View Full Version : How on earth are you meant to do a breast self examination with HA?
Ok, so while I think I've come to terms with my constant skin cancer worry, my anxiety has now transferred to breast cancer. I'm only 25 and don't have any family with it so I am super low risk.
But I've never examined my breasts before, so I thought I would this morning. But I've discovered that my breasts are pretty lumpy. Nothing that seems too alarming - I fixated on one but then discovered that I seem to have similar ones on the bottom of both breasts. Now I think that they're my mammary glands.
But of course, it's at the back of my mind. My question is, how the hell do you self-examine with health anxiety? Should we even? The likelihood I will stress about nothing is about 99%, whereas the likelihood of me having breast cancer (at my age) is, from my research, 0.05%.
So should breast examinations even be something I do? I have no idea what I'm looking out for, obviously, if I felt a large lump that felt like it shouldn't be there I'd know but obvs my HA asks 'what if this lump is one that shouldn't be there?'
Thoughts? What does everyone else do?
The thinking now is that self-breast exams, in young women in particular, do more harm than good for the precise reasons you mention. They aren't recommended any longer in the US. I'm 50, and I've never done them.
utrocket09
17-08-18, 16:59
Ok, so while I think I've come to terms with my constant skin cancer worry, my anxiety has now transferred to breast cancer. I'm only 25 and don't have any family with it so I am super low risk.
But I've never examined my breasts before, so I thought I would this morning. But I've discovered that my breasts are pretty lumpy. Nothing that seems too alarming - I fixated on one but then discovered that I seem to have similar ones on the bottom of both breasts. Now I think that they're my mammary glands.
But of course, it's at the back of my mind. My question is, how the hell do you self-examine with health anxiety? Should we even? The likelihood I will stress about nothing is about 99%, whereas the likelihood of me having breast cancer (at my age) is, from my research, 0.05%.
So should breast examinations even be something I do? I have no idea what I'm looking out for, obviously, if I felt a large lump that felt like it shouldn't be there I'd know but obvs my HA asks 'what if this lump is one that shouldn't be there?'
Thoughts? What does everyone else do?
I do mine monthly right after my period. I do mine in the shower and since I know I have a lot of lumps I know what feels different.
Ok, so while I think I've come to terms with my constant skin cancer worry, my anxiety has now transferred to breast cancer. I'm only 25 and don't have any family with it so I am super low risk.
But I've never examined my breasts before, so I thought I would this morning. But I've discovered that my breasts are pretty lumpy. Nothing that seems too alarming - I fixated on one but then discovered that I seem to have similar ones on the bottom of both breasts. Now I think that they're my mammary glands.
But of course, it's at the back of my mind. My question is, how the hell do you self-examine with health anxiety? Should we even? The likelihood I will stress about nothing is about 99%, whereas the likelihood of me having breast cancer (at my age) is, from my research, 0.05%.
So should breast examinations even be something I do? I have no idea what I'm looking out for, obviously, if I felt a large lump that felt like it shouldn't be there I'd know but obvs my HA asks 'what if this lump is one that shouldn't be there?'
Thoughts? What does everyone else do?
I'm 26 and other than a quick feel to check for anything glaringly obvious once a month I don't really do them. At least not how they tell you to. Honestly it's because I have absolutely no idea what I'm looking for, everything feels lumpy and abnormal to me and I would be there every week panicking if I kept up with the checks.
I do it in the shower too, it’s supposed to be the best place to do it. Perhaps ask your gp how best to do it, and ask them to do it for you first so that they can tell you what the lumpy bits are. There are lots of lumps and tissue in breasts so they do often feel a bit odd.
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The thinking now is that self-breast exams, in young women in particular, do more harm than good for the precise reasons you mention. They aren't recommended any longer in the US. I'm 50, and I've never done them.
I've read this as well - and to be honest I don't think I should self-examine anything because I will always freak out. I'm getting my moles checked every 6 months - one year professionally now because I'm medium-risk and can't check myself because I'm always sure things have changed!
