24 Yrs Old and Having a Mamogram

Jayda, take a deep breath and relax. I am 27 years old, and I have a long history of breast cancer in my family, so I know how scary this can be. Breast masses can be caused by a number of things, and at your age they are most likely not cancerous. Mamograms are noninvasive, kinda cold and a little uncomfortable, but nothing like having a baby. You have three kids, you're a pro, this will be nothing! Biopsys are a bit more uncomfortable, but you're a ways away from that yet. One step at a time. My personal advice is to schedule the mamogram on a day that you can have some personal time, instead of rushing back to work, or family, take time out and go to a favorite cafe for lunch, nothing fancy just maybe a glass of wine and a sandwich and congratulate yourself for getting through it. And then you wait and see.
Because of the importance of early detection, doctors have gotten progressively more paranoid, and will send women in at the drop of a hat. It's going to be okay.

Hi Jayda,

I am 40 years old and have had a recent scare myself. I lost my mother and grandmother to breast cancer. They were 52 and 50 years old and both smoked at least a pack of cigarettes a day. I love and miss them very much.

I went in for my yearly mamogram and they detected something unusual. I went for another mamogram and again that detection was there. I was sent to Magee Women's hospital for an ultrasound - biopsy. They could not find this unusual spot on my breast so they took another mamogram. Nothing! So they sent me for an MRI. It didn't detect anything so I am now waiting for my next mamogram. It is to be 6 months from my scare. The reason I am telling you this because I want to let you know that you have options. You can go for a second opinion and even if it is a diagnosis of cancer there are really good treatments out there and the success rate is very high. I realize that you are very young. Do you have a family history of breast cancer? If so please make sure that all of your doctors are aware. Are you from this area and do you have family to support you while you go get your mamogram? Do you have someone to watch your kids? I would love to help you in any way.

We are somewhat new to the area. We moved here last summer June to be exact. I have a daughter who is 13 years old. My husband is a retired FBI agent and he wanted to move back home after his retirement. He was born and raised here in State College.

Please let me know how I can help. We can email each other, talk on the phone, or meet for coffee it is up to you.

Your Mamasource-State College friend,

T.

Jayda,

My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at the same time I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. I was in my late 20s at the time. When my daughter was approximately a year old, I went to have a baseline mammogram done. Unfortunately, they saw something on the mammogram of my one breast and I had to go back for a second one. It turns out it was scar tissue from my daughter hitting my breast and everything was fine. My mother is fine also. She is now approximately 7 years cancer free.

The important thing to remember is that even when breast cancer is found today, the prognosis is usually good. Honestly, it is more likely to be cysts caused by hormones or scar tissue caused by day to day dealings with small children. As moms, we really take a beating. But the most important thing, is to get it checked and taken care of regardless of what it is. If it is cancer, the earlier you find it the better. As my mom said, it was better to know and be able to do something about it than not to know. Feel free to email me if you want to talk more about it or if you just need someone to vent to. I've been in a similar place to you and I've also been the pregnant daughter of a cancer survivor. I spent a lot of time with my mom when she was going through her treatment. It was amazing how many of her symptoms from chemo coincided with my pregnancy symptoms.

Keep an optimistic chin up and try not to worry too much. I know that is a lot like telling the sun to try and give us an extra half hour in the morning before it rises but do your best.

H.

Hi Jayda
Don't be frightened. I had my first mammogram last November. I too have had breast ultrasound done the same day.
It was just dense tissue.
I had my 1st breast ultra sound at your age!
I was SO scared and I was so young. Breast cancer has NO age boundries. HOWEVER early detection is important.
I am confident that it's a cyst, and the doctor is just being careful.

((HUGS))
BTW
IF you need a biopsy, from what I hear, it's not incredibly painful.
Have faith.

N.

I am so sorry that you are going through this difficult time. A very good friend of mine, a Mom of two boys, was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma of both of her breasts. She had to have a double masectomy done and total reconstruction of her breasts.

She draws on her faith, the love of her children and family / friends...Her faith is unshakable, which is so remarkable to me.

I do hope everything is okay for you. Pray. Pray. Pray. You will be seen through this no matter what happens.

Sending you prayers....

Thinking lots of good thoughts for you.
It's hard not to be freaked out by all of it - then there is all of the medical jargon the docs and techs throw around... the whole process can really send one into a tail spin!
Keep the faith and be sure to let us know how you make out - will keep you in our prayers for sure!
D. in South Jersey

HI Jayda,
I don't know anything about the mamogram, but the most important thing I've found is don't let fear keep you from getting the mamogram and any other procedures, in this case time is important, it is scary Jayda but please know and rely on the support of your family & friends and always know you have your friends from Mamasource! Please keep us posted, we'll be praying and giving you hugs from here! M.`

While not comfortable, mammograms aren't that bad and if you kind of go in to it with the "this is the best thing for my health" idea it's okay.

I've been having mammograms almost yearly (took some time off due to pg and bfing) since I was 20. My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in her early 30s. All of my mammos and ultrasounds have come back normal -- dense breast tissue on the u/s. My younger sister has had two biopsies done (one in high school and one when she was in college). Both were harmless cysts. She was in a little pain the days she had them done, but was fine the next day.

Good luck and let us know how things turn out.
H.

