How many found their own BC as opposed to a Mammogram finding?

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  • xskeetshooter
    xskeetshooter Member Posts: 169
    #62
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    i get 1 every year
    i am 50 and have been getting mammagrams since i was 40(because started menapause at 38, plus so much cancer in family) i missed 1 and i found the lump myself close to a year after the missed one, and its in the lyhmp glad too level 3 1/2 cancer, so it makes me wonder how long i had it
  • Bella Luna
    Bella Luna Member Posts: 1,578 Member
    #63
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    Mammo caught it
    Have to say a mammogram saved my life too. My cancer was too small to feel. I went for an annual mammo last April 2009. My life since than changed dramatically. Luckily, family, friends, and medical staff have been absolutely wonderful. This site and The Wellness Community are terrific too.
    BL
  • tigger99
    tigger99 Member Posts: 44
    #64
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    I found mine
    I have yearly mammograms, my last one was Halloween Day, 2008 and nothing showed up. Six months later, at the end of April, I felt a rock-hard lump and called my GYN. She ordered a mammo and ultrasound, which then led to a biopsy, which led to the diagnosis if Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. Thank goodness for self exams!
  • contrail
    contrail Member Posts: 129
    #65
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    Finding Breast Cancer
    This is amazing. I just read most of the 63 replies to your question, MAJW, and a large majority found their own cancer, including me. I have been very faithful in getting my yearly mammograms, and they always came back negative. My last mammogram before I found the cancer was in February of 2008, and it came back negative. Ten months later, I noticed I had some pain in my right breast when I slept on my stomach. I just thought I needed to adjust myself. Then in November, I noticed my nipple was beginning to invert. That was a Big Red Flag. I went to my physician, and she had a very difficult time feeling anything, but sent me for a diagnostic mammogram. After a very long afternoon of a mammogram, ultrasound and ultimately a biopsy, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had a mastectomy on December 23, 2008 and it came back as a stage 2B invasive ductal carcinoma with 2 Sentinel Nodes involved. I'm just thankful I acted on my suspicions when I did. I fear what it could have been if I had waited even a couple of months. Thanks for the question, MAJW. I think this is an eye-opener for women to be aware of their own bodies and act on things when something doesn't seem right. Connie
  • Sharon40
    Sharon40 Member Posts: 93
    #66
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    found mine by hearing a Survivor speak
    I was at a workshop and heard a cancer survivor speak. Her story was amazing. I came home and thought I was just paranoid because I felt something. I waited a month and it was still there. I went to my doctor and we did all the tests - mamogram, MRI, ultrasound then biopsy. It was positive. I have done chemo, and we tried a lumpectomy but did not get clear margins. I go back next week for a masectomy. Without the survivor's story, I would never have checked myself and I hadn't been to the doctor for a few years. She truly saved my life!! Thank you to all the survivors that share their stories!!
  • GrandmaJ
    GrandmaJ Member Posts: 209
    #67
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    Sharon40 said:

    found mine by hearing a Survivor speak
    I was at a workshop and heard a cancer survivor speak. Her story was amazing. I came home and thought I was just paranoid because I felt something. I waited a month and it was still there. I went to my doctor and we did all the tests - mamogram, MRI, ultrasound then biopsy. It was positive. I have done chemo, and we tried a lumpectomy but did not get clear margins. I go back next week for a masectomy. Without the survivor's story, I would never have checked myself and I hadn't been to the doctor for a few years. She truly saved my life!! Thank you to all the survivors that share their stories!!

    Mammogram
    Mammogram found mine, a week after my visit to my PCP who did a thorough breast exam. I was upset that she couldn't detect a 2.5 cm lump, but oncologist said not to be upset with her about it... I have to confess I had missed my yearly mammogram, so it was my own fault. Luckily, it was a very slow growing tumor... Its gone now and chemo is done. Radiation is next.