Is there any protocol you'd recommend for being breast aware without self-examining? Would you get a doctor's opinion once a year, or is that too excessive? In the UK mammograms aren't recommended until age 40. I know how rare it is at my age as well, so I am kind of telling myself to chill out and live my life!
---------- Post added at 16:51 ---------- Previous post was at 16:49 ----------
I'm 26 and other than a quick feel to check for anything glaringly obvious once a month I don't really do them. At least not how they tell you to. Honestly it's because I have absolutely no idea what I'm looking for, everything feels lumpy and abnormal to me and I would be there every week panicking if I kept up with the checks.
I'm LITERALLY the same. Luckily even after today's check I feel ok, me 2 or 3 months ago would have already been to the doctors ahaha.
---------- Post added at 16:54 ---------- Previous post was at 16:51 ----------
I do it in the shower too, it’s supposed to be the best place to do it. Perhaps ask your gp how best to do it, and ask them to do it for you first so that they can tell you what the lumpy bits are. There are lots of lumps and tissue in breasts so they do often feel a bit odd.
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That is a good idea! I'm currently living abroad and don't really want to see a GP here if I don't need to (obviously I would go for actual health concerns) because it's difficult with the languages and ends up freaking me out more lol. But I might do this when I'm next at home. I'm pretty sure what I felt was tissue or a gland, I'm also due on my period in a week too. Good tip about the shower!
Partners can help, lol. I figure anything unusual you are going to inadvertently find, be it while washing yourself or lying in a particular position. I don't think you need to go looking. We aren't advised to prod and poke any other part of our body, are we? In fact, quite the opposite. This advice arose before sophisticated imaging techniques, but I really think it's best left to the experts. Have your doctor check you at your annual pelvic exam or whatever.
Even mammograms are being brought into question now, as the false positive rate is so high - leading to anxiety and needless procedures for thousands of women - with no impact whatsoever on overall mortality. One Scandinavian country, I forget which, has recently dropped screening altogether. Obviously if you are high risk, because of family history, that's a different story.
You sound alot like me Claire! Skin is my major thing at the minute :( The more we prod, look and poke the more stuff we find. I honestly think it's better not to check with HA and leave it up to the professionals, unless ofcourse you notice something obvious.
I don't do them regularly, maybe I feel once in a while.
IME, even without doing them, you do kind of naturally pick up on lumps. I have found two breast lumps that ended up needing biopsies, both benign.
Partners can help, lol. I figure anything unusual you are going to inadvertently find, be it while washing yourself or lying in a particular position. I don't think you need to go looking. We aren't advised to prod and poke any other part of our body, are we? In fact, quite the opposite. This advice arose before sophisticated imaging techniques, but I really think it's best left to the experts. Have your doctor check you at your annual pelvic exam or whatever.
Even mammograms are being brought into question now, as the false positive rate is so high - leading to anxiety and needless procedures for thousands of women - with no impact whatsoever on overall mortality. One Scandinavian country, I forget which, has recently dropped screening altogether. Obviously if you are high risk, because of family history, that's a different story.
Very true. And I feel like if I go digging, I will find something to worry about, because I don't actually know the difference between a lump or a bit of breast tissue. I'm going to try my best and not examine again, at least not for a month.
Yes that's true, I remember my mum mentioning that when she went for one! No family history so I really shouldn't be too concerned. Just crippling health anxiety unfortunately :doh: but I'm doing what I can to manage it.
---------- Post added at 23:19 ---------- Previous post was at 23:18 ----------
You sound alot like me Claire! Skin is my major thing at the minute :( The more we prod, look and poke the more stuff we find. I honestly think it's better not to check with HA and leave it up to the professionals, unless ofcourse you notice something obvious.
Yes I agree with you. Skin is a scary worry, but I've had lots of moles looked at and they've never been concerned. And all of mine are irregular! Yes I get you. I just can't self examine, I'll always find something to worry about!
