Lump Scare

In November, the week before Thanksgiving, I went to my regular annual Dr. appointment and while my OBGYN was doing my normal breast exam she noticed a lump. She asked if I had felt it, and well NO I hadn't. I know we should do self exams, but I don't. I may start now though. She said that it is probably hormonal and no big deal but, she still wanted me to come back in a month to check it out. So I didn't worry because she wasn't worried. So the next month, right before Christmas I go back to the Doctor for the exam. She tells me that the lump is larger. GREAT! So is now the time to panic? All of a sudden my mind was racing. Because of my age (over 30) I couldn't just go to the Breast specialist, I had to go get a mammogram done first. Oh my gosh. And the doctor couldn't schedule that, radiation department had to call with that appointment. So I left there a little crazy. By the next day I had a mammogram appointment, and the breast specialist appointment, and Christmas was DAYS away. I had the mammogram, but the next day they called and told me that because of the findings on the mammogram they need me to come back in for more pictures. So the next day I go back to the doctors thinking I was getting another mammogram. No, it was an ultrasound. Well at least this was a lot more comfortable. As I'm sitting in the waiting room reading my instructions, I read that depending on what they find, they may have to do a biopsy right then. Well I just freak out right then! Here I am thinking, well they found something (which I knew was there), had me come in for more pictures, I'm going to need a biopsy. I still had to pick my kids up from school. I text Chris that I may have to have a biopsy today. Then I go in and they show me the lump. They tell me it doesn't look cancerous. Well that's good news! No biopsy! That day. She told me that unless I planned on having more kids I probably wouldn't even need to have it removed. Even better news since I planned on making it through this life WITHOUT any surgeries. So I go to the Breast Specialist, finally Chris comes to an appointment with me. She comes right in and tells me that it looks like I have a pretty significant lump. I said "nope, I'm told it's no big deal." She gives me a look like "are you serious?" I wait for her response. She told me that I had a 5 cm lump on my breast and it would have to be removed. I said "WHAT!? I was told it wasn't a big deal and unless I planned on having more kids, which I don't, I wouldn't have to have it removed." She told me that it is 5cm and anything over 3cm needed to be removed. So we set an operation date. So in February I had the lump removed and found out that it was definitely non-cancerous.