Check your breasts - merge

Maple

LadyJ wrote: »

If you go to the doctor, can you just ask her to do a breast exam for you? I wouldn't have a clue what is normal for me but there are lots of lumps and bumps. Not sure which ones might be worth checking....

Yep, you can ask your doc to check them for you. Cos of hormonal imbalance mine can be a bit lumpy so I got my doc to check them out for me, there was something there that i just wasn't sure of. It only takes a few minutes.

Funny story tho, my mate was checking hers one morning and found a suspicious lump, she freaked and was on the phone to me straight away. I told her to make an appt for doc immediately. Phone rings later that afternoon, my mate on the phone all embarrassed. Turns out her "lump" was actually her rib!

Quality

http://www.nehb.ie/youthhealthne/sex%20health%20how%20girls%20work%20breast%20examination.htm

This is how to perform breast examination, I will stick it in the first post also...

Niamho!

Papillon87 wrote: »

Have to be honest and say I never check my breasts. Very negligent of me. I did once watch a video of "how to" on youtube but the couple of times I've tried I've never known what I was looking for as there are loads of little bumps and beads from what I felt.

Ditto.

gollyitsolly

My husband checks mine regularly. He knows the feel of them better than I do.He would always know when I was due my period because I would get really "lumpy"!

LivingDeadGirl

What's the danger age bracket?

Lurvely

I know that I should check but I don't really. No one in my family has ever had breast cancer - although other cancers seem to run in my family. I know i should start checking on a regular basis but never seem to do it.

Dizzyblonde

Quality wrote: »

http://www.nehb.ie/youthhealthne/sex%20health%20how%20girls%20work%20breast%20examination.htm

This is how to perform breast examination, I will stick it in the first post also...

Excellent idea posting this, Quality. At one stage I was a regular visitor to the breast clinic in Beaumont and had lots of ultrasounds and needle biopsies. Benign fibrocystic breast disease seems to run in my family but thank God that's all it was.

Faith

LadyJ wrote: »

I do check them but I'm not really sure what I'm looking for! My breasts always feel pretty lumpy and bumpy!

Yeah, I'm the same.

My mother had breast cancer a few years ago, and her mother had it too. I check every so often but I'm really not sure what's normal. I'm going to ask my doctor to check them next time.

Weidii

It'd be stupid for me not to be. Even though I'm only 21, every woman in the generation above my mam (ie all my grandads sisters and my grannies on both sides) have had breast cancer (though it hasn't claimed many lives), so I'm a likely candidate at some stage. My Aunties are starting to get various forms of ovarian cancer now too. It really pays to be aware.

Good topic.

BeatNikDub

My best friend who is 27 was diagnosed with breast cancer last week.

She found the lump from doing routine checks and hopefully its been caught early.

Its a lesson though ladies, no matter how young you are, check them.

I got a nurse at my local medical centre to show how to do it properly also.

Positive thoughts anyway!!

larko

I'm 30 and last year I found a lump. I went to the Well woman centre to get it checked out (after a bit of waiting because I was afraid). The doctor checked my breasts and the lump I found was nothing but she found another one that she was concerned about.

I used to check my breasts regularly but it was only until I went to the centre that I realised I wasn't pressing hard enough on them. So it was a lesson learned.

She said lumps normally feel like a small stone/pea under the breast. I have a lot of lumps but now I can tell the difference between them, I hope. The doctor said to check them the week after your period. This may be old news to everyone but there might be someone who doesn't know.

BeatNikDub

Indeed larko - I didnt know anything about the timing relevance either.
The nurse said its worth writing down when and where you found one and keep an eye on it to see if it changes with your cycle.

Its not easy being a woman!!!

Nevyn

there was a thread about this recently...

Maybe the mods can merge the two.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=55285138

http://www2.vhi.ie/topic/selfexam

Weidii

I'm quite paranoid about breast cancer, as every woman of my grandparents generation, on both my mothers and fathers sides have had it. I think the survival rate is reassuring though, out of more than 10 women only 2 in my family have died from it.