Last month. I wrote a post for Breast Cancer Awareness Month and another for No Bra Day – in which I discussed my ongoing appointments and examinations in regards to having unusually sore breasts.
Here is an update with how things are going:
For those of you who may not have read my previous posts in relation to this; what lead me to seeing a doctor in the first place was the fact that I was having a lot of pain in my breasts, which is not usual for me.
The pain had been so bad that I had been unable to wear a bra and the slightest touch would bring me to tears.
This went on for over a month – therefore I had ruled out the time of the month being the cause.
After being referred to a Breast Specialist for additional checks, I was told that they could not feel any abnormalities, but in order to be safe, they wanted to send me for an ultrasound just to be certain.
There was an estimated 8-week waiting list for the ultrasound appointment, which was a little nerve-racking for me, mainly due to me being an anxious person and therefore overthinking the whole thing for the duration of that time.
My ultrasound appointment was today. My letter came through 2-days earlier, which meant that my mum and/or my fiancé, were unable to change their work shifts and I had to attend alone. Something that made me extremely anxious.
When I arrived for my 10:20am appointment, all of the reception staff that I encountered, were very friendly and welcoming, which started to put my mind at ease a little.
However, the 30-minute delay in being seen has the opposite effect.
When I was called into the screening room, a lovely nurse introduced herself to me and advised me of what would happen during my appointment with them.
She asked me to step behind the curtain and remove my bra, and then come and lay on the bed.
Another nurse was also present and again, introduced themselves to me on a first name basis – making the encounter feel a little less daunting and formal.
The ultrasound did not take too long – 10 minutes at most.
They placed the gel across my chest and scanned each breast and underarm thoroughly and in turn. Whilst they did this, they chatted with me about every day stuff – asking me if I work and what I do, and so on and so forth. This was a nice way to ensure that the appointment wasn’t done in an awkward silence as well as making me feel more relaxed; taking my mind off of what was happening.
Once the ultrasound was done, they advised me there and then that they could not see anything of concern (which was a big relief!)
However, unfortunately for me, they explained that I had a lot of ‘lumpy tissue’ which means that whenever my hormones change, they become inflamed and painful… and your hormones are changing all of the time; not just during your period.
Sadly, there is not much I can do about this other than taking pain killers and using ibuprofen gel whenever it flares up.
I have found that Evening Primrose helped a fair bit; as they help to regulate your hormones – however I cannot take these forever, but I can use them when it is at its worst, which is good to know!
I just want to thank those who have gone out of their way to check on me and to my friends and family who have put my mind at ease and attended appointments with me. I am lucky to have so many loving and caring people around me, both in person and via the wonders of social media.
– You all know who you are!
