Convinced myself i have breast cancer 😭

[Jleigh1989]

So I'm not sure where to start I'm 27 have 2 beautiful children a fantastic husband and I'm finding it pretty hard to enjoy life at the minute

It all started when I was pregnant the second time round around 8 months ago when I convinced my self that I had pre-eclampsia I didn't I just had elephant feet but it's spiralled out of control since then and I just don't know what to do

Ive suffered from anxiety for a while now but only ever over general day to day things never my health now it's all I can think about and even though I tell myself it's the anxiety I can't help but think what if it's not 🙁

We ended up getting sent back to the hospital when my little one was only 4 days old as he had jaundice but at the same time I was having pains in my chest and dizzyness I was admitted aswell convinced a had a blood clot of some form and after many extensive tests found everything was fine and looking back I think they may have been panic attacks

Second health scare I started getting bad headaches, worse dizzness, blurree vision etc I convinced myself i had a brain tumour doctors put down to tiredness and stress and within a week I felt better

Then came the next one after being put on the pill I started experiencing abnormal bleeding lasting over 3 weeks I convinced myself i had cervical cancer and that they hadn't done my smear properly only a year earlier turns out my body does not take kindly to birth control

Current situation little boy is now 5 months I'm not breast feeding but started experiencing pain in my right breast in the bone I've suffered from costochondriotus (that's not how you spell it) for a few years now and convinced myself it was something worse since then the pain has spread into my breast upto my armpit and down my arm and into a knot in my back it's not there all the time and gets worse when I think about it my 1st doctor examined me couldn't feel any lump no breast difference no other symptoms I've been back again today as my nipple is itching (probably me again) different doctor today felt my pectoral muscle which was really sore and said this and hormones are the cause but I just can't believe it and it's destroying me I'm not sleeping, have no concentration, feel like I'm shutting myself away I just don't no what to do I need someone to tell me I'm not the only one

Sorry for the long post i just needed to get it all off my chest

Oh and to add to the stress my husbands nans just died from blood poisoning and my nan has just been diagnosed with lukemia and all I can think about is watching my babies grow up

Thanks

[GlassPinata]

Please remember that despite being a common type of cancer, breast cancer is incredibly rare in women your age, especially those who do not have a genetic predisposition for it (you'd know if you did; many first-degree relatives would have had it).
We hear so much about breast cancer in the media, it comes to seem inevitable.
But please remember that the majority of cases of it are in women beyond menopause, not women your age.
Pregnancy and childbirth are protective factors against it, as is breastfeeding (basically anything that stops your ovulation/period for awhile is protective against breast cancer).
So it looks to me like you're in good shape; extremely low risk.
Please enjoy your life and try to move past this.
Best wishes.

[Sixpack]

Try to remember that being "convinced" of something does not make. It true. You plainly know that as you were convinced of. Pre-eclampsia and blood clots.

One mantra HA folks need to really embrace is

ANXIETY LIES


And many folks with HA worry they won't see their kids grow up. I remember when my kids were little farts that was my main impetus for HA. Again anxiety lies. That is one of the biggest one it tells---you won't be around for your kids.

[linniek808]

Anxiety does lie, I have convinced myself I have many things. The tests have all been negative so far.

[brandybuck]

Hey Jleigh. I am gaving a breast ultrasound tomorrow for similar symptoms and some lumps, that my doc thinks it's mastitis. Considering you stopped breast-feeding not long ago you should look it up, although since the docs couldn't feel any lumps I'm pretty sure you're fine. Not sure if it helps but breast cancer rarely hurts, especially is there are no palpable lumps anywhere. It's probably a stressful period for you, but other than that you are fine. Breasts will hurt and itch every now and then. It's just what they do :D.

[KeeKee]

My GP specifically told me that breast cancer does not present with pain (there is one rare type that can but it would be visibly obvious).

I know of 2 people (one my mother) who have had breast cancer and both were found as a lump.

I'm scared of breast cancer ever since my mother had it, it was a very aggressive one too, but thankfully caught at stage 1, so I understand the fear but as another poster said it's rare in 20's, even more with no family history.
I also get pain, mine is usually a shooting pain or an achey pain, however I've had mine on and off at least a year so it doesn't really bother me.

[brandybuck]

Just got some from the ultrasound. Apparently I do have a small cyst, but fortunately not the bad kind. It will need some monitoring, though, so I have to go back in 4 months. Yeah, I have a similar shooting or achey pain that goes up to my armpits. At some point I got freaked out I have lymphoma, but as it turns out my lymph nodes are fine. I'm a rather recent HA sufferer, but I've convinced myself I have many things in a rather short time span :d. If your brain won't shut up about it, I guess you could do a routine ultrasound, but I'm sure you're fine. :)

[Jleigh1989]

Thank you all so much for replying it's put my mind at ease some what I'm back at the doctors Monday so just for peace of mind I'm going to ask for a referral since last posting they have confirmed I do have a swelled lymph node but didn't seem to concerned obviously I am again 🙁 the itchiness is still there and pain on and off but not in one specific area anymore which im hoping is a good thing still no others lumps or symptoms 😑 my great grandma did pass away from breast cancer but there is no other history of it in the family luckily 😊 so glad the ultrasound went well brandy buck will be keeping my fingers crossed that any future check update do too x

[ErinKC]

Our poor boobs go through a lot postpartum whether you breastfeed or not. At 5 months, the most likely scenario is what your doctor said. Also, I had absolutely awful postpartum anxiety centered on a fear of not being around to see my daughter grow up. Consider talking to your doctor about your anxiety, too. It became crippling for me around 8 months postpartum, but I was able to get through it and back to normal with therapy. Good luck, mama!