Boobs

Hi guys! In this post, I will let the entire internet know about my intimate medical history! WOOH!

I have an extremely large lump in my left breast, about 3 centimetres in diameter. I have small boobs, so it's really not hard to find, it's pretty much THERE. Sometimes, especially around my period, it starts to hurt a lot, or when I wear push-up bras too many days in a row. Lately it's been giving me some pretty extreme pain - I can't sleep on my left side anymore and if I get hugged too hard, I wince.
I got it checked out about 3 years ago - I had an ultrasound and also a biopsy, which involved a doctor shooting a giant needle gun into my boob, while I got to watch on the ultrasound screen.
It turns out what I have is called a Fibroadenoma - or what my doctor called a "breast mouse", because sometimes they can move around in your boob. Wiki says fibroadenoma is a benign, painless, firm, solitary, mobile, slowly growing tumor found in the breast of women of child-bearing age. If they are small and not causing discomfort, doctors will mostly recommend leaving it where it is and as mine put it all those years ago "forgetting about it". I was only told that if it changes or gets bigger, get it checked out again. So this morning I had another ultrasound and next week I will be having another biopsy. I am most likely going to request that it be surgically removed because it really is too big for me to be comfortable with, and causing me pain. Unfortunately since my boobs are so small already, this will probably mean I'll be totally lopsided from now on. But I'm cool with that because then I'll kind of be like an Amazon.

The point of this post was that I want to raise awareness for breast health, I want you to know that if you feel something in your breast, you need to get it checked, I want you to CHECK your breasts and continue to check them. For some reason whenever I bring this up, people act strangely as if it is something to be ashamed of. Perhaps it's not the best topic for polite conversation but there is absolutely nothing to be ashamed concerning your boobs.
I was wondering all through today why it is that I have never heard of fibroadenoma before. One point is that because it is benign, and actually nothing to worry about, medical practitioners probably don't want women self-diagnosing. Because you could definitely be wrong, and putting your life at risk. But I'd also just like to raise awareness for the humble fibroadenoma because if I had known it existed, I wouldn't have spent all those nights crying waiting for my test results and just KNOWING that I had breast cancer. Because that's all you ever hear about - you've got a lump, it's cancer.

I'd also like to give what I believe the kids are calling "mad props" to all the women in the world who have elected to have double mastectomies. Although I'm not really of the mindset, I think a lot of women believe that breasts are intrinsic to your "womanhood", if you don't have breasts, you aren't a woman. And although I don't believe that at all, I know it would be incredibly hard to come to terms with no longer having breasts. I read recently about a woman who pre-emptively had a double mastectomy even though she was cancer-free because the rate of breast cancer in her family was so high it was pretty much certain for her. And in case anyone didn't know, the beautiful, awesome Christina Applegate recently had to undergo a double mastectomy to treat her cancer. I imagine these women are all the stronger for it.

Which brings me back to Amazon women and how in my mind, I like to equate breast cancer survivors to the awesome Amazons. In Greek mythology, the Amazons were an all-female nation of warrior women, a-mazos being Classical Greek for "without breast", as the warriors would have their right breast burnt or cut out to improve the aim of their bow or spear without getting a pesky boob in the way. They were fearless and strong - and that's what breast cancer survivors are.

I'd like to just end by sharing a few links to various breast cancer foundations and insitutes, which all need donations for research. Check out the pages, because they all have great information about where to go for breast screening, how to check your own breasts, information about risk factors, support for those with cancer, you name it, if you have boobs, you'll need to know it. And while I'm at it - when was the last time YOU had a pap smear?

Breast Cancer Australia - promotes awareness, does fundraising and offers patient accommodation.

Breast Cancer Network Australia - nationwide network of support for breast cancer patients, with all the information you could possibly ask for, also provides "My Journey Kits" for those newly diagnosed. Very comprehensive.

National Breast Cancer Foundation - the one you've probably seen the most of, with the pink ribbons and Sarah Murdoch as patron. Fantastic site, mostly built around fundraising - you can buy Pink products, donate, volunteer, bequest to the foundation in your will and also a brilliant idea - In Memoriam donations - where you request that instead of flowers at a funeral, the guests make a donation in memoriam.

Breast Cancer Insitute of Australia - You've probably donated before to this institute if you've ever bought any breast cancer merchandise from Avon. They're very well set up for fundraising and helping you hold your own fundraiser.

Breasthealth - I spent about half an hour getting sidetracked on this site while I was trying to write this blog. It's got great, comprehensive information and it's about "breast problems", not just cancer, so it covers fibroadenomas as well.

THIS is an Amazon warrior.