Ditto to what Nora said. I found a lump when I was 25 (I'm 35 now) and I instantly thought I would pass out after profusely throwing up. I was TERRIFIED- instantly. I had an ultrasound the next day and it was just a cyst. Although I was totally relieved, it still freaks me out a little when I think about it and I can feel it when I do breast self-exams all the time. As moms, the thought of anything scary happening to us is just too much to consider. I'm sure you'll find out that it's nothing much. If you don't like what these doctors tell you, get a second opinion. Go to a breast health specialist- call a local hospital's oncology educator (call the main # and ask to speak to the oncology educators) and get some recommendations for doctors that specifically take care of breasts. They're a wealth of information. Good luck and know that many of us are caring and praying for you.
C.
Here's another thought I just had- young women have very dense breast tissue - so it makes it hard to see what's going on in there- especially if you've recently had a baby or are nursing- make sure you get the best doctors you can find to read your ultrasounds and mammograms. Don't let them tell YOU what to do - YOU tell them and make as many doctors as they have on staff read those films! Take them to other doctors for their opinions- make sure you walk away from all of this feeling like you REALLY know what's going on. I had the benefit of actually working at the hospital when I went through this, so I had easy access to my doctors, it'll be harder for you, but don't let them brush you off!

Hi Jayda,
Just wanted to send you some support. I went thru the same thing when I was 29, found a lump in my left breast, tried to have a biopsy done at the OB/GYN's office but they couldn't get any fluid out (the doc sticks a needle into the lump- apparently it's considered favorable if he can get some fluid out). So I had a mammogram done. I wont' lie, the machine was cold & hurt 'cuz it's squishing your boob on a plate, but at least the doc's had an idea of the size, and it doesn't take that long. When you're young, like me, they may have a hard time reading the films because our breast tissue is denser than on older women, so don't be alarmed if they tell you that they need to remove the lump to be on the safe side. Unfortunately, breast cancer runs in my family so I was scared to death, kept thinking "why me? I'm too young!". So I had to have the mass removed during an outpatient procedure (they couldn't tell if it was cancerous or not without the fluid). I have a faint scar now about 3 cm long at the spot but thankfully, no cancer! They were able to biopsy the mass. I will say the the scar was very ugly, raw & red. So when I got the OK from the doc, I used Curad Scar Therapy patches (can get at CVS, etc) and you can cut them down to the size you want, so I was able to get about 5 strips from one patch. I wore them all the time and they really helped to fade it. I am very pale white and now that it's 6 years later, I can barely see it. If you have the surgery, make sure you have someone to watch the kids so you husband can take care of you. You'll be really groggy & in pain for a few days & won't be able to do any lifting. But it gets better :-) Let me know how it all works out, OK? I"ll be praying for you!
A.

Jayda:
Don't worry about it. I know that you feel like that is easy for me to say because I am not the one going through it. I have not only been in your shoes, but am trained in the medical profession (see my A Little About Me section). Outside of a bit of discomfort with both, either one will tell you what you need to know. It is much better to find out early if it is something to worry about or if it is just fibrocystic changes.
Fibrocystic changes are common in women after they have children or after they hit their 30's, since you don't fall into the latter it could be that this is all it is with having had 3 children.
Feel free to give me a call if you need to talk, you can call me toll free by going to my website and getting the number just log on to
www.motherearthfathertime.com
I will happily chat with you if that would help ease your mind.
But for now, don't worry about it. Think that the best will come out and if you are inclined to pray do so. I will pray for you if that is OK with you.

Take care & CALL.

J. T.

Jayda,

I had to have a mamogram done when I was 21. It is uncomfortable but doesn't take long. I think it is good they are being careful to make sure nothing is wrong. Don't worry. Just take a deep breath and don't stress about it too much.

We are all here for you if you need anything!

I understand what you're going thru. When I was 22 I had a lump in my breast. I had a mammogram done, which was a little uncomfortable. The Dr. offered for me to have a biopsy or to just have the lump removed all together. I opted just to have it removed. Talk to your Dr. about doing this as a possible option instead. That way you won't possibly have to get two procedures done. Thankfully my lump was bineign (sp?).
Good luck with your tests!

Hi Jayda,
Everyone has given you good advice so far. Just breathe and relax and you'll get through it. I went through this in 1995 when I was 27. The ultrasound found a solid mass instead of a cyst so they sent me to have a mammogram. They are slightly uncomfortable, but it's for your health and it's worth it. The first time can be scary, but its nothing if you prepare yourself. I had a good friend tell me a joke before mine and I kept thinking of it so I was distracted enough not to worry. The mental picture itself was enough to make me laugh. The joke is: How do you prepare yourself for a mammogram? Get undressed the night before, put your breast in your freezer door and slam it shut. It's nowhere near that bad! I ended up having a needle core biopsy. The biopsy, though scary, was not painful but it was inconclusive so because of the size of the mass my doctor decided to remove it. I had the lump removed and was back to work in less than a week. It was uncomfortable and was quite scary at the time, but I had a great doctor who talked me through it all and luckily mine was not cancerous. Ask as many questions as you can so that you know what to expect. Good luck and God Bless. Remember you are not alone in this!

Jayda I was 30 and 31 when I had to have mammograms and biopsies done. My surgeon told me that if the mass felt like you could move it around then it probably a fiberous mass. Fortunatly they were. The next year, my younger sister had a mammogram based on her family history, which by the way we thought was just me,they also found a mass. Fortunaly hers was the same. We later found out, our aunt on our fathers side had them too. I had been told most times it is on the mothers side. W e have two great aunts on our fathers side that have breast cancer, so we were concerned. M y advice to you is just relax. It is easier to have the mammogram and bioposy when you are. Also, let your husband do the worrying, just think pleasent thoughts. My prayers are with you.