    Judy
  • Chrispea
    Chrispea Member Posts: 123 Member
    #68
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    MyTurnNow said:

    I found mine after coming
    I found mine after coming home from exercising. I was sitting back on the couch reading the paper and felt an itch. I scratched it and felt the lump. I immediately, well the next day, contacted my OB/GYN and scheduled an appointment with him and asked for a referral for a mammogram. It does seem like a lot of the women find the cancer (lump) themselves either through SBE or otherwise. It will be interesting to read the comments that are made here.

    OMG, that's how I found
    OMG, that's how I found mine. I was coming out from grocery shopping and I felt an itch. Did a swipe with my finger and went "whoa, what was that."

    I had never had a mammogram before that. I was 41.
  • ppurdin
    ppurdin Member Posts: 1,181
    #69
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    Mamogram
    I didn,t find mine.It showed in the mamogram.The surgeon couldn,t feel it either.So thank God the mamogram picked up on it.It was as small as the end of my little finger.But very aggressive.I feel very lucky.Love and prayers.(Pat).
  • ppurdin
    ppurdin Member Posts: 1,181
    #70
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    Mamogram
    I didn,t find mine.It showed in the mamogram.The surgeon couldn,t feel it either.So thank God the mamogram picked up on it.It was as small as the end of my little finger.But very aggressive.I feel very lucky.Love and prayers.(Pat).
  • ppurdin
    ppurdin Member Posts: 1,181
    #71
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    Mamogram
    I didn,t find mine.It showed in the mamogram.The surgeon couldn,t feel it either.So thank God the mamogram picked up on it.It was as small as the end of my little finger.But very aggressive.I feel very lucky.Love and prayers.(Pat).
  • ppurdin
    ppurdin Member Posts: 1,181
    #72
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    Mamogram
    I didn,t find mine.It showed in the mamogram.The surgeon couldn,t feel it either.So thank God the mamogram picked up on it.It was as small as the end of my little finger.But very aggressive.I feel very lucky.Love and prayers.(Pat).
  • Lymph23
    Lymph23 Member Posts: 23
    #73
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    I Found Mine
    Woke up on a Saturday morning with a pain under my arm when I started to rub it I felt the lump on my breast. It was like the pain was there to make me find the lump.
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #74
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    Thanks.............
    Thanks to all who responded.........I have found this so interesting......We need to be diligent on our self exams along with our mammos.....I tell every woman I know...."check the boobies" monthly in additon to your yearly mammo!

    Again, thanks to all who responded
  • peacefulheart
    peacefulheart Member Posts: 34
    #75
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    Never felt the tumor.
    I went for a routine mammogram in July 2009 and it showed 2 suspicious spots. I went in for another mammogram and sonogram. The radiologist said he could either keep an eye on it for awhile or biopsy it right then and there. Obviously, he wasn't very positive that those spots were even a tumor and thought they could be cysts. The spots were so small that he even had trouble locating them on the sonogram for the biopsy. We did the biopsy and the result was cancer. To the very day that I had my mastectomy, I never could feel a lump. The tumor came back at 7cm and 7 of my 10 lymph nodes were cancerous. The tumor was buried against the chest wall. Something that I learned that I have passed on to all my female friends, is to look in the mirror and raise their arms over their head. Look for any misshapen areas. I had never done this and never remember being told to do this as part of a monthly exam. Sure enough, when the nurse had me do this, the underside of my breast was puckered. Almost everone I've told this to never remember being informed about the arms over the head facing the mirror exam part. So pass this important information on to everyone.
  • MyTurnNow
    MyTurnNow Member Posts: 2,686 Member
    #76
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    peacefulheart said:

    Never felt the tumor.
    I went for a routine mammogram in July 2009 and it showed 2 suspicious spots. I went in for another mammogram and sonogram. The radiologist said he could either keep an eye on it for awhile or biopsy it right then and there. Obviously, he wasn't very positive that those spots were even a tumor and thought they could be cysts. The spots were so small that he even had trouble locating them on the sonogram for the biopsy. We did the biopsy and the result was cancer. To the very day that I had my mastectomy, I never could feel a lump. The tumor came back at 7cm and 7 of my 10 lymph nodes were cancerous. The tumor was buried against the chest wall. Something that I learned that I have passed on to all my female friends, is to look in the mirror and raise their arms over their head. Look for any misshapen areas. I had never done this and never remember being told to do this as part of a monthly exam. Sure enough, when the nurse had me do this, the underside of my breast was puckered. Almost everone I've told this to never remember being informed about the arms over the head facing the mirror exam part. So pass this important information on to everyone.

