29/07/2026
At the start of July I found a lump in my left breast. I only just had my annual imaging done in mid May and my follow up and manual check in mid June. This was new and it was weird. In the words of my specialist “oh, that’s weird, we better check that”.
I get annual screening (MRI/Ultrasound/mammo) and checks due to being in a higher risk category. I have dense🍈🍈 and breast cancer took my mum at 38. Cancer genes are strong on her side of the family.
After finding the new lump I needed another ultrasound, an MRI and three biopsies. It was enough stress and worry for a lifetime. Plus a whole bunch of triggers activated at once. My anxiety was through the roof for the whole month that it took to get everything investigated and I had convinced myself that the moment my life would be changing was imminent.
I got the all clear on Monday and feel so lucky that I’m vigilant and have a great specialist on my team. I feel like I’ve been in training since I was 12 to be arriving at the point where I hear the words “you have cancer”.
I’m so relieved I don’t.
I do have something known as PASH. Which is a breast disease on the rarer side where connective tissue and collagen creates lumps and thickening in the breasts which unfortunately mimics cancer on imaging. Increased screening for me. Knowing what I know now, I hopefully can manage future situations like this much better; but I’m not going to lie, it’s always going to remain a fear of mine.
I’m so incredibly grateful that is what I’m dealing with and I don’t have the thing that I’ve been terrified of for two thirds of my life. My heart goes out to those who aren’t getting good news and I simply cannot imagine how difficult it must be to have your life turned upside down by cancer. This was bad enough.
I’m also eternally grateful to those who supported me while I was dealing with this. Doing this alone would have absolutely sucked.
This has been a huge reality check for me. As a stressed out business owner who doesn’t take any proper time off, I’m going to enact some self care and chill the hell out every once in a while. Please let this serve as a prompt to give you
