I am terrified I may have cancer!?

[amlee_king]

I found a lump in my armpit and am having it checked on Thursday. I am 8 months pregnant and only 25 but I am worried that it's cancer and that I waited too long to get this checked.(it's been there for a couple of months) Has anyone else gone through this? If so, what should I expect?

[peace,love...?,and kaile!]

mrsa

i saw it on oprah and its a life threatening staph.

its starts small and gets bigger eventually

[Tina of Lymphland.com]

Hi Armlee, try to relax, there's alot of hormonal happenings when you are pregnant. Have you checked your breasts? Any problems there? In the armpit is the lymph node and chain called the axilla. It could be just swollen or congested from the pregnancy. The dr might send you for an ultrasound of the lymph node and chain and do a breast exam, possibly a breast ultrasound to be sure but try to relax. Alot is happening with your body, lots of changes. Let me know how it goes.

hugssss, Tina

[Melissa R]

Though I have never had this problem, I had a lump in my neck for a few months. Turns out...no cancer. It was an infection (or swollen) lymph noad. Mine still hasn't gone done, and may never will but I saw a couple of specialists and there seems to be no harm. There are lymph noads located in the neck, armpit, and groin areas, and any of them can swell because of allergies or infections, so possible this is what is happening with you. Hope that helped some!

[Leila joon]

Salaam and congrats on the pregnancy! \(^_^)/

I know that I will be repeating the sentiment here, but I agree that you should not worry until you have had it checked and biopsied. Even if it is something like cancer, there are ways to deal with it which will not harm the pregnancy; they would wait until you give birth. But your body is going through many changes, and this is probably just one of them. Focus on your healthy, happy baby, and remember that no matter what, it will be okay. I do not say this lightly... I say this as someone currently undergoing treatment for cancer, and yes, I firmly believe that ~*everything will turn out okay*~. Allahu alam.

Also, please keep in mind that although "cancer" is a terrifying word (and disease), it ~*does not*~ mean a "death sentence". Alhamdulillah I have been very blessed in that my team of doctors is top-notch, and almost all traces of cancer have been removed from my system via surgery (one of which was a lymph node). I have only one more surgery left, and there is a chance that chemotherapy may be required as a "just in case", however overall everything looks good.

I remember those first few visits, and the fear. Nobody who has not been in that spot can comprehend how terrifying that is, especially as a Mom. But my doctors have been very honest with me, and we have dealt with this aggressively. I no longer stay up at night worrying about the "what ifs" (Alhamdulillah I am a Mom of 4)... I no longer fear the biopsies... It has become a "well let's deal with this" type thought process. I will survive, and ~*so will you*~, no matter what happens.

Stay strong, and don't stress yourself, k? I'm sure it will turn out okay.

::hugs::

[suzy home maker]

Don't worry, it could just be built up deoderant, that's what I had.

[SiLveR RiBBoN 1 2 9]

I found a lump on my right armpit and i waited.. i was 10 at the time.. i was 12 when i brought it up and was rushed to the hospital. It ended up being a sist and had to be removed.. ive had 3 others removed and havent found another yet..

good luck with the baby and stay open minded...
god bless and i will pray for you

[gayle r]

Hi Amlee,
I have had a lump in my breast biosped today and I had my armpit checked with the ultrasound. I was told there is no need to panic with lumps under the armpit as there are so many reasons for it to happen. The nurse said she had an ingrown hair from shaving which come up in a lump and a friend of mine has cyst type pimples that appear when she is stressed in the gland areas including the arm pit. Its hard not to get stressed, especially that you are pregnant also. I was able to stay reasonably relaxed while I was pregnant over 4 months while my dad was dying by using a natural remedy safe for any age and any condition. It is called Rescue Remedy by Bach flower essences. Its a natural flower essence in liquid form .You put a few drops under your toungue and hold it for a few minutes then swallow. It is even used for babies, animals and anone who feels panicked and distressed. You can get it at pharmacys and health food stores. I know it sounds airy fairy but It really does help you stay calm and believe me Im terrified of needles and had about 4 doses before I had my biopsy today (you cant overdose) and I was so relaxed while I had a huge needle injected into my breast for over 15 minutes. Its definately worth a shot and if it can keep you calm as anxiety is not good for you or bubby. All the best sweetie , Im sure it will all work out okay for you. And goodluck with your new baby!