Post 1 - What Is This? I Don’t Even-

Like a good girl, you perform your self-breast exam every month. Or, like a rebel, every other month. Or maybe even just when you remember. (But seriously, start doing it every month. "Early detection saves lives" has been largely disproven, see "Should I Get a Mammogram" via Breast Cancer Action, but it IS important to know your body and what's going on with it). And now, you’ve found a lump.

You don’t remember feeling it before. You can’t imagine something that size or that solid could have formed overnight, but it’s definitely there, and now you can’t stop thinking about it. You might even poke or squeeze at it. 

‘Does it hurt when I do this? Just how big is it?’ 

You think about it in the shower, at work, at the gym, and before you go to sleep.  Just in case it turns out to be nothing more than your imagination or a stupid spider bite, you have your significant other feel you up. 

“Yup, that’s a lump,” they say. “What next?” 

What next, indeed. 

Irrational fears and nervous thoughts, spearheaded by a gut-wrenching worry you’ve finally developed The Big C, may enter your head and try to halt your actions. But whether you have or haven’t, nothing can be told or solved by you poking ineffectually at your boob.

As soon as possible, make an appointment to go see your doctor or a general practitioner. 

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Next Post 8/5: But Before You Go…

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Question: Have you ever found a lump? What was your initial reaction?

Introduction - Developing Soon

In 32* years,  I’ve had 11* breast cysts (all of them thankfully benign). 5 were removed through 3 surgeries, 1 was aspirated, 1 was a false alarm, and 4 are just hanging out after multiple diagnostic visits.

I've never had nor been diagnosed with breast cancer. This blog is a (hopefully) amusing and informative retelling of my personal experience with breast lumps. 

Because even if you don’t ever develop a lump, odds are someone close to you might, and breast or otherwise, strange growths in our bodies are kinda scary.

Next Post 7/29: A lump is found, and a girl freaks out.

*Updated 2015