Breast Cancer Awareness

[rowyn]

Friday was "Breast Cancer Awareness" day, or something like that. Toddler Bank took part in a fundraiser for it. In honor of the occasion ...

I did one of those self-examinations that women are supposed to do monthly. I hardly ever do this, not just because I'm lacadaisical about my health (which, admittedly, I am) but because I've never known what the heck I'm supposed to be feeling for. Lumps? What do you mean, lumps?

My breasts are lumpy. My breasts have been lumpy for, as far as I can remember, as long as I've had breasts. How am I supposed to notice one more lump in a mass of lumpy tissue? When I was young, this process petrified: "Oh my lord," I thought, "my whole chest is a mass of tumors!" I've since been assured by doctors and nurses that my chest is fine and that I would "know it if I felt it". The former was reassuring but the latter isn't. Am I the only one that feels this way about the process? Does anyone know how you dotell?

Comments

[kelloggs2066.livejournal.com]

I believe it's supposed to be a harder lump than a normal
lump.

Scott (Run away!) Kellogg

[rowyn]

You are a brave man, Mr. Kellogg. Thank you. :)

[haikujaguar.livejournal.com]

I've received conflicting advice. Some of my doctors have told me not to bother until I start with yearly mammograms. Others have told me to do self-exams every month until I figure out which lumps are normal and which aren't.

I'm not sure either way if it's useful. When they do it at the doctor's office, it -hurts-, and it doesn't when I try it at home, so I'm apparently not mashing my poor body hard enough. ;)

[rowyn]

When they do it at the doctor's office, it -hurts-, and it doesn't when I try it at home, so I'm apparently not mashing my poor body hard enough. ;)

Well, I don't think that's quite it, actually. I expect the self-exam is like the way having someone else brush tangles out of your hair always hurts more. You know how to do it so it doesn't hurt, but the people who aren't you don't get that instant feedback.

On the other hand, I've never felt it particularly hurt to have someone else do it to me, so I dunno for sure. :) All of the medical personnel I've talked to about it said to do it monthly.

[level-head.livejournal.com]

Mammograms can be rather uncomfortable, in fact -- it is not just palpation, it's compression.

Here's a multi-media teaching kit for the process.
http://www.komen.org/bse/

===|==============/ Level Head

[rowyn]

I don't think either of us was talking about mammograms. :)

As a side note, I've heard anecdotal evidence that mammograms do not need to be uncomfortable or painful, though almost everyone else I've heard discuss it says that they are.

[level-head.livejournal.com]

A very similar thing can be said for trips to the dentist's office, I think.

===|==============/ Level Head

[koogrr.livejournal.com]

I like trips to the dentist's office.

Unforunately, I've read some reports that suggest that by the time the lump is detectable by self-examination, it's too late. Still, better than nothing I suppose.

My sister has gotten blocked duct lumps, but that probably isn't something you'd have to worry about.