Wednesday, March 05, 2008

What's new Lumpy?

So I, correction Jeremy, found a lump in my left breast last night. According to him it has been there for at least a few months. He thought I was aware of such a thing. Well since my breasts get so much attention from both my husband and my still nursing Mims, I don't generally give them a thorough once over as I should. I guess I figure at a young 27 years, regular dr's exams, no history of breast cancer (all benign lumps in the fam have been after 40), three pregnancies and 3 years of nursing, and good overall health that lumps in my breasts were not a worry. Plus I figured I'd paid my dues with all the abnormal paps, calposcopies, leep procedures, poking, prodding, slicing and dicing. I guess I thought my body would only screw me in one function, not multiple. But there in lies my fear.
Many women in my family have had benign cysts found in their breasts, removed without incident. Said lumps arose pre, during and post menopause. None that I know of were so early in life. I am one of the first and few to not only nurse, but only nurse 3 babies for a total of 3 years. (This is said to help reduce the risks of breast cancers.) Many of the same woman dealt with abnormal paps and biopsies, none dealt with leeps in order to remove "problem" cells. My mom's lump a few years ago educated me in what I have to come. They will most likely biopsy it. Which means they will either stab a needle or make an incision deep into the center, where the lump resides, of my breast. This will most likely leave a disfiguring scar, because I don't have enough, and hurt beyond engorgement. Once they determine cancer or not, they will most likely go back in to remove said lump, and proceed with treatment as necessary. To be perfectly honest the idea of starting testing again on an entirely new issue turns a knot in my stomach I cannot explain. I just want to live a healthy whole life. Apparently I have not accepted my body and released all of my attachment to certain pains. Emotions in my like are manifesting physically and I will be forced to deal with them.
What I really want to do is ignore it. Once I acknowledge it with a Dr., then move into identifying it, it will become part of my reality. A reality that includes my hubby and kiddos. If it weren't for them I would most likely wait 6 months to a year to see if it just might go away on it's own. It could. But because of them that kind of time just isn't available. In that time it could change and grow, become something else. Something that could cost me more precious time. I am a mother and a wife, I have very special people that count on me. They need me to be on top of my game always, so I must deal with this now. Fortunately my dr's office sees it the same way and Bonnie will see me tomorrow to figure out what to do about it. Until then I will try and think only positivity.

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