BEING BREAST AWARE

I had a bit of a scary moment a few weeks ago when I found a lump on my breast. I panicked for a few days, decided not to tell anyone (so they wouldn’t worry!!) and eventually went along to my GP, expecting him to tell me not to worry. Instead he confirmed it and said I had to go for a further consultation at the Hospital for a mammogram and possibly a biopsy.

I think the sitting in waiting room was the scariest bit, Daniela came with me the first time so that kept me distracted ! BOTH times the person before me called in was also named “Susan” – how weird is that – heart skipped a beat !! The doctor was nice the first time around, we went through the symptoms, he examined me and pretty much said that he was 90% sure that it was nothing cancerous but that I had to go back in a week for an ultrasound (apparently only women OVER 35 get Mammograms).

So off I went a week later after lots of sleepless nights and I am very happy to report that I've been given the all clear and they didn’t need to do a biopsy. It's been a bloody awful couple of weeks and I can't quite tell you how relieved I was when I heard that news !

I panicked slightly when they called the consultant in to double check things but basically they think that the lump appeared because I have lost over a stone in the last couple of months through exercise and healthy eating so the breast tissue has just changed. She congratulated me on finding the lump and acting on that - so, as scared as I was - I'm really glad that I did go and check it out.

I sat there the other day in the waiting room, just looking at the other women around me - some of them with drips or in wheelchairs and it really made me realise just how important it is to check yourself regularly. For me – it was a close encounter, but for them breast cancer is very real – really made me realise how important it is to check yourself regularly…

So the ladies amongst you reading this – whether you’re 31 or 54 - please please please check yourselves regularly….the sooner they find it, the better….