Finding a lump

I was diagnosed with breast cancer 2 months ago at the age of 29. I wanted to start writing a blog to create some awareness for other young women and to be an inspiration to young women who are going through this too. I felt like there was not enough emotional support for me when I found out and was so desperate to find other women in their twenty's going through this too. I am now on a new journey, it might not be pleasant but I'm stuck with it and so have to be optimistic and make something good out of it. I feel very strongly about helping other women and giving them the support they deserve.

You hear about women in their 50's going through this but no one as young as in their 20's. This is why it came as such a shock to me. One moment I had just got back from traveling, moved to Brighton to start a new and exciting life and the next thing I know I have cancer!

I found a lump in my breast about 4 months ago. I only found it because I had a sore nipple. Ive never examined my breasts before and like most people in their 20's I thought I was invincible and would never get cancer. It doesn't run in the family, I'm a vegetarian and eat healthy food. Like most people I always thought things like that don't happen to me.

I very stupidly ignored the lump at first mainly because it was so big, the size of a golf ball in fact! My first reaction was "Oh my god it could be cancer." but looking on the Internet and seeing that it was mainly older women that got breast cancer and that the lumps people found were as small as a pine nut and instantly dismissed it thinking it was some fatty tissue or a cyst.

I didn't bother telling anyone apart from my boyfriend and homeopath (who actually told me to go and see a doctor) but I thought I was being silly or even imagining it and didn't want to go. I continued to ignore it for a month but still in the back of my mind knew I should get it checked out. It wasn't until I moved to Brighton at the end of August that I decided to book myself an appointment with the GP. I really didn't want a male doctor examining me as I'm very shy when it comes to my body, so I booked a female doctor but had to wait for a few days. I wasn't working at the time so had a lot of time to think about things and decided to tell one my my sisters.

I really didn't want to tell anyone especially my mum as I didn't want them worrying. My sister and mum made me go back to the doctors to see someone immediately as she thought this was too important to wait around for. Even my sister was convinced it was just a cyst and she told my mum. I think my mum and sister were actually more worried then I was. So I took myself down and got myself checked out. He referred me to the breast care centre and I had to wait 2 weeks for a scan. I really wasn't worried. My mum and sister rang and text me every day to see if I was OK and I was.

My mum came down and went with me to have the scan. I remembered that I noticed a lump under my arm to so they also looked at that. They said both lumps looked suspicious and had to go back that week for a biopsy and mammogram, but i still wasn't worried at all. It is something of course that is in the back of your mind thinking "shit what if it is cancer." I went back for the biopsy and mammogram. Starting to feel a little more nervous this time but that was because I knew they would be sticking needles in my breast and armpit! They told me I had to wait 3 weeks for the results. My mum kicked up a fuss rightly so and she said OK well I ll have to over book you in 2 weeks time then and you ll be waiting around. A few hours is nothing compared to another week.

So for the next 2 weeks i just got on with my life trying not to think about it. I had my 29th birthday in between and had a great night. I even remember telling one of my friends I was more bothered about losing my bag of vintage clothes while moving then I was about whether I had breast cancer or not!