Freaked
Early last week, while I was having my 'monthly visitor', I felt the usual tender achey feeling in my boobs (GUYS will never understand - it can freaking HURT!). Usually, I ignore it and wait for it to go away, as it normally does.
It so happened that LY gave me a BSE (Breast Self-Examination) Chart when I was over at her place last week. So I gave it a go (although I was supposed to wait until my menses were well and truly over before I did, when my boobs are not so dense). Before this, I did the BSE only when I happen to remember I should.
Anyway.
Horror of horrors.
I found a lump on the bottom left quarter of my left boob.
It isn't a hard lump, and it is quite 'mobile'.
According to LY (she found one near her armpit a few months ago and got it checked), the oncologist she saw said a lump like that is normally benign, and she should just keep an eye on it. It has shrunk since. Phew.
Anyway, the chart says 9 out of 10 lumps are not cancerous. But being paranoid and a little hypochondriac, I'm abit anxious (well, my grandma died of breast cancer). Actuallly, I'm VERY anxious. And I'm gonna get it checked soon. Meanwhile, I just gotta STOP imagining worse case scenarios.
Now with a heightened sense of awareness, the tender achey feeling seems more pronounced (but it could be due to my monthly visitor, even though it just ended). And I keep looking for it (it's smaller than a 5 sen coin). Aaaaarrrgghh!
On a slightly related note, I upgraded my insurance earlier this year to a different "better" policy, with higher protection. Now the problem with new policies is - cover for critical illnesses only takes into effect ONE YEAR after I sign on it (March 2007). This is because many people in the past bought insurance after they were diagnosed, thus cheating the insurance company.
I chose to upgrade because the cover I bought in 2000 gave me very minimum protection - back then I earned peanuts and could only pay a small premium. So I cancelled my old policy (I couldn't afford to pay for both at the same time), and signed on the new one.
This means, TOUCH WOOD, if it's really really the worse case scenario, I'm screwed as far as insurance is concerned. Aaaaaarrggh!
I guess looking at my young (hmmm) age of 28, I'm not from the high risk group. I don't smoke. I don't drink much. I was never on oral contraceptives. And my mom being a health freak means I eat very healthily at home (think organic on most days). Even though I enjoy my food, I generally try to eat healthily when I eat out as well.
So yes.
The lump's probably nothing.
But until I'm 100% sure I have nothing to worry about, I am kinda spooked, cos the C-word can be so freaking random, regardless of your lifestyle.
*gulp*
Ladies.
If you're not in the habit of doing a BSE, please start.
And get a Pap Smear while you're at it (hmmm, I should get that done too).
It so happened that LY gave me a BSE (Breast Self-Examination) Chart when I was over at her place last week. So I gave it a go (although I was supposed to wait until my menses were well and truly over before I did, when my boobs are not so dense). Before this, I did the BSE only when I happen to remember I should.
Anyway.
Horror of horrors.
I found a lump on the bottom left quarter of my left boob.
It isn't a hard lump, and it is quite 'mobile'.
According to LY (she found one near her armpit a few months ago and got it checked), the oncologist she saw said a lump like that is normally benign, and she should just keep an eye on it. It has shrunk since. Phew.
Anyway, the chart says 9 out of 10 lumps are not cancerous. But being paranoid and a little hypochondriac, I'm abit anxious (well, my grandma died of breast cancer). Actuallly, I'm VERY anxious. And I'm gonna get it checked soon. Meanwhile, I just gotta STOP imagining worse case scenarios.
Now with a heightened sense of awareness, the tender achey feeling seems more pronounced (but it could be due to my monthly visitor, even though it just ended). And I keep looking for it (it's smaller than a 5 sen coin). Aaaaarrrgghh!
On a slightly related note, I upgraded my insurance earlier this year to a different "better" policy, with higher protection. Now the problem with new policies is - cover for critical illnesses only takes into effect ONE YEAR after I sign on it (March 2007). This is because many people in the past bought insurance after they were diagnosed, thus cheating the insurance company.
I chose to upgrade because the cover I bought in 2000 gave me very minimum protection - back then I earned peanuts and could only pay a small premium. So I cancelled my old policy (I couldn't afford to pay for both at the same time), and signed on the new one.
This means, TOUCH WOOD, if it's really really the worse case scenario, I'm screwed as far as insurance is concerned. Aaaaaarrggh!
I guess looking at my young (hmmm) age of 28, I'm not from the high risk group. I don't smoke. I don't drink much. I was never on oral contraceptives. And my mom being a health freak means I eat very healthily at home (think organic on most days). Even though I enjoy my food, I generally try to eat healthily when I eat out as well.
So yes.
The lump's probably nothing.
But until I'm 100% sure I have nothing to worry about, I am kinda spooked, cos the C-word can be so freaking random, regardless of your lifestyle.
*gulp*
Ladies.
If you're not in the habit of doing a BSE, please start.
And get a Pap Smear while you're at it (hmmm, I should get that done too).
says Wandernut on Sunday, October 29, 2006
9 wandered by:
U mean u STILL haven't gotten it checked??!! Ok, IOU: Big thwack on ur head la wei!
~~~~~~~~geekchic
When you want to go, wei? GO GO GO GO GO GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
goodness, that's scary. good luck, beb.
The obvious having already been commented...
*HUGS*
Yules: Thanks for going to the radiologist with me this morning ;)
Geek, Snowie & Spot: Done. Had an ultrasound done. 5 cysts. In both boobs!
The radiologist, Dr.Evelyn Ho said cysts are quite common. And that my boobs are the lumpy sort (some people are more prone to cysts than others). So I shouldn't worry. Just monitor them and do the BSE every month. And I should do an ultrasound once a year, just in case (I'm too young for a mammogram).
Cysts are mostly water-filled, so if they get too big and uncomfortable, they can be removed. But she said in my case, it's not necessary.
I hope it stays that way. But I'm keeping my appointment with her counterpart in oncology, just to confirm her ultrasound pictures.
PHEW!
lucky nothing PHEW!
too bad about the bad chapati though. bad, BAD.
my gosh, that is scary...luckily it's nothing (hugz)...remember Laykh had one cyst removed in Form 5 as well...
Chris
phew! glad to hear the good news. and i've heard of dr evelyn ho. she's quite femes, so you should be in good hands. PHEW!!!
Yules: Yar man! Not all mamaks are created equal.
Chris: I was totally freaked out. I'm slightly relieved. But must stay vigilant!
Snowie: Yeah! Dr Evelyn is very active in breast cancer education and awareness programmes. She's really good and professional :) Will be seeing her oncology counterpart in UH, Professor Yip, on Saturday. Just to be sure!
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