I would like all women to be aware that annual mammograms don’t show everything. Many of us, especially pre-menopausal women have dense breasts. I had annual mammograms from the age of 34 because my mother died of Breast Cancer. Then when my sister was diagnosed in 2002, my doctor set it up so that I would be seen every 3 months by either her or my gynecologist or the Elizabeth Wende Breast Clinic. I also had two mammograms with ultra sounds in the previous year.
And yet, I discovered the lump. It was large and had spread to my lymph nodes.
So my message is: be constantly aware of any changes in your breasts, not just lumps. My lobular cancer was more of a thickening than a lump.
I will always be grateful to my friends at the BCCR because it helped so much to meet other women who had experienced what I was facing and had their lives back again!!