How was your BC found? By doctor or you?

FAITHINHIM

I found mine myself.   I had a mammogram in February and all was clear...I found the lump in July and it was stage IIIa by November...I truly believe in self breast exams...If I had waited until my next mammogram...no telling where I would be.

dogsandjogs

Found both of mine by self-exam. All the yearly mammograms missed them both. One in 1982, one in 2011.  How could 35 years of mammograms miss them?

msphil

I found mine myself in the shower, no pain just soreness under my arm on my left side,had 3 months of chemo before mast and 3 months after surgery and rads and 5 yrs on Tamoxifen and (Praise God) I am now 18 yrs Survivor.

Seashellie

I found the lump myself, Dr. didn't think it was anything serious but ordered a diagnostic mammogram because I had some clear nipple discharge. The mammogram showed nothing and I was told to come back in a year. I had to insist on an ultrasound which led to a biopsy that diagnosed my ILC. I had a BMX 2 weeks later. I'm so grateful that I followed my intuition and didn't just assume it was nothing because it wasn't detected on the mammogram. Self exams are SO important but ILC isn't known to be found that way as easily as IDC.

Anonymous

Found a huge 2" lump on my own. It wasn't hard to find. *sigh*

Pain led me to it.

Blessings2011

Had 20 years of mammos, followed up by cheery "All Clear! No Breast Cancer!" postcards.

Self-exams were difficult because of heavy, dense, fibrocystic breasts that felt like bags of rocks.

But the docs tried anyway, annually. Said they felt nothing "suspicious".

In September, had a drop of blood from my left nipple. BS said it was probably a papilloma. It wasn't.

No lump, no mass, no pain. Nothing on screening mammo. Just a dark spot on dx mammo, followed up by ultrasound, ductogram, and US guided core needle biopsy.

Really just a fluke that it was found at all.

Had a BMX with TEs on December 5th.

kathleen1966

Symptoms brought me to ask for a diagnostic mammogram.  I went straight to this without seeing any doctors for confirmation of my symptoms . So I found it. It was my first mammogram.  For various reasons, some valid, others just not taking care of myself, I never got the mammogram at 40, 41, 42, or 43. My symptom was a tiny sore on my nipple (that turned out to be paget's disease, DCIS) and a nipple that went in when I lifted my arm.  The nipple was normal when my arm was down, but I couldn't "grab" it and pull it out.  It was as if it was stuck on something, and when I bent over, it really went in. I had lost some weight and had spend soo much time nursing, I thought it was related to sagging.  After I was diagnosed, I suddenly realized just how horrible this breast looked compared to the other one. But it seemed to be getting worst very quickly.  They told me I likely had this cancer through my thirties and that it started to "cook" when I was pregnant with both of my children. But from what I have read on here, I don't think they really know these things. I also have dense breasts.  Well, now I only have one dense breast..

rn4babies

Routine mammograms both times!

comingtoterms

Hi SusansGarden! This is a GREAT thread. I also think it would be interesting to know the age at diagnosis and menstrual status. I was 48 and was menstruating like clock-work. I was nowhere near being even perimenopausal. I still menstruating despite A/C/T chemo. I will be 52 in August.

kayfh

My husband!

Valery

I found mine during a self exam. Was just starting perimenopause, 49 years. Had mod rad mast. AC x4, no rads. 10 years NED. I saw oncol last week and he was unhappy with the way I look and my weight. I've lost quite a bit. Well, not for most people. I'm 4' 11", very small frame and usually around 105. At least after 40, before that always in the 90's. Well my weight  is low again, 92, been feeling lousy, have fibromyalgia too. Very post meno since chemo. Damn, 10 years of severe hot flashes and being so moody. Heart palpitations with the sweats. I have them at least one every hour. And I get bad, soaked. Day and night. So, he said he'd check my thyroid, again and all the reg blood work. He also ordered all the scans. Feeling something just isn't right. Well, thank the Lord the scans are clean. All blood work ok, except markers are up. First time in 10 years. So more blood work, and again for the next few months. He wants to make sure it's not going to keep rising. Up and down he said is ok, but not steadily rising. He had said I could finally try HRT. I can't live the way I am. It's no life. Damn Chemo. Did a job on me. My brain is messed up too. But I am alive, Sort of.

