Answers to Some Questions I Received

Someone emailed me today and asked some questions about how/why I went in to get my lump checked in the first place. I thought I would share them here as well.

Had you had any mammograms?

No. I was told to go get a baseline in December of 2006 after my regular GYN appointment, but I put it off. There was no indication at a that time that there was anything wrong.

Any history of breast cancer in your family?

My grandmother had it in her 80s after her colon cancer spread to her entire body. From what I've gleaned, that doesn't really count.

How old are you if you don't mind my asking?

I turned 40 a few weeks after I was diagnosed.

Did you notice the lump before you found it in June?

I knew that there was a change in my breast earlier in the spring, but I was hoping it was just a cyst that was changing during my period. I monitored it for a few months. When I realized that it was pretty large and not getting smaller after my period, I called. It was not a small lump.

Was it sore? big? hard?

It got sore the week of my period, but sore breasts were part of my normal life during my period.

Did they biopsy it right away or had you found it earlier and they told you to wait?

I had the lump checked out at the GYN office. There was a mammogram office right down the hall, so I stopped in to set an appointment. Since it was close to 5 pm and they didn't have an appointment, they did it right then. It was pretty obvious from the mammo that it was cancer. I got a biopsy within a week.

Were you having any other symptoms like feeling really tired? Immune system not working correctly?

I have migraines that hit during PMS week, and sometimes other times. Any ill feelings were usually chalked up to one of them.

Were you on any type of hormone replacement?

No hormone replacement. I tried natural progesterone cream for a few months, but quit because it wasn't helping my PMS symptoms. My general practitioner and my GYN knew I was using it and were fine with it. (I think they thought it was about as strong as a placebo.)

I guess the main question is: Did you have any idea before July that something might be wrong with your health?

I had no idea that something was wrong other than my migraines. No feelings of dread, no foreboding sense that something was wrong in my world. In fact, I was immensely pleased with my life and how it was going.

I didn't even consider that the lump could be cancer because, other than having my children after the age of 30, I don't have any risk factors. I'm proof that it can strike anyone.