I'm 15 and a hypochondriac and I'm worried about breast cancer please help.

[jescaaa]

I'm 15 and I recently found a lump in my right breast and have been worried about it a lot and now I'm even more worried because my left and right armpits across the top of my breast but more on the left all of a sudden are hurting/sore today I don't know if they are swollen but I know that breast cancer can spread to the lyph nodes in your armpits and I am extremely scared note that I am also a hypochondriac

[ladyprescott]

When I was 14 I notice a lump in my breast and was very worried about it.  I didn't say anything to my mom, I just lived with it.  As I grew older my breasts became knotty, meaning I had a lot of fibrous tissue and both breasts were full of lumps.  I had a pelvic exam each year and the doctor always checked my breasts and I was told at one point I had fibro cystic breasts.  Please do as Lorr above said and talk to someone you are close to preferably an adult.  You are becoming a woman and can talk about these things without feeling embarassed.  Good luck. I'm sure you have nothing to worry about, and just talking to someone will help.   Carole

[Lorr200]

Jes,

First of all, I want to say, good for you for wanting to learn about breast health and for starting to do self examinations!  Just because you are taking the time to educate yourself about women's health issues does not make you a hypocondriac.  The most important aspect of doing a breast exam is to learn over time what is normal FOR YOUR BODY.   If you have only examined yourself once or a few times, you are still a learner.

I am a 57-year-old breast cancer survivor.  I had a lumpectomy and some of my lymph nodes removed, both on the right side.  From what I understand, most breast cancer is SLOW moving.  Given your age, it would be very surprising for you to have breast cancer and for it to have spread already to your lymph nodes.  Are you close enough to your mother or other adult to talk to about this, or the school nurse?  Sometimes for someone who has just started to get to know their breasts, a rib under the breast can feel like a lump, especially if you are thin.  There is a website designed for young women you might want to check out, go to http://www.checkyourboobies.org/  

Remember, don't rely on the internet for too much information.  Much of it is out of date or written by people who are not well informed.  Always check the information with a trusted source, like a parent or family doctor.  If you are a hypocondriac in several areas, please beware of spending too much time on the internet reading about health issues.   It's more important to get active and have a healthy diet.

Take care,
Lorr