Diary of a Breast Cancer Scare

Six weeks ago, in the shower one morning, I noticed I was bleeding from my nipple. It was from one breast and it was just a small amount - only a few drops. In fact, I wasn't overly concerned until later that day I was doing my washing and found blood stains in several of my bras and even on one of my shirts. In Australia, six weeks ago was the middle of Winter and I'd been so rugged up keeping warm that I hadn't really noticed the blood stains before then.

At first I looked on the internet to find out what it could be thinking there was probably a perfectly innocent explanation and I didn't want to over-react. This is why I'm sharing my story here in the hope that it might help other women. By the way, I'm a young 34 years of age, am not pregnant and have not had a child.

There was lots of information online about 'rusty pipes' which is blood mothers who are lactating sometimes experience. And I found lots of references to runners (mostly men) who had problems with bleeding nipples caused by chaffing but I couldn't see anything that applied to me, other than very scary references to breast cancer. I don't know if it's true but some information I found suggested that bleeding from one duct was worse so I was hoping like heck that I could find it coming from more than one but nope, it seemed to be just one. Still, I refused to let myself be scared.

In the past, I've had doctors tell me very scary things about my health, diagnosing (falsely as I eventually discovered) a life threatening illness and I let it eat me up with worry thinking literally that I was probably going to die. It wasn't until years later that I was told I'd received a false positive and it all turned out to be nothing. So now I refuse to let myself get that worked up, the stress is worse!

Anyway, I couldn't get any information online about bleeding nipples so I went to my next resource - I sent a text message to my Mom and best friend, Allayne. They're full of lots of great common sense and have seen a lot of things and may have heard something that I hadn't, like the time I had blood in my urine and thought I must be bleeding internally (a result of watching too much ER). I then was very embarrassed to find out later from them it is very common and a quick trip to the drug store to pick up some Ural would soon fix it. Allayne had heard about 'rusty pipes' but nothing that would apply to me. Mom, a former nurse, told me not to be concerned but to get it checked out.

I couldn't put it off any longer so I made the appointment with a doctor who had been highly recommended by friends. I had seen the doctor give a public lecture and I'd been quite impressed by his holistic, very natural approach. By the time I saw him I had been bleeding for almost 10 days and by that time the amount of blood had lessened quite a bit. Now there was just a small amount when I gently pressed or 'expressed' and it seemed to be less bloody like there was clear liquid with just a trace of blood. I was relieved thinking that my body was healing itself and the doctor would find it was something completely normal and that would be the end of it.

Although the doctor has a strong natural approach he made it very clear that I needed to take this seriously and get it checked out. Turns out that he had a lot of young women patients who had breast cancer.

He surprised me by consulting a breast surgeon who recommended a mammogram, ultrasound and cytology (getting a sample of the blood/fluid) and she said when I got the mammogram and ultrasound, they would probably also recommend a biopsy to be sure. My doctor told the surgeon that if it turned out to be nothing that I'd probably refuse the recommended biopsy and she said that in that case I should have followup mammograms every 6 months.

The next day I tried getting the cytology done but by this stage there was just a tiny amount of almost clear liquid with no blood and I was unable to get enough fluid out to do the tests.

A few days later I was at the Xray clinic for my ultrasound and mammogram with my Mom who I'd asked to come with me for moral support. (Yes I'm a big girl and haven't had my Mom along for doctors appointments since I was a little girl but I just needed to know that I had someone there.) I was told when I made the appointment not to wear deodorant and talcum powder as it could interfere with the testing so I was feeling grateful it was winter and not a hot sweaty day!

I remembered women joking over the years about how the mammogram machine must have been designed by men and how it was quite painful. I never expected to get a mammogram, well at least not until I was 50 so I hadn't paid too much attention previously. Unlike most women, I'm not good with pain, I've actually passed out before so I was a bit concerned.

After a short wait, it was time for me to go in. Mom wasn't allowed in and stayed in the waiting room. I wasn't sure what to expect but the radiographer was terrific. I didn't feel embarrassed, it was similar to have a bra fitting. In the small room, I took off my shirt and bra and put it along with my things in the handy basket for me to carry from the mammogram to the ultrasound. I would be putting on a front closing gown to go between the two rooms. The radiographer was very reassuring, she explained exactly what was going to happen and how they needed to have as much tissue as possible in there. I had to turn my arm in weird positions for the machine to be able to get as much of me as possible in the picture. It felt like I practically had my armpit in there!

