I am currently 39 years old and just had a mastectomy. I have been prone to breast lumps since I was 22.

I had my first lumpectomy when I was 23. I found a lump the size of my thumb nail and didn’t think much of it at first. It kept me awake as I used to like lying on my front. I went to my GP he told me to wait for two periods to pass and then if it hadn’t gone come back. I waited and it didn’t disappear in fact it grew. I then had an aspiration (needle biopsy taken).    I got told to come back a week later. I had another aspiration and was then informed I needed an operation to remove it.   I had the operation to remove it and didn’t think anything more about the lump.

Eighteen months later another lump appeared. Again I was told to wait for two periods to pass and see if it disappeared. It grew so again I went through the procedures mentioned above and then had another lumpectomy.

I really didn’t think anything about the causes of my breast lumps or even if they had a link to breast cancer. I just thought they are gone and got on with my life.

At the age of 31 I had another lump. I went straight to my doctors. They referred me straight away to a breast consultant. He was really nice. He carried out an aspiration. He said it was most probably nothing but he would like to check the lump again in a week and for me to come back. I went back and had another aspiration. The consultant said I needed another lumpectomy so yet again I had another operation.

Unfortunately his registrar carried out the operation. During the operation I bled a lot and the registrar stitched me up and hoped for the best.

I had the stitches removed at my doctors’ surgery and went home to rest. It was Easter weekend 1997. Five weeks after   I passed my driving test.

That night I was delirious, feverish and didn’t have a clue where I was. I went to the doctors the next morning to find I had an infection. I asked if it was going to be ok for me to travel to see my future in-laws in South Wales. The doctor said that would not be a problem. We went to South Wales. We were staying in a “mobile home” as my partners’ parents had just had their house extended and they were using it during the day as an office and for guests at weekends.

My future mother-in-law showed me where we were to stay and said there was an electric blanket on the bed. I switched the electric blanket on ready to retire that night as the journey was quite long from Mid Wales to South Wales.

I crawled into bed later that evening and settled down for the night. My partner stayed up. I remember him coming to bed, I was lovely and warm and cosy and did not want to move. He tried to move me from the warm side to the cold side       (as I did not know there were two switches to the electric blanket, I had only used one switch). I moaned and then turned over.

At that point I felt a rush of liquid hit my body just like it had come from a super soaker. I asked my partner if he had sprayed me with a water pistol. It was the haematoma it had let go. He wondered what I was on about and then looked at my nightshirt. He told me to stay where I was and he was going to make a phone call. He rang Haverfordwest Hospital. They told him to bring me straight away and for me not to change or do anything. We got to the hospital and I was put into a wheelchair. At this point I was quite calm. I just wanted this mess cleared up. A nurse saw my nightshirt peeping out from my dressing gown and asked if the blood was from my stomach. I said “No my breast”. I was seen to immediately. After several syringes of saline and much packing the wound was finally dressed and covered with a plastic waterproof covering.

I was told that if I had any further problems to go straight back to the hospital where they would look after me and to make sure I sure my GP when I returned home.

After a couple of weeks with 4 visits to the surgery every day to have the wound syringed and washed it was cut down to two visits. Eventually it was done twice a day at home. First thing in the morning and last thing at night. This went on for eight months. In the end they had to cauterise it.

Eight months of hell over and done with and I was still working as a Legal Secretary through all of this.

A few weeks later the inevitable happened. Another lump appeared this time on top of the scar from the third operation.    I went to the doctors. They didn’t hesitate they referred me straight away to my consultant. The doctors said “because of your age it won’t be cancer”. The consultant said “because of your age it won’t be cancer”. I was so positive it was just another lump, I carried on as normal. I had the lumpectomy and in December that year I was given the news. It is DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma in Situ) but we got it all.. The first stages of breast cancer. I cried at first but then thought they’ve got it all. I carried on with my life and never thought about cancer and how it was going to affect me. I didn’t need chemo or radiotherapy I was one of the lucky ones. I went to M&S and got measured to make sure I wore a correctly fitting bra and also to make sure I was comfortable.

I had a couple years free from lumps and thought I was over it all. I still had to go for regular checks but that was it. I always made sure that I wore a correctly fitting bra.

A Year after I was married a lump appeared. My heart sunk. I went to the same consultant. I was crying, I was so scared. A breast care nurse came to see me. She held my hand while I had the test done. Yes it was another operation to remove yet another lump.

I was at university at this time doing a part time law degree. I was also doing a correspondence course for legal accounts and I was working full time. I was determined to carry on my life as much as possible. I had the operation. The lump was benign this time but I was still scared that the cancer could come back.

In 2004 I had to have a further needle biopsy. I carried on juggling my life and education around hospital appointments.

In November 2005 I went back for further tests as I had a horrid brown red discharge from my left nipple. During this time my marriage failed and I ended up in hospital following an overdose. This delayed my treatment. I then had to see a new consultant. On 24^th January 2006 I was told it was to be another operation to remove the bleeding tumour and my milk ducts. I asked this new consultant if he would do a mastectomy as at this stage I was fed up with operation after operation. He refused. One because I was single. The other because I have a history of bleeding and he hadn’t operated on me before.

On 2^nd February 2006 I had the operation to remove my milk ducts. This was carried out during day surgery. The consultant came down to see me and checked my drain. The operation had been a success. He removed the drain himself and I was allowed home.

The next day I went to Marks and Spencers and got myself measured and went home with a new bra. The staff in the shop are so supportive. They don’t judge they just want to help.

I recommend after surgery that you telephone the shop you are going to and let them know you have just had an operation and have a fear of getting knocked. They then give you a time slot where the shop is less busy and they have more time to devote to you.

I opted for a mastectomy because I wanted my life back from hospital appointments. I wanted to be free from the stress of waiting around for needle tests and core biopsies.

If I had known what I do now there is no way in the early years of my life from 15 - 23 I would have worn ill-fitting bras especially ill-fitting under-wired bras.

Ill fitting bras can rub on tender breast tissue and cause lumps. This is what happened to me. I just want to make sure it DOESN’T HAPPEN to anyone else.

This is why this site is here. Prevention is better than cure.

Thank you taking the trouble to read my story. I hope this gets the message across and that other young girls/women out there are spared what I have gone through.