Anyhow, I found the lump. We should all check, check, check. If you have boobs, check um

Val 

comingtoterms

Oh, Val. I am sending you a great big cyber-hug. I wish I could give it to you in person. Hang in there. Please keep us up on your markers. White, healing light coming your way.  Tammy

camillegal

I was so remiss getting checked it was terrible.  My cat and I cuddle every night, and she started kneading me under my right breast, which she didn't do before that--I really didn't think a thing of it. After a while I thought what's so interesting to her there and I felt this huge lum--well after a couple of weeks I made an appt/ and there it was started as Stage 3, then somehow I was told stagge 4 and did all the operations, chemo, rads and still o every 3 months to get tests. So my pet found it bless her heart and she still kneads me but not anywhere near where my breats used to be. LOL

Lindissima

I had mamograms every 2 years starting at age 40; yearly after 50.  My ob-gyn found a lump when I was in my early 50's that did not show up on a mammogram.  I had an excisional biopsy which turned out B9, but I believe showed atypical cells.  (At the time, I did not really know what that meant, nor did my surgeon really explain it.)

Ten years later, a routine mammogram found  the cancer that no one could feel because of its location. It was in the same breast as  the earlier biopsy, but a different location.

theBCavenger

I found the lump. I had very dense breast tissue. After Biopsy confirmed cancer, MRI was ordered and found two more positive tumors that did not show up on 2 mammograms I had just had.

mumito

When I found a large lump in my lower armpit I assumed it was swollen glands due to an infection because I travel alot.My mamo 5 months earlier was clear. Ultrasound ordered by my gp showed 2 tumors in the breast and a third large one in my Lympnodes.I had large dense breasts so I am making sure my beautiful daughter does not have this happen to her.She will be having both mamo and US when she is checked.

Charles_Pelkey

I found mine because of bikes, books and a nice bottle of Pinot Noir.

To explain: I always commuted on my bicycle. One night, I had a big bankruptcy hearing the next day and had a lot of books on the subject in my courier bag, which has a strap that runs diagonally across my chest. On the way home, I decided to stop to pick up a bottle of wine to go with the lobster bisque I was making for dinner that night.

I paid for the wine, slid my bag to the front, shoved the bottle in there and moved the bag toward the back. I suddenly caught the strap on something on my chest and it hurt ! After our dinner guests left, I asked my wife to come check this thing with me ... and within a week I was having the first of two surgeries (lumpectomy, with bad margins, followed by a double mastectomy) and started chemo as soon as the surgical sites healed up.

Like most guys, I would have probably ignored it, but for the fact that my uncle had actually died of metastasized breast cancer. His diagnosis and death probably saved my life.

EileenKaye1

I found it.  Informed by Breast Surgeon.  He said it was definitely a benign nodule.  One and one/half years later--after I insisted that something was wrong--had a needle biopsy.  Was only .5 cm,  or 5mm.  Eileen

Anonymous

Found by your cat? I hadn't thought of that option. 

Thanks for the continued sharing.  It's interesting to read everyone's story. 

katyand4

I spent a week catching up on my bookkeeping.  I was experiencing some pain that I thought had to do with a fibroid.  Made the appt. with the ob/gyn and decided to make a day of it and have my mammo too because I was overdue.  I had my ob/gyn first and breasts were checked.  If he felt something he didn't say anything.  Went to my mammo next and bam phone call next day for follow up pics and the rest is history.  I consider myself lucky because had I not been experiencing pain after the week of bookkeeping I probably would have prolonged those appt. longer and my diagnosis could have been alot worse.  My fibroid saved me!!!  

Anonymous

I'm 57 and found mine less than two months after a "clear" mammogram. I wasn't very consistent in doing my self examinations, but rolled to my side in bed one night and my arm passing over my right breast caused me to question,what's this? I felt God's presence simultaneously telling me, "My grace is sufficient for you.". No family history, no glaring risk factors, but I knew immediately this was not a cyst like my sister tried to convince me while waiting for the biopsy report.

UMX On April 3rd and my Oncology appt on the 18th.