---------- Post added at 23:20 ---------- Previous post was at 23:19 ----------
I don't do them regularly, maybe I feel once in a while.
IME, even without doing them, you do kind of naturally pick up on lumps. I have found two breast lumps that ended up needing biopsies, both benign.
And those were ones that you just picked up on being there? Glad they were both benign! I agree with you, my stepdad had bladder cancer and his symptoms were unignorable. I'm guessing when these alien cells are in our bodies it wants to warn us in any way possible.
nomorepanic
18-08-18, 00:24
Are you treating the REAL problem here though - the HA?
And those were ones that you just picked up on being there? Glad they were both benign! I agree with you, my stepdad had bladder cancer and his symptoms were unignorable. I'm guessing when these alien cells are in our bodies it wants to warn us in any way possible.
Yep. Don't know how I found them or why I was feeling, but I discovered them myself.
Are you treating the REAL problem here though - the HA?
Yes I am :) i'm doing an ERP programme for OCD, which HA is an extension of. It's difficult though as I really have to just not do my compulsions - which in this regard is checking myself, googling and seeing a dr. (if I did have a worrisome lump obvs I would but I know i'm worried about nothing). I have my anxiety voice like WHY WOULD YOU IGNORE THIS and I just have to let it sit there! I know it's for the best but it's the hardest thing I've ever done mentally.
hazelbritt
18-08-18, 08:27
Good for you, claire92. I can completely relate to the anxiety voice screaming at you not to ignore feelings/symptoms. That's the nature of health anxiety, isn't it? Each time I come through a specific health worry and find that actually, no, I don't have ".....cancer", I think to myself; what a waste of my life, I'm not going to let anxiety take over me like that again! But when another strange or worrying symptom inevitably comes along, the anxiety says "what if THIS time, it's not just anxiety - maybe this time you're actually really ill!" It's so difficult to sit with that thought.
Anyway, I have the same issue with breastfeeding examinations. I went through a particularly intense time of health anxiety and panic over fears of breast cancer about 8 months ago, which ended in me seeing a specialist and getting the all clear. But even after that, it was difficult for me to let it go. So I do tend to avoid overly thorough self examination, because I have quite lumpy breasts and I know I will freak myself out. I will occasionally have a quick feel while washing in the shower. It's a tricky balance.
---------- Post added at 08:27 ---------- Previous post was at 08:26 ----------
*breast examinations, not breastfeeding
Good for you, claire92. I can completely relate to the anxiety voice screaming at you not to ignore feelings/symptoms. That's the nature of health anxiety, isn't it? Each time I come through a specific health worry and find that actually, no, I don't have ".....cancer", I think to myself; what a waste of my life, I'm not going to let anxiety take over me like that again! But when another strange or worrying symptom inevitably comes along, the anxiety says "what if THIS time, it's not just anxiety - maybe this time you're actually really ill!" It's so difficult to sit with that thought.
Anyway, I have the same issue with breastfeeding examinations. I went through a particularly intense time of health anxiety and panic over fears of breast cancer about 8 months ago, which ended in me seeing a specialist and getting the all clear. But even after that, it was difficult for me to let it go. So I do tend to avoid overly thorough self examination, because I have quite lumpy breasts and I know I will freak myself out. I will occasionally have a quick feel while washing in the shower. It's a tricky balance.
---------- Post added at 08:27 ---------- Previous post was at 08:26 ----------
*breast examinations, not breastfeeding
That's it isn't it, the voice saying 'but what if this is the time'?
I'm telling myself that my self examination was just to see how my breasts normally feel as I didn't actually know before. I'll feel again after a couple of cycles to check nothing feels different. Just going to have to force myself to not check until then!
The ERP is working, I think my HA and harm OCD are going to be the last things to go because they are the biggest. But I don't really suffer from checking OCD or social OCD like I did at all now 😊
I hope you're doing well and some of your anxiety is eased. Keep going! 😊
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