(Photo by: pfala/ / CC BY 2.0 )

Dear fellow breast owners,

How are you? I don’t know if you remember, but way back when, we did a post on how important it is to check your boobies and I’m not talking about the kind of checking that could get you in trouble, nooo. I’m talking about those pesky self exams.

Why should you bother? Well, you may find nothing, but if you do – odds are it’ll be nothing, and if it is something, the earlier you catch it, the better odds you’ll have of beating whatever it is. Like me. Yes, me.

When I was 18-19, I noticed a lump on my left breast. I went to the doctors, had it checked, had an ultrasound, and ta da – all good! They said it was nothing serious and that I just needed to keep checking to make sure it remained the same size, and shape, and that there were no new ones. Also a prescription for pain management (those suckers can be quite painful at times).

Fast forward a few years, I have it checked again. I have to admit I am bad with keeping up with the self exams, but hey – don’t be like me! ANYYYYWAY, they get me to do another ultrasound, and again tell me I’m okay, with the exception that I now have a second, albeit smaller, lump.

Fast forward a couple of years, and another ultrasound: this time I need a biopsy. Yes, I’m young, so the odds are on my side, but hey, who wants to hear their breasts need to be stabbed by a needle? Not to mention I kept thinking “Why now? Why not before? What changed? Something must have changed. OMG am I gonna die? I don’t want to!”

Then onto researching breast biopsies – which is hardly ever a good idea by the way. Above all, do not research symptoms on google! You’ll be convinced you have a brain tumor after you look up “cough”. Bottom line is: don’t do it.

Biopsies are supposed to be simple, and painless… but hey, I’m a wimp and I’m NOT looking forward to it.

Here is to hoping that all this worrying, and anxiety will all be for naught.

So, breast owners, do yourselves a favor, and check them!

~Mari