Living abroad and have left breast concern

kiwi123

Hello,

I am am American living abroad and I have had some concerns regarding my left breast. I am a 27 year old female. I am not pregnant and have never been pregnant. I have health insurance here in but it's not that great and I am unsure about whether or not I need to seek out further medical care.

About a month ago, my left breast (only) got very sore and tender and a bit lumpy, and felt much larger and denser than the right. It was like that for about 1 week, and then went away completely. About 2 weeks later, the same thing happened to the same breast. It was tender and seemed slightly inflamed. It appeared that I had a larger lumps than in the right. This pain lasted about 1 week, and now it has gone away again.

I am concerned because this has never happened and it is not a cyclical type of pain that is in both breasts, but it goes away and then comes back and is not in sync with my menstrual cycle. I am unsure whether to not this is a concern enough to seek out further assistance from a doctor. Any advice would be appreciated, thank you!

MTwoman

Any sort of unusual changes that are concerning YOU are concerning enough to go and see your doctor. Just get it checked out. The chances are very very small that it is a malignant process, but going will give you a chance to know exactly what is going on and that will give you peace of mind. And if it is nefarious, earlier is always better. Good luck!

Traveling-girl

it's so stressful dealing with these issues while living abroad! I'm waiting to go for a biopsy, and I'm an American living in Asia. The language barrier and unfamiliar hospital procedures are so difficult, as well as not having family nearby. I agree with the above post, though....if you're worried, get it checked out for peace of mind

Scmommato3

The problems you are having sound almost identical to mine. I've had all the necessary testing but I'm still worried because my left breast is much bigger than the right and it's very painful! I know this is consistent with cysts and fibrous tissue but it doesn't seem to be in sync with my cycle. Everyone tells me I'm ok but I just can't stop thinking about it and I can't stand to look at my breasts because it reminds me that my left one is so much bigger and I get so stressed out!

nem126

If it goes away and comes back it's way more likely to be cysts than cancer. Also, if it's cancer, the lump is hard, almost like a marble. It's not squishy, if that makes sense. Still, get it checked out if it worries you. With a quick ultrasound they'll be able to tell. If it's fluid filled, it's a cyst and you're done.

Unfortunately mine was cancer, but statistically cysts or fibroadenomas are way more likely in young people. I guess I'm just "lucky" lol