nervousone

Hi

I'm a 40 y/o mom of 3 boys. I've recently stopped smoking cigarettes (habit since 12)m but haven't kicked "smoking" completely - just cigarettes. I have weaned myself down to less than 8 flavored cigars a day. I do, however, drink Pepsi like it's going out of style - I do know that I drink far more than normal but have done so for years. Other than the smoking, which began to leave me fatigued and short of breath, but has since lessened considerably on the stopping, I'm relatively healthy, in shape and can hang.

Background: cancer runs on my father's side, have lost several older relatives from it, my father's in remission from oral cancer.

Back to me.

I am a small breasted woman and I wear underwire bras for that little bit of an "umph" to my figure. The particular 2 bras I wear most often have, I assumed, been a little tighter in the underwire on the right side and I've notived over the last year or so that when I take it off, the right breast on the outside is always mildly sore - like from having been cramped up in the wire cup and shoved upward. I can usually rub them a little and the discomfort goes away - nothing actually painful.

Today, however, since I'd worn the bra overnight, when I took it off and rubbed them to get rid of that "crimped up" feeling from being in a bra at all I was really freaked out to feel a big bump on the outside of the right breast - feels like a small pecan just under the skin but right in the place the side of the underwire usually pinches and pushes. The bras aren't tight - but snug fitting, which is why I always figured they were just a little sore from being cooped up.

I don't have any idea how long it's been there but less than 6 months. I don't regularly do breast exams but about 6 months ago I did just to see. My breasts aren't "lumpy" to my knowledge and I've never felt anything like this ever. I've had the soreness but only after I've worn the bra for a long period so always attributed it to that.

The lump I can feel is firm, feels solid but if I cup my right breast and push against the lump with my fingers it does "give" side to side or whichever, and it does feel sore to the touch. Outside direct gentle pushing on it to get an idea of the mass, there's no sensation at all. It's not painful just being there, the overall bra fatigue goes away and is the reason I can't tell how long it's even been there because it took direct touch in the exact spot to even realize it was there.

Somewhere on the board I read possible suggestions of a caffine condition - I could see that given how many sodas I drink a day, and another suggestion that sometimes they go away, so wait til after the next menstrual cycle and if not, then see a doctor. Since I'm not due for another 2 1/2 weeks I'm going to wait it out and see if it was the wire irritating the membranes or something and see if it goes down over that period.

If not, then absolutely I will see a doctor to get it checked out.

I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions what it might be...even tho I dread hearing them, I'd like to just face it down. I'll have to anyway...but some ideas about "lumps" would be appreciated.

Thanks.