Maybe the machine that does the mammogram is different now but it wasn't as bad as I had been told. Yes, they do squash your breasts (horizontally and then vertically, one side at a time) and it does hurt if you've got lumpy breasts like me but it is for a much briefer time that I thought it would be. I felt like I was in control because the radiographer slowly lowered the plates until I told her it was enough. She then quickly stepped behind the protective screen, told me to hold my breath, click, and the plates automatically released! After the first one when I found how quickly the plates releases I felt a lot more willing to let the plates get as tights as possible.

The worst part for me was the next couple of days I felt a tiny amount of pain when taking a deep breath. Oh, that sounds worse than it was. You know when you work a muscle and it's sore a couple of days later? It was like that, more of an awareness of muscles I didn't previously know existed. So it really wasn't as bad as you hear.

The ultrasound was much better. If you haven't had one, it's just like it looks on tv, there's cold gel and a wand is rolled slowly over your skin. Actually when I see the results I don't know why they waste time doing the mammogram because the ultrasound seems to give a much clearer picture. Well, at least in my case. It found that I had lots of cysts [the technician said it's normal in women of child bearing age; my doctor later told me it happens in women who are iodine deficient] & then they found something else that concerned them.

To me, the cysts looked like oval shaped black cells. The 'something else' looked to me very similar to the cysts but a bit like an eye - an oval outline with a round black shape in the middle. She told me the grey part between the oval outline and the black solid circle indicated that there was fluid. The ultrasound technician consulted the middle aged male doctor who told me it was probably a 'fibroadenoma' and in 95% of times it's nothing but because of my relatively young age I should definitely have a biopsy.

I cheerfully informed them thank you very much, I'm happy with 95% chance that it's nothing and I won't be doing the recommended biopsy. After all, I could clearly see on the scan that it had a nice cell wall and looked very nicely contained and I didn't want anyone breaking it open. If you've heard the Texan Don Tolman talk about cancer, you'll know why. He calls tumours "rubbish cans" that the body creates to store toxins and lock them away from hurting the surrounding area but I didn't dare share that with the staff because they would have thought I was a complete nut.

They were pretty upset about me saying 'thanks but no thanks' and told me about several of the Australian celebrities with breast cancer (Kylie Minogue, Belinda Emmett etc) and how the real problem was that they were told they were too young to have breast cancer. They told me that if only those women had done something sooner, they could have been okay.

The doctor also told me how they are seeing younger and younger women come in and that they'd even recently found breast cancer in a teenage girl!

I still didn't take it or them seriously. I thought they were being ultra conservative. I opened the report that I was given to take to my doctor and read they found "an oval solid lesion, with a transverse orientation and is well defined and would be consistent with a fibroadenoma although non specific". Blah, blah, blah, didn't make any sense to me. I tried googling this too but couldn't really find anything that helped me.

My Mom and my best friend were very upset with me about my decision not to have the biopsy and pressured me to reconsider. To get them to leave me alone I told them I'd talk to my doctor thinking my REAL doctor doesn't over-react and will take a natural approach.

A couple of weeks later I had my scheduled followup appointment with him along with the results of the blood and urine tests he'd gotten me do.

He sat me down and tell me how I really should have the biopsy. I was shocked! Here's this alternative doctor recommending that I do this. I said "what about what about what the surgeon said?". He said, that's only if they didn't find anything. I was confused, I thought a 95% chance of it being nothing was pretty conclusive and believed it was only for the sake of their public indemnity insurance that they'd recommended the biopsy.

To prove his point he asked if I had a gun to my head and was told there was a 5% chance there was a bullet in there, would I let him pull the trigger? He said that he was seeing in his practice too many young women with breast cancer that could have been prevented and that our focus should be on first of all getting rid of cancer AND THEN focussing on preventing cancer, getting the body so well that cancer doesn't get an opportunity. (I am paraphrasing, can't recall his exact words.)

He then went on and went through the results of my blood & urine tests which showed a problem with my thyroid and also deficiencies in several blood levels, but that's another story. Side note: studies have linked iodine deficiencies and mercury to breast cancer. My tests showed I have a iodine deficiency and have several signs that my body is being affected by mercury in my body (most likely caused by the amalgum fillings in my teeth).

So at my doctor's strong encouragement, I conceded and had the biopsy last week. It's what is called a needle biopsy and it's the least invasive way of taking a sample. The nurse and doctor who did the test were absolutely wonderful, very patient and explained the whole process thoroughly.