    Peacefulheart, I'm so glad
    Peacefulheart, I'm so glad you had the biopsy right then and there. I've never been told nor heard the "raise you hands over your head". I will definately be passing this information along, too. Thanks for this and also welcome to our group. Have you completed all your treatments? Take care.
  • fauxma
    fauxma Member Posts: 3,577 Member
    #77
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    MyTurnNow said:

    Peacefulheart, I'm so glad
    Peacefulheart, I'm so glad you had the biopsy right then and there. I've never been told nor heard the "raise you hands over your head". I will definately be passing this information along, too. Thanks for this and also welcome to our group. Have you completed all your treatments? Take care.

    This is how my gyn onc nurse
    This is how my gyn onc nurse practioner does my yearly exam. I hope I don't leave anything out. She has me raise my hands over my head and looks at my breasts, she has me put my hands on her shoulders, lean forward and checks my breast, she has me put my arms on my waist and push down and she checks my breast, she checks my lymphnodes under each arm, she has me lay back and she does a thorough breast exam where she begins at the nipple and goes around in a circle pattern expanding outward, pressing in small circular movements. She also checks the lymphnodes in my neck. She checks my heart rate, pulse, blood pressure, temperature. She listens to my lungs and heart and then does a regular gynocologic exam. She also checks the pulse in each of my ankles (this is probably because of the pelvic radiation). She palpates my stomach, abdomen, and groin. She looks in my throat. She then takes time for us to talk about any health issues (cancer related or other) I might be having, she asks about how other stuff is going in my life. My visits are usually an hour and I never feel rushed. She sets up any tests I might need (mostly blood tests) but she has in the past set up the IVP that caught my bladder cancer, sent me to the genetics department for testing, and has me go downstairs immediately after my visit with her to do a walk in mammogram. I have many wonderful doctors and my breast care team is great and I am totally happy with the PCP. But this nurse practiioner is, by far, the most caring, diligent, and best medical person I see. I never feel that I am rushed, she answers all my questions, and she never pooh poohs my concerns. I have been seeing her for 10 years and I would be lost without her.
    I mostly wanted to let others know what type of breast exam she does. My oncology doctor that I am seeing for follow up from the breast cancer does not do this type of exam. She mostly discusses the arimidex and side effects. She does a brief (lightly feeling) breast exam and last time did not check my nodes. She is the one that now sets up my mammograms and that is fine. I feel she does what she feels is necessary but I like the fact that once a year I will continue to have more thorough breast exams. I do self exams but I admit I am not as diligent. Mostly I check them in the shower. Don't really know what I am looking for anyway. My lump was never felt, not even after it was discovered, too small, too deep.
    Stef
  • mimivac
    mimivac Member Posts: 2,143 Member
    #78
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    fauxma said:

    This is how my gyn onc nurse
    This is how my gyn onc nurse practioner does my yearly exam. I hope I don't leave anything out. She has me raise my hands over my head and looks at my breasts, she has me put my hands on her shoulders, lean forward and checks my breast, she has me put my arms on my waist and push down and she checks my breast, she checks my lymphnodes under each arm, she has me lay back and she does a thorough breast exam where she begins at the nipple and goes around in a circle pattern expanding outward, pressing in small circular movements. She also checks the lymphnodes in my neck. She checks my heart rate, pulse, blood pressure, temperature. She listens to my lungs and heart and then does a regular gynocologic exam. She also checks the pulse in each of my ankles (this is probably because of the pelvic radiation). She palpates my stomach, abdomen, and groin. She looks in my throat. She then takes time for us to talk about any health issues (cancer related or other) I might be having, she asks about how other stuff is going in my life. My visits are usually an hour and I never feel rushed. She sets up any tests I might need (mostly blood tests) but she has in the past set up the IVP that caught my bladder cancer, sent me to the genetics department for testing, and has me go downstairs immediately after my visit with her to do a walk in mammogram. I have many wonderful doctors and my breast care team is great and I am totally happy with the PCP. But this nurse practiioner is, by far, the most caring, diligent, and best medical person I see. I never feel that I am rushed, she answers all my questions, and she never pooh poohs my concerns. I have been seeing her for 10 years and I would be lost without her.
    I mostly wanted to let others know what type of breast exam she does. My oncology doctor that I am seeing for follow up from the breast cancer does not do this type of exam. She mostly discusses the arimidex and side effects. She does a brief (lightly feeling) breast exam and last time did not check my nodes. She is the one that now sets up my mammograms and that is fine. I feel she does what she feels is necessary but I like the fact that once a year I will continue to have more thorough breast exams. I do self exams but I admit I am not as diligent. Mostly I check them in the shower. Don't really know what I am looking for anyway. My lump was never felt, not even after it was discovered, too small, too deep.
    Stef

