I den här videon delar Katie Thurston med sig av sin personliga upplevelse av att upptäcka en knöl, vilket ledde till en bröstcancerdiagnos. Hon tar upp vanliga frågor om hur man känner igen knölar, vilka steg som bör tas efter upptäckten och vad man kan förvänta sig under de första veckorna efter diagnosen. Med ärlighet betonar Katie vikten av att vara sin egen förespråkare i jakten på rätt medicinsk vård. Hennes resa är en stark påminnelse om vikten av självmedvetenhet och att vara proaktiv när det gäller hälsa.
Video: Instagram @thekatiethurston
Video: Instagram @thekatiethurston
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TechTranscript
00:00Let's talk about breast cancer, lumps, and what to do if you find one.
00:03I do want to say that not all lumps are cancer, however, all lumps should be discussed and monitored with your doctor.
00:10Twice I have found lumps in my breasts. Once when I was 20 years old, it was a benign cyst.
00:14Most recently at 34 when I learned that I have breast cancer.
00:17It's encouraged to perform a monthly self-exam on your breasts to monitor changes.
00:22However, I will admit both times I found my lumps were through casual exploration.
00:28The point I'm trying to make is it doesn't need to be a complicated thing to monitor your breasts.
00:32You could literally be checking them right now as I talk to you.
00:35So how do these lumps feel? Let's start with the benign cyst.
00:38It was small, about the size of a pea, hard, and I found it while laying down and my arm was over my head.
00:44As for the breast cancer, it was painful, which is very important because yes, breast cancer can be painful.
00:50And it felt like fatty cartilage, maybe rubbery, and it did grow over time.
00:55So once you find a lump, let your doctor know, and what they should be doing is referring you to a specialist for further imaging.
01:02Your doctor should be taking you beyond a manual check and having someone explore it further.
01:07I never want to hear that you are too young for breast cancer.
01:10I never want to hear that breast cancer doesn't hurt.
01:12Now many of you have messaged me saying that your doctor won't refer you for further imaging.
01:16So my advice to you is two things.
01:18First, have your doctor notate that in your charts that they are declining further exploration on your lump in your breast.
01:24Second, find a new doctor.
01:26I was lucky enough that both times my primary doctor referred me on to further imaging.
01:31What this means is getting a breast ultrasound or a mammogram or sometimes both.
01:35With my benign cyst, my doctors knew through my breast ultrasound that it was likely not cancer.
01:40I was however given the choice to remove the lump via lumpectomy, which I opted to do so in why I have this scar.
01:46For my breast cancer, I received a breast ultrasound first and then was referred to get a mammogram the same day.
01:52Upon reviewing the imaging, the doctors decided the next best step was the biopsy to confirm what they believe they already knew.
01:59And that was the I have breast cancer.
02:01Remember ladies and men, yes, men can get breast cancer too.
02:06Check your breasts often and let your doctor know of any changes that you're experiencing.
02:10Bleed detection saves lives.
02:13Increased...
02:13And now, I am just kidding.
02:21I am just kidding.
02:22I am just kidding.
02:24We are all just kidding.