Save the TaTa's

So this week was the first time that I ever had a doctor's appointment that stressed me out, made me cry, and kept me awake in the nights leading up to it. I visited my lady doctor last week for a routine checkup. For the past year or so I've had a small cyst in one of my breasts. I had it looked at once when I was still in school (Thank the Lord for the free student health center) and received a recommendation to have it looked at again once I was on my husband's health insurance. So I went to my doctor last week and explained to her about my small cyst. During my exam she told me that it wasn't in fact, a small cyst at all. She said in her opinion it was actually rather large and I needed to have a mammogram as soon as possible to rule out anything dangerous. I was like, excuse me, a mammogram? I'm 21 years old. I was told before I would need an ultrasound of it, but not a mammogram. I always think of mammograms as the thing you do when you turn 40.

Hubs went with me to the appointment and waited with me in the waiting room. I was checked in and went back with the nurse. I felt foolish and childish as I asked her if it would hurt. After the procedure, I waited in a room until the radiologist looked at my scans. The nurse came back into the room and explained that the doctor wanted to get another scan from a different angle. This scared me more than anything. I asked if there was something the doctor was concerned about and she replied "she just wants to get a different angle." No "yes" or "no." After the second scan, I went in for my ultrasound where they got a good picture of the cyst and took the measurements of it. And after all of this the doctor came in and explained that I have a benign fibrous tumor (something like that? or a combination of those words). Benign is the best type to have. She said its not pre-cancerous and I shouldn't worry in that regard but I should consider having it removed if I felt like it was going to continue to worry me. Whew. It was a very stressful few hours and I'm hoping I don't have to do it again anytime soon. Now I just need to decide if I will get the surgery done to remove it.

I only write all this to encourage young women and all women for that matter to do regular breast exams and to tell their doctor if you are worried about anything. Many times it may be nothing, but wouldn't you want to know that now instead of worrying for a whole year like I did?

Prevention is the best medicine of all, so stay healthy everyone. :)