You Do Your Self-Exams, Right?

I was watching a movie on Lifetime last night about a 27-year-old woman who had breast cancer and had to have a mastectomy. She found her lumps while in the shower, doing her monthly self-exams. I also found my lump (cancer) in the shower, though I wasn't very regular about doing the self-exams each month. However, I will forever be grateful that I did the self-exam that month, because if i had waited until my regularly scheduled mammogram to find the lump, odds are that I wouldn't be here now (I had cancer when I was 33 and I am only now 35, which is the age that some doctors are willing to do a first mammogram on women).

SO, let me just take the opportunity to encourage everyone with boobs (because men can have breast cancer, too) to do self-exams...it really truly could mean the difference between life and death.

When I was 20 I had 2 cysts removed from my L&R breasts, fortunately, they were benign. Just this year I had another one removed on my left, again it was benign. They say that some women really just have cystic breasts and some don't but it doesnt mean that we are safe from getting cancer.

I usually do my self-breast exam when Im lying down, so I can totally feel if there are lumps growing inside.

Right you are, aja. Good for you!

For anyone not sure how to do a self-exam, this company makes a self-exam tshirt with guidelines on doing a self-exam. Really cool!

I've never done a self-exam. I checked out those t-shirts and they are really neat. I never knew anything like that existed. It'd be beneficial for all women to own a product like that.

I am another one who has very cystic breasts. They have only done needle aspiration biopsies (which weren't too fun) and I was 21 at the time. I am now 24 and I freak out all of the time because breast cancer is fierce on my dad's side of the family.

I am at a loss for what to do. They are lumpy - I don't know when to go get checked out and when not to. Ugh. Any advice?

You go to a gynecologist each year for a pelvic exam, right? Talk to your GYN about your family history and your lumpy self, and see if s/he can help you figure out which lumps are normal and which aren't.

That said, if you find a lump that doesn't go away with, say, a new cycle, or that feels hard or actually distorts the outside of your breast...go have the GYN check it out.

I've done FNAB (fine needle aspiration biopsy) too at one time because of a requirement in work. The pathologist who did it advised me beforehand that there are risks in doing it, but I forgot already what he said *sorry*. And pinkribbon is right, you should check with your obgyne so she/he can tell you the important facts about having cysts in your breasts.

[erindallas]

Wow. Definitely important. My co-worker's mother just passed away from a long bout with breast cancer, which spread. Very sad.

[kitsch_k]

its true that we should do regular exams..i had a cyst taken out of me at 21..good thing i started checking my breasts early

the self examining t-shirt seems good option

The shirt is cool, which reminds me of a high tech t-shirt that enables the wearer to play air guitar (which is out of topic, hehe)

[kitsch_k]

haha..the tshirt is a good guide!!! hehe..its easy not to make mistakes with that...

Originally Posted by Ishita_1911

the self examining t-shirt seems good option

Ha! I'll put that into consideration!

[agent_orange]

My mom's a doctor so she gets...paranoid about a lot of stuff so it's either I do it or someone else does it. And I don't want people touching my...girl parts. I mean, unless I like them. Like, y'know. Like them.

You can never be too young to start, though, because I had a friend who, luckily enough, examined herself regularly and found a cyst when we were, like, 15? So, yeah.

I don't know how to self-exam although i real an article about it. Thanks for sharing your experience

[pinkbag]

thank you everyone for so much information on this. till date i was careless about it. but from now onwards i will make sure to do a regular exam...

Oh thank you pinkribbon for this reminder. I used to do this before but I got too lazy and sometimes busy. But really, thank you again.

breast cancer is really frightening, i try not to think about it because my grandma died of breast cancer, i guess i'm at risks too

I try to remember to do it a few times a year. I am really bad at forgetting though. I'm always in such a hurry in the shower.

can anyone place a link to a website on how to check for breast cancer here? i don't know how to do it properly

[etali]

I am very good about my breast examiniation, but that has reminded me about something else - I haven't had my cervical smear test in years. I'll be booking that on Monday! Thanks for starting this thread -health is really important.

[britjojo]

Pinkribbon, thank you for posting this and sharing your story. I think it is important for women to realise that this really isn't just an older woman's disease, and learn to take care of themselves.

I personally am not too good at this, but my boobs are in my hands so much of the day (being a nursing mother) that I tend to notice changes cause by blocked ducts, engorgement and other issues very quickly-even when they occur in the wing of my breast. So at this point I am not too worried.

I too had very lumpy breasts before lactating. Some women have odd textured fatty tissue, which is replaced when you start making milk. I didn't have 'normal' feeling breasts till I was 26.