“‘You have a lump in each breast, the one on your right breast is 52mm diameter,” said the nurse while she was doing the ultrasound. “You are young and educated, how could you not have known?” I remember feeling very defeated after hearing her say that. I held the report and walked into my doctor’s room, expecting to be lectured again. However, to my surprise the doctor was very positive and patient. “It is a bit big, but look, the surface of the lumps is smooth, so it’s not cancerous. Is mostly fibroadenoma. I will try my best to make the scar small.” “Don’t worry, a lot of woman have it, we just don’t talk about it. I even have a 15 year old patient! Remember, you are young, so you can recover fast,” said my doctor. She drew my breast on a piece of paper to explain about the benign breast tumor. It was the first time  that I had talked for so long about my breasts.

After the surgery, the scar is still visible on my breasts, so are the memories and the journey of self care. Two years after the surgery, I still go for check up as there are smaller lumps (but currently stable not growing bigger). Apparently, 10 per cent of woman around the world have fibroadenoma, and she believes it has a lot to do with our eating habits and lifestyle.

Post surgery, I  have learned to accept the scars as part of my body, but at the same time feed myself and people around me with more knowledge about  fibroadenoma

A fibroadenoma feels like a firm, smooth or rubbery lump in the breast with a well-defined shape. It’s painless and moves easily when touched. Although healthy breast tissue often feels lumpy, a new lump or change in the breasts should be looked at by a doctor.

Previous