What I didn't know until I was lying down was that I had to have another ultrasound (makes sense so they can find the exact location), I'd get a local anaesthetic (have I mentioned I'm really anti all drugs?) and that the needle went in through the side of the breast rather than the nipple. After waiting a while for the anaesthetic to take effect, the doctor explained they had to take 2 swabs and that I'd feel the movement of her pushing the needle up and down. A bit like vaccuming it seemed to me on the receiving end. She also said that in about 1% of cases they don't get enough tissue to do the sample and it has to be redone. I invited them to take a third swab while they were there so they could be absolutely sure they had enough but they said no, it looked fine. The good news was that it was 'behaving like a fibroadenoma' that is, like fibrous tissue which is what we were hoping it would be.

Afterwards, the nurse put pressure on the wound for several minutes before putting on a waterproof dressing. She was so caring, told me that she didn't want me getting up and I needed to stay lying down for a few more minutes, putting pressure on so it wouldn't bruise and relax the area as much as possible. She didn't want me doing anything with that arm, not even picking up my handbag and asked if there was anyone at home who could make me dinner. I think she went over the top but it was so nice to have someone be so caring, especially when I was feeling so alone. Today, a week later, the spot where the needle went in is practically healed. I'm a slow healer so it may heal faster in other people. There's no scar and at a quick glance it just looks like a small pink freckle.

I was told my doctor would have the results in a couple of days. We had a public holiday so it took a bit longer and I got the good news yesterday by email "Results showed benign fibroadenoma. No further action required."

Being the google fan that I am, I did a bit more research and found "Benign fibroadenoma tumors are non-cancerous breast tumors. They are common in young women."

Although, I was confident the whole time (well, pretty much) that it would turn out to be nothing I'm so happy to have it confirmed.

by Kerri Witt

70 - 80% Of Women Do Not Wear The Right Size Bra!

Every woman knows the difficulty involved in finding the right bra. Questions like What cup Size are you now? What style do you require? Seem to never end! Well...First and foremost it is essential that you know your correct size. A badly fitting bra can lead to back problems, muscle tension, and even headaches. If you are in your teen years, the strain caused by a badly fitting bra can lead to permanent problems with posture and even back pain. So that?s why teens should be fit by a bra expert at least twice a year or even after every noticeable growth pattern. Your first consideration should be the reason you need the bra; is it for athletics, coverage, comfort or support? There are different types and styles of bras made for specific types of bodies and physical activities. Although it would be nice, no one bra can do it all; you have different bras for different jobs.





A Sexy bra for those intimate private moments or a Sports Bra for when you want to perform arduous exercise. First Bras Training bras are for younger girls who have just started to develop breasts and are not able to fit into standard size bras. Age is not the concern, rather its getting the right fit and support for your breast size. Wireless Bras Light support or wireless bras usually have no underwire and are sometimes the preferred choice for those with smaller breasts. They are less constricting and more comfortable than full support bras. As they are wireless they offer less shaping and more freedom than other bras. You can find the padded and unpadded variety; what you choose is a matter of personal preference.

Underwire Bras Full support or underwire bras usually have an underwire or plastic boning holding them up. It doesn?t matter what breast size you are, however it is a must for those with larger cup sizes. They also are available in padded or unpadded varieties. Push Up Bras Sometimes referred to as padded bras and more famously attributed to the Wonderbra. They lift the breasts and add more shape to them with extra padding. There are some more innovative versions around that use silicone inserts or water sacks to enhance your look even further. They are known to "lift and separate" the breasts, creating a full cleavage and most importantly offer lots of support. Plus Size BrasPlus size bras have finally found a home away from the unsightly bras of yesteryear to the sleek and sexy bras of today. From sports to sexy to your everyday bra, plus size bras are know available in many styles and brands.

You can get extremely feminine lacy plus size bras, or bras finished in satin, silk, lace and cotton, under wire and strapless bras. Sports Bras Probably the least flattering and sexy in the bra family but ironically the most important one for growing teens to have. As well as offering full support, they also stop the breasts from moving during strenuous activity. The tissue in your breasts is very delicate and growing tissue especially needs to be protected during high impact exercise. Nursing Bras Your breasts start changing shape from the fourth month of pregnancy. As a result, most women find their previous bra too small. Purchase a nursing bras close to your due date or shortly after your baby arrives, because your breasts will grow larger toward the end of your pregnancy and when milk comes in. Consider buying a bra that has flaps and can be opened and refastened easily.

