Breast Awareness - by Leeyah Jots

I Thought It Was Just Breast Pain 😭 I’ve been meaning to talk about this because maybe someone needs to hear it. Two weeks before my birthday, I started feeling pain in my breast. It wasn’t even serious at first. Just slight pain, and it was happening in both breasts. So I contacted my nurse and she said it could be related to ovulation. And I was like, okay sha 😂 I even told her that I don’t usually experience breast pain around my period. For me, it’s mostly severe stomach pain and back pain. So I just used pain relief and continued with my life. Until the day after my birthday I woke up and noticed that my breast was swollen. And guys... One was visibly bigger than the other. Like, not the normal “maybe one is slightly bigger” kind of thing. It was VERY obvious. At that point, I was already scared, so I went to the hospital to see my nurse because I couldn’t meet her at home. They examined me and said something about lumps. Omo. I just started crying 😭 Not because I thought I was dying or anything. It was the thought of “wait, does this mean I’m going to have surgery?” That was what scared me. I was already imagining being operated on and everything. Later, I was examined physically to feel what was going on, but even then, her boss said she couldn't confidently tell whether what they were feeling was a lump or simply breast tissue. Gehn Gehn Gehn Gehn 😭😭😭 I cried again. At that point, I just wanted to know exactly what was happening. So I went for a breast scan. I paid ₦30,000 for it. After the scan, I was told that what was seen was breast tissue and that having one breast slightly bigger than the other can be normal. Alhamdulillah. I didn't have to undergo any operation. I was given medication and that was basically it. But honestly, I cried so much throughout the whole experience. Not because I was in danger at that moment, but because the uncertainty was scary. Imagine waking up one morning and suddenly noticing a major difference in your breast. You don't know what it is. Someone says “lump.” Someone else says they can't be sure. You're thinking about surgery. You're spending money on scans. You're scared. And you're just waiting for somebody to tell you what is actually happening. That experience really made me realise that I need to pay more attention to my body. And that's why I'm sharing this. Ladies, please don't ignore changes in your breasts. Check your breasts regularly, especially after your menstrual period, and if you notice something unusual swelling, a new lump, persistent pain, changes in size or shape, nipple changes or anything that doesn't feel normal for you please get checked by a qualified healthcare professional. Don't just assume it's your period. Don't just assume it's ovulation. And don't wait until it's severe before you take it seriously. I'm not saying this to scare anybody because breast changes can have many causes, and not every lump or swelling means something dangerous. I'm just saying know your body. Because imagine if I had just continued with my life and ignored the swelling because I thought it was normal breast pain I'm honestly grateful I got checked. Please check yourself, girls. That small “let me just make sure” can make a huge difference.

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