    Good discussion
    I'm a little concerned on this front because I can't tell a darn thing from my breast self exams. My breasts are filled with lumps. Particularly my cancer breast has large palpable lumps that come and go. My oncologist does the light breast exam that Stef's oncologist does, also checking my breathing and heart rate. My radiation oncologist and surgeon also do breast exams. The surgeon does the most complete ones. She was the one who felt my original lump and pretty much knew it was cancer. My gynocologist doesn't touch the breasts because he says I already have that part covered by other doctors. At some point there were fake breasts you could buy with little lumps in them. They were designed to teach women what suspicious lumps feel like. I'm thinking of buying a pair. But I feel I would go crazy detecting lumps in my breasts every day. Hmmm.

    Mimi
  • prv
    prv Member Posts: 107
    #79
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    mimivac said:

    Good discussion
    I'm a little concerned on this front because I can't tell a darn thing from my breast self exams. My breasts are filled with lumps. Particularly my cancer breast has large palpable lumps that come and go. My oncologist does the light breast exam that Stef's oncologist does, also checking my breathing and heart rate. My radiation oncologist and surgeon also do breast exams. The surgeon does the most complete ones. She was the one who felt my original lump and pretty much knew it was cancer. My gynocologist doesn't touch the breasts because he says I already have that part covered by other doctors. At some point there were fake breasts you could buy with little lumps in them. They were designed to teach women what suspicious lumps feel like. I'm thinking of buying a pair. But I feel I would go crazy detecting lumps in my breasts every day. Hmmm.

    Mimi

    on my own
    I found mine myself. I felt a thickening near my nipple. In fact it had been there awhile. I thought it was nothing. One night it was very itchy and I was starting to get worried about it. Called surgeon who sent me for mammogram and ultrasound - BOTH WERE NEGATIVE! I had biopsy anyway that showed lobular carcinoma. Lobular carcinoma is rarer (only 10 to 20% of breast cancers), presents as a thickening (not a mass) and is notorious for not showing up on mammograms (usually requires an MRI). Anyone else out there have lobular carcinoma?
    prv
  • Alexis F
    Alexis F Member Posts: 3,598
    #80
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    teresa41 said:

    i found mine
    i found mine doing a self breast exam in my left breast2.2cm idc . in december i found one in my right so far one in my right is benign.

    My mammo set up a red flag,
    My mammo set up a red flag, so, I was sent for a core biopsy, which showed I had bc.

    Mammograms do save lives. I wish they were available to every woman.
  • mariam_11_09
    mariam_11_09 Member Posts: 691
    #81
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    I had never had a mammo but
    I had never had a mammo but I always did a self breast exam so I found my own lump. I was 43 when I found it. My doctor told me that even if I had a mammo a year or so prior, there was a possibility it would not have found it. Of course, that is not a reason not to have a mammo and certainly I will do the yearly ones. Just had one this morning on my other breast and it is, so far all clear.

    I do think that mammos can be misleading for many women as they think they don't need to do a self breast exam. For me, I think self breast exam regularly(weekly) is extremely important. Get to know your breasts, I say!

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