had many times before. This time, it wasn't an instant relief.
Next, my doctor wanted me to go for an FNA sample. Again, I had done this before, routine for ruling out anything nasty. But when I arrived for the test, the specialist thought it better to take a core sample after reviewing my scans. He asked me to phone someone to drive me home.
There I sat with my best friend Jess, suddenly alot more frightened than before. The doctor used a scalple to make a small incision, tears ran down my face, just as blood ran over my breast. I looked across at Jess, she was trying to be strong for me, but I could tell she was scared too. The doctor inserted what must have been a 16g needle, I can't be sure. It was attached to the end of a suctioning type gun, it looked kind of like a silicon gun. The pressure was instant and I held my breath until a chunk of the lump growing inside of me was placed into a specimen jar.
The procedure was over, but it was a long five days before I got my results. I am so lucky. I don't have cancer, I have a benign lump, that I have to have scanned every six months to be sure nothing changes.
Every day in Australia there are 55 people that go through this process just like me, but don't get the good news that I got at the end of it.
Please stay viligent when it comes to changes within your body. Even if you're young, it can still happen to you.
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