ok...i am 23 years old.last night i felt a lump in my breast, only very slight, but i found one. anyway since last night all i have been doing is feeling the lump and hence it is now also very tender. i've recently lost a lot of weight and my breasts have also changed size etc so i thought maybe it could just be something to do with that. i was kinda hoping it would be a hormone thing and go away on its own? i don't want to go to the doctor....even tho i know i have to eventually..i am too freaked out about being nude in front of them etc. what exactly does the doctor do when you go for a breast check? do they just do like an xray type thing or do they feel your breasts for themselves? xray i am ok with, not the other though! aren't i too young for breast cancer anyway? i thought you didn't go 4checks til you were like 40! the other thing is i have never had a pap smear and next time i am at the docs they said i have to have one next time im there.don't think i can handle pap &breast!
2006-12-12 20:01:51 · 5 answers · asked by purple__penguin 2 in Health ➔ Women's Health
by the way i don't think i am going to turn the doctor on! lol. some people seem to think that is what i am thinking! i am just embarrassed by the idea of showing my bits and pieces to a stranger!!
2006-12-12 20:14:36 · update #1
Ok, here goes....
What would be easier to take, a doctor touching a part of your skin, an organ, that is no different to them or more thrilling than your big toe, or cancer? (and remember you will get the same exam more often and see more docs if it is cancer!)
A doc is not going to see your breast, or your vagina as a sex organ. They are going to see them as an organ that is either healthy or not and not be attracted to them.
One other word of advice...do not ever get PG if you are this embarassed about your body. It seems like everyone and their brother get to see your 'bits' when you are PG! LOL.
***after your update**
It's good to know your parts are important and personal to you, but they are not personal to a medico. That is the point that I was trying to make. It's the same as showing them your thumb.. to them. The issue is yours so get over it or have to show those same bits to many, many more people if they find something wrong. K? Really, good luck, being modest is not easy, I used to be too until I became a medical person and saw lots of peoples parts and realized we all have em!
Good luck, HTH.
2006-12-12 20:06:55 · answer #1 · answered by Star 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why not make an appointment with a female GYN? Maybe you'd feel a little more secure with a woman doctor. There is a possibility it could be a non-cancerous lump. My sister had this. She had a tendency to have fibroid tumors, and this was just another small one and non malignant. You made it sore by touching it so much. Don't be alarmed and please do not be afraid to see a doctor. They actually feel the lumps by doing a circular motion around the breast and under the arms. Then, to be sure, they'll send you for a mammogram. Just get the pap while you're there, and get it over with and you'll be glad you did. That's one end that they'll have covered, so to speak.
2006-12-12 20:08:42 · answer #2 · answered by chole_24 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just do it
Go to a Dr., a lady, if you prefer, and get it done.
With your pants and panties off, you lie on a table with your feet in "stirrups" (little metal foot holders) while the dr. looks inside you.
They use a contraption called a "speculum" which helps to open your vagina up a bit so they can see inside. They will also need to take a sample of cells using a swab. They use a long Q-tip to gently swab a bit of mucus from your cervix to test for cancerous cells.
The breast exam is usually done one breast at a time, including under the armpits (it may tickle) to check for lymph abnormality. They may need to refer you, if need be, to a mammogram, which is the "x-ray" which you spoke of. That feels like having your breast squished in a fridge door while someone tells you to hold still so they can take pictures of it.
In all the male doctors' offices I've been to, you can request a female nurse to be present while you have a pap and breast exam (otherwise known as a physical).
I won't kid you, I don't look forward to my physicals every year, they are at the very least slightly awkward, but they sure beat the alternative. I would much rather be a bit embarassed about having a doctor examine my vagina and breasts than have to go through the agony of rotting away from cancer of the innards or having to have my breasts chopped off!
It's your call.
2006-12-12 20:03:49 · answer #3 · answered by Banting B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My god girl, get over yourself. If you think you have something wrong go get it checked out... then you will know for sure. I've know 2 girls who have had cancer at 16 and 19, so no you are not too young. If I remember right you should have had the pap tests when you started ovulating (I could be wrong though... that's what my wife said)
A male doctor isn't going to care about seeing your breasts anyway. It's clinical not sexual. After looking at *******, hemorrhoid and vaginal problems all day... do you really think he's going to think anything remotely sexual about your breasts...
You need to go to the doctor then your mind will be at ease... and if you do have something and it is small now... you might catch something early so you don't have to loose the whole tit.
The only other thing is it just might be a blocked duct or something... that's nothing to worry about... but you should still go for your piece of mind and get caught up on your annual exams.
2006-12-12 20:11:20 · answer #4 · answered by pro_steering_wheel_holder 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
More then likely you have a cyst and if so it will go away on its own. If it is just before your period, then the lump will diminish once you start bleeding. But don't obsess over it. And yes, docs usually do examine your breasts by hand. I suggest you go to a female doctor to be more comfortable!
2006-12-12 20:06:03 · answer #5 · answered by Salsa 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