My sister started chemo this week - she is 38. About three weeks ago she had a radical masectomy.
Now, I’m the first to admit that I’ve never been faithful to my BSE (or flossing - and I don’t eat five servings of vegetables a day or mostly whole grains either), but I’d like to remind everyone how important they are. Be especially dilligent if you are pregnant or breastfeeding (my nephew was six months old when the lump was found) as the tissue changes involved in pregnancy and breastfeeding can make lumps harder to find.
And if you have a significant other with breasts, and notice something “not right” during playtime - don’t keep it to yourself. A lot of lumps are found in this manner.
I’ll be sure to mention it to my girlfriend. She’s young, but kind of associates with something ‘old women’ have to deal with. And if she’s too lazy to do it, maybe I’ll take matters into my own hands…
That’s one of the reasons I brought this up - my family (pre sister diagnosis) had NO family history. They don’t even start mamograms until 40 because you are “low risk” - and here she is at 38 with two kids in diapers fighting the nausea of chemo.
Breast cancer isn’t exactly sexy, but if partners keep at least a little of their minds open to the possibility, I suspect more lumps would get found.
By the way, it felt kind of like a grape - definately “different” - and like feeling a pimple, the lump felt WAY bigger than the 2.4 cm they took out. (Yes, I felt my sister’s lump - possibly one of the stranger experiences of my life).