Since milk leakage is inevitable, it also makes sense to buy nursing pads to protect both your bra and clothes. It is always better to buy 100% cotton bras, as cotton is a breathable fabric. Synthetic fabrics trap moisture and encourage bacterial growth and soreness. Mastectomy Bras These types of bras are designed with pockets in the cup area to hold a breast prosthesis. There is a wide range of styles and colors available. The silicone breast prosthesis simulates the natural breast with regards to its shape and weight. The prosthesis's main advantage of is that it provides symmetry and balance to a persons body, who has survived from breast cancer.

Wearing the right prosthesis is primarily important to your ultimate comfort level. With a superior fitting prosthesis, and a well-made and fitted mastectomy bra, you in turn will help to balance your posture and provide fortification for your chest and breast cancer scars. Now you know the importance of the bra and the many types available, you should know firstly what size you need and how to determine that size. The following article gives you an insight into how to measure your self and the importance of a well fitted bra.

By: kalwant Rana

Half Sizes in Bras Now Available

August 11, 2003 - "Playtex has adopted the shoe industry's 1/2 size innovation for its Thank Goodness It Fits ® line, the only bra collection featuring 1/2 sizes," says Rivers.The collection features a patented sizing system innovation that offers half sizes ranging from Nearly A to Nearly C in addition to traditional cup sizes. It is the only bra collection that has twice as many cups sizes to choose from for a more perfect fit. "Seven out of 10 women wear bras that don't fit properly," says the marketing director for Playtex. "As news of the 1/2 size innovation spreads, we're going to change that long-standing industry figure. Women will now have more options for the proper size and style that will complement their figures."The LA Shoe Show is a fitting platform to announce Playtex's 1/2 size innovation as the shoe industry has long been offering consumers just such an option. "We wanted to pay a special thank you to the shoe industry for the innovation of 1/2 sizes," said Love. "Few things are harder to fit than bras and shoes, and we are proud to partner with our friends in the shoe industry."

Source: Playtex Apparel, Inc.

How to Buy a Bra

Step One
Calculate your bra size. Using a fabric tape measure, find the distance around your rib cage. Adding five to this number gives you your correct bra size.

Step Two
Measure around the fullest part of your chest. Subtract your first number (ribs) from this new number. The difference between the two gives you a cup size. One inch is equal to a full cup size, so 1=A, 2=B, etc.

Step Three
Select a variety of bras in your size. Types include full cup, demi-cup, lifting and enhancing styles, racerback and strapless.

Step Four
Choose a bra for comfort and purpose. Determine how you'll wear this bra. It may be everyday, for special occasions, or for athletics.

Step Five
Purchase several bras of different brands that offer a good fit. Within a couple of wears, you'll find a brand and style that is ideal for you

Tips & Warnings

-Bras don't last forever. Replace those that have lost elasticity and support.
-Bras can be expensive. To maintain them wash gently and air dry whenever possible.

Read the real article here

Sexy Lingerie Sets

Most women enjoy having a piece of lingerie that they can wear under their clothes to go to the grocery store, run errands, and at work for a sexy confident feeling throughout the day and a sexy surprise once the clothes come off. Many pieces of lingerie come in sets. These sets can range from bra and panty / thong / g-string sets to a sexy lingerie halter top and matching skirt or garter.

Depending on what you are looking for you can typically find a set to fit your needs. Bra sets with a flirty skirt, tube top and cheeky shorts, bra with thong and g-string sets, and many more. Also they come on just about any color, pattern, and fabric that you may want.

Sexy little sets give you a perfect opportunity to wear something a little more daring under your clothes then the traditional undergarments. Manufactures have realized that women like to feel comfortable and sexy all day long so they are made for extended use. When you are wearing something sexy that you feel good in you tend to hold yourself better and be more confident because secretly you want people to know the sexy little piece you are hiding. Men also enjoy women in sexy lingerie sets because it's like a new surprise and the perfect ending to the perfect night.