Even with getting clear mammograms every year since I was 40.......my BS advised my cancer had been growing for 7-10 YEARS!

NancyHB

I found my accidentally one day - getting dressed I brushed up against what felt like a very small bump on my left breast, near the center of my chest.  I asked my husband to check it out and he thought it was strange.  I had a yearly physicaly with my CNM the next week so I figured I'd mention it to her, but I forgot.  She sent me for my yearly mammogram anyway, and I remembered to mention it to the tech - who checked but said had I not mentioned it, she wouldn't have noticed it.  They couldn't get the area into the mammogram so they sent me for an US.  The tech and doctor concluded it was probably an inflammed lymph node.  CNM followed up with me and said we could watch it for 6 months or send me to the BS; I opted for the latter.  He thought it was a fibroadenoma - smooth margins on the US and all, and said we could watch it for 6 months or remove it.  I figured we'd get it over with.  Once he got in to remove it, he realized it had spiculated edges and knew it was cancer.  I felt like I was turned away at every chance.  I'm just really glad I didn't give up advocating for myself.

arenee98

I found my lump on my own.  I was on the phone with my boyfriend (now husband) and was scratching an itch or something and told him, "Hey, I think I have a lump!"  The crazy thing is I had JUST had a gyn exam with breast exam 3 months before and the dr felt nothing.  I went from 0 to 4 cm in 3 months.  The only thing that had changed was I had started birth control after the exam and now I know (being estrogen positive) that the estrogen in birth control just fed my cancer.  I wasn't the world's best at doing self-exams even after my mom died of bc, but now I'm a total nag in reminding the ladies in my life to check themselves

Anke72

I found mine myself too.

Kaara

Mine showed up on my routine mammogram during my summer in NC.  I had an US which showed nothing.  RO recommended an MRI, but I went back to Fl to a BS that was recommended and IDC was diagnosed using a stereotactic biopsy.  It was very early stage 1 grade 1 and a lumpectomy and SNB was done with clear margins and no lymph node involvement.  No rads or chemo, but currently on tamoxifen.

Recent thermography showed both breasts were clear of any possible tumor growth.  Due to have a follow up mammo in late May. 

docziggy

I found mine. Will be 35 at the end of May, so was not yet going for mammos. I wasn't super religious about self exams - maybe every 3-4 months. But am now very grateful I did.

mybee333

Kaara - I am so happy for you that thngs were caught early and went well!  Nice story!

p22nut5

I'm 44 and started mammogram at 34 because of our significant history of BC. Last Jan, I learned that my friend has inflammatory BC. Scared, I did self breast exam and felt 3 lumps. Felt like 3 lemon pits. That same week I went to my OB for my annual check up and told him about it. He told me not to worry because it's movable. Not quite convinced, I told my friend who had BC 16 yrs ago and she told me she'll refer me to her oncologist. 2 days later her oncologist called me and reassured me not to worry because my last mammogram almost a year ago was normal. I insisted, because my mom died of BC and for peace of mind that I want a diagnostic mammo and US. Which he agreed and referred me to the breast clinic. To make the story short, they saw something on the US so they did biopsy that confirmed I have IDC.

Shayne

Ive been doing self exams for years, every month.  I think bc I had never had a mammogram - after 20years ago losing a friend who found her own lump 2mos after a clear mammo.  

I felt nothing unusual, and after 3 friends got cancer within 2 yrs time, decided i better get in there.  My very first mammo showed 3 cysts, one turned out to be 10mm malignant lesion.  I had just had a gyn exam.  I still cannot feel it. 

bubbe

My cancer was found by routine mammogram.  The doctor saw something suspicious, sent me for a compression mammogram and an ultrasound and still wasn't sure what they were seeing.  Sent me to a breast surgeon who sent me for BRACA testing (surprisingly negative with a family history of bc) and an MRI and finally a biopsy.  Lump was 9mm, and BS and ONC both felt it was an amazingly good catch. Oncotype DX was 18. I had a lumpectomy, followed by radiation, and I am now taking Aromasin.  I've been on it for about 6 weeks or so.  My ONC also gave me a shot of Prolia after one month, and it has, for me, reduced the bone pain dramatically.  But the brain fog and moodiness is still occasionally there and that sucks!