Fibrocystic Breast Changes

The title says it all right??  Well maybe not all of the story. 

When I was 30 and at my annual GYN appointment my doctor (at the time) asked me if I had any family history of breast cancer.  I told him that my paternal grandmother had breast cancer at some point in her life.  He shocks me with the news that "well if your 30 and there is a family history then its time for your first mammogram!"  What!!  You have got to be kidding right, I was only 30!

His office was set up for mammography so low and behold he brings me a gown and sends me down the hall.  I really did not know what to expect.  I should though because I am a nurse...  So I am in this room and the radiology tech has me remove my gown, she then flops my boob on this device and proceeds to "massage" it out...  Yuck!  I don't know about any of you but a woman massaging my breast is not my idea of a good time!

Low and behold it came from that mammogram the diagnosis of fibrocystic breast changes.  Great, thanks mom for the wonderful inheritance!!  My doctor told me he wanted me to have yearly mammo's in order to keep a good eye on it.  Now I am a nurse on a pediatric stem cell transplant and am very versed in the dangers of radiation so I was not keen on his idea of yearly mammo's especially since I am exposed to so many toxins and radiations when I am at work.  So I had no intention of listening to this doctor. 

Last year when I went for my yearly he again said "its time for your mammo" and I proceeded to tell him "no."  We had a good discussion about the situation and then I thought of my way out.  I had (at the time) recently had a chest CT scan because of a newly diagnosed paralyzed left vocal cord.  So because the CT included my chest and it came up empty handed in the way my breasts he said I could skip the mammo that year.

After a few bad experiences at that OB/GYN's office I decided to look around.  However I am not always very proactive in these situations so it took my getting pregnant to finally find a new doctor. 

I love my new doctor!  He is great!!  I have seen in more in the last 7 months then I would like but hey at least he is Great!  And he agrees with me about not needing yearly mammo's!!!  Even more reason to like him!!

However.....  About 6 weeks ago I started to have pain on the outside portion of my left breast (the side closer to my arm pit).  Now I am not one that usually has breast tenderness prior to my cycle, but I thought well maybe that's what it was.  Or of course I had the hopeful maybe this is my BFP month!!  But my period came and went and the pain stayed.  About 2 weeks ago (mid cycle) I noticed a lump, and it was so tender to the touch that just touching the skin was annoying.  So I made an appointment with my OB/GYN and he was able to feel the lump also.

He figures since I have known fibrocystic breast tissue that its probably just a new cyst, but he is proactive and wants me to have an ultrasound of my lump.  Again I am so loving this guy and the fact that he doesn't want to expose me to any extra radiation!!  He said that if the breast center felt it deserved a mammo after looking at in on ultrasound then that's what needed to be done but until then just an ultrasound!

Ultrasound is scheduled for tomorrow!