Find the sexy lingerie sets and other lingerie pieces at NiceAndNaughty

by Ja'Nice West

Bra Design & ManufacturingBras

Bra Design & ManufacturingBras for the most part are highly engineered and thoughtfully designed. It’s not unusual for a bra design to be composed of as many as 40 pieces and findings. Though most bras are beautiful, they are not so much about fashion, but more about achieving a certain look by the wearer. For this reason, we women need to understand what we are looking at when we pick up a bra to try on. Knowing what design features work best for our figure type will help us more quickly identify the style of bra that will suit our needs best.CupsWhereas the underwire defines your breast’s diameter, a cup size defines your breast’s projection or cup depth. Cup sizing is alphabetical – A, B, C, D etc. After the D size, however, manufacturers do not all agree on what to name subsequent sizes. Generally, American manufacturers prefer D, DD, DDD, DDDD. European manufacturers tend to prefer D, E, F, G. If your cup size is larger than a D, it can be very confusing to determine what size bra to purchase if the manufacturer has a unique sizing convention.

HerRoom has made this easier for you. We’ve compiled a chart comparing all plus size manufacturers’ cup sizing conventions. Simply refer to our chart to determine your correct cup size in that brand. It is also a good idea to know how many sizes larger than a D cup you are. That way if you come across a bra with unusual sizing, you can tell your salesperson you are 2, 5 or whatever cup sizes larger than a D cup. She will then be able to ascertain your correct cup size in that style.

There are 2 important things to know about cup size. The first is that a cup size on one band size is not equal to the same cup size on another band size. In other words, a 32D bra has smaller cup volume and diameter than a 34D bra yet both are a D cup. So I bet you’re wondering why the industry keeps the same size on a cup when it’s not the same between band sizes. Well, cup size is a measurement of how far your breasts project from your chest wall. Each cup size denotes a 1” increase in your body’s circumference around your bust line. Knowing this fact can help you zero in on your correct bra size. For example, you try on a bra and the band feels comfortable, but your breasts are spilling out. Keep going up in cup sizes on the same band size until you find the bra that fits. Alternately, the cups fit great, but the band is too big. When you go down a band size, you now know that you need to go up a cup size to maintain the same underwire diameter and similar cup volume (Example: Go from a 40C to a 38D).

The second important point about cup size pertains to women with cup sizes larger than a D cup. Trying to find cup equivalents among brands can be very difficult. In one brand you are a DDDD, but this same cup size can be a G, F, or FF in other brands. The first thing you should know is that all manufacturers size their cups up by 1” circumference increases. They may call their sizing by different letters, but the increases between sizes are uniform. So, as mentioned above, find out how many cup sizes above a D you are. On our site, when you look at the sizes available in a particular bra, we display the cup sizes in order from smallest to largest. If you are 4 cup sizes larger than a D cup, you can count down 4 sizes from D to find your correct size in that particular brand.

The Cup Size GameFinding a bra you love and the sizing stops just before your size can be frustrating. However, you may not be totally out of luck. Say you are a 40C and the bra you have found stops at 38DD. You MIGHT be able to wear the 38D or 38DD in that bra if the band doesn’t feel too tight. Deviating from your traditional bra size is called the cup size game. Substituting bra sizes will work more successfully on women with band sizes 40 and above and D cups or larger because there is more breast tissue and body circumference to work with - a 2” band increase or a 1” bust line circumference increase is not as significant as it would be on a smaller framed person.

A final thought about cup sizes - When a manufacturer grades his patterns to create different sizes for a bra style, he moves the bust points slightly wider with each cup size increase. B cup bust points are 1⁄2" farther apart than A cups. Bust points get 1⁄4” farther apart between B, C and D cups, and 1/8” farther apart with larger cup sizes.

Source:http://www.herroom.com/lingerie-fitting-bra-design-manufacturing,210,30.html

ENELL Sports Bra

Running and Jogging editor didicated an entire review to the:

Here's just a portion of what she had to say: - For most women, the sports bra is the most important piece of equipment they buy. However, many women still aren't getting what they need out of their bra. This becomes especially problematic for women with large breasts. For some women, Enell sports bras have become the solution. Bras seem to come in all the wrong sizes, whether you are very big breasted or not. Enell has fixed this problem, by having an easy-to-use size chart and more sizes than a normal bra. They have bras that fit women from 32C - 50DDD. However, they also will make custom bras! If there isn't a bra your size, they'll make you one. They are also very nice if you contact them with questions about sizing (give us a call and let us prove it! at 1(800) 828-7661). Enell bras are the best support I have ever seen in bras. There is little-to-no motion at all, even during running or jumping. Through use of both compression and encapsulation, Enell bras are as close as you can come to leaving your chest at home.

Jesslyn BassRunning/ Jogging EditorAbout.com