So I debated whether or not to blog about this and figured… why not. I’d tell you in person, and who knows, maybe it will make someone feel better. Remember when ultrasounds were exciting? I remember that very first sonogram when I was pregnant with Jake. This tiny little blip, a pulsing heartbeat. Oh, it was just the best! Three kids’ worth of ultrasounds and I loved each one of them.
Then I had my thyroid issues. And let me tell you: a ‘roid ultrasound is nowhere near as fun or exciting as a prenatal ultrasound. And now I get to have them annually, to check my nodules and ensure nothing suspicious is going on.
Well, now I have another body part requiring follow-up sonographic proof of healthiness. A little over a month ago, I noticed pain in one of my breasts. It didn’t go away after a week and the area where I had the pain felt… different. Not quite so soft as the other side. So I made a doctor’s appointment. I swear to you, my boobs have never seen so much action as the week in between that phone call and my appointment. I was constantly comparing, constantly trying to figure out if it was “anything.”
Naturally, even if it was (long story short: it wasn’t), how on earth would I know? Anyone who took Anatomy with me in high school would attest to the fact that while I was strong in many subjects, the sciences were not topping the list.
So, the day of my appointment came. My doctor (actually a midwife, who is so incredibly great that I will cry if she ever leaves this practice) performed her examination, asked me a bunch of questions, and told me that she was relatively certain it was just a cyst but that we should do the sonogram just to be sure.
Fast-forward two weeks, and there I was, back in Imaging. Yay! A third body part gets to be checked out! I will tell you this, though: there’s one great thing about having a sono on your boob. Remember how cold that gel was when they squirted it on your belly (or throat as well, in my case)? Yeah, well when you have a sonogram on your breast, the gel is warm! Kind of weird, because that’s not what I was expecting, but definitely not a bad thing.
The tech didn’t immediately see anything so I had to do a little show & tell. The whole thing took maybe 10 minutes. I waited while the radiologist read the results and while at that point I didn’t get a ton of information, I was told that it was “nothing to be concerned about.”
Good! Yes! Thank you! That’s what I wanted to hear!
My doctor’s office called this week with a little more info, and basically it’s a small cyst and probably not a concern. I was urged to have a follow-up in 6 months, though. And of course I will.
But the moral of the story is: if you’re worried about something — just get it checked out! The waiting will be tough, but it’s going to be better than the potential months of worry. Or worse. So just do it, okay? Okay.
My mom had a cyst they watched for over 20 years…nothing major for her either! It had to be scary though, so glad for positive results. I’ve had a ‘sore’ spot in one of mine too and shared with my ob/gyn for a few years but she doesn’t seem concerned.
I have no family history, so I wasn’t TOO worried, but of course, there also isn’t a family history of thyroid disease (and there usually is). It’s like after I turned 35 my body went cuckoo!
I’m so glad it was “just” a cyst!
This is why I totally related to your post! Not the same thing, but similar.
I’ve had issues with my breasts for as long as I can remember. Found a lump in my right one when I was 18 and had a mammogram AND ultrasound, turned out it was a fibrous cyst, it went away after about a month or so.
But I do have issues with them still, that time of the month is hell for me, I get a lot of lumps and they get swollen etc. It’s scary at times and I can totally relate with you because last year I thought I had felt a lump and I was freaking out. I was constantly touching it, comparing it to the other, touching again and that only made the breast hurt more…it was like a vicious cycle. Finally had the doctor’s appointment and there was nothing there.
Glad you’re well 🙂
Thanks, Sandra! And yes — a vicious cycle is exactly what it is!
So glad it’s nothing serious! Such great news!
I did a baseline mammogram at 35 due to my family history. They called me back in because my first screen was inconclusive and I needed another go around with the mammogram machine…which was not fun. They ended up doing a sonogram. Turns out I have thick tissue (?!?!) Considering what my mom was going through at the time, imagine what a nervous wreck I was! Everything is OK now, though, and the doctor is now informed of what my girls should look like when they are healthy. Glad you are OK. Hope your cyst clears up soon!