When Periods Cease - Part Four: Breast Lumps

Yes, well.... along with all the raging hormone fluctuations come the possibility of changes in the breasts. Some can be a little alarming.... like a few months ago, during a self exam, I found a lump in my right breast. It stopped me in my tracks and I felt a wave of fear pass over me as I felt how different it was from the usual spongy kind of breast lumpiness I used to get right before a period. This was more like a small kidney bean shaped pebble. Hard as a rock. I decided not to do anything about it for awhile to see what would happen. However, it did not change. In fact it seemed to maybe get bigger. When my acupuncturist said "You really should have that lump checked out", I decided it was time to do something.

I'm not comfortable at all with mammograms. I had one about 20 years ago and I never had another one. Also I refused to get sucked up in the fear-driven consciousness of Western medicine and possibly face repeated needle biopsies. I did some research and found a chiropractic office nearby that does thermography so I made an appointment. Thermography is completely non-invasive, radiation-free, and I trusted the procedure far more than mammography. I even mapped out a rough idea of what my plan would be should I be diagnosed with cancer that would include guidance from an MD that practices naturpathic medicine only if that is what the client prefers.

In short, thermography measures the radiation of infrared heat from our body and translates this information into anatomical images. Cancer cells will stand out clearly on the thermographic image as a "hot spot."


Eveything went very smoothly with my appointment. I was able to get results from my thermography immediately from the doctor who did the procedure. He showed me the images and explained that the way it looked, there was nothing that he was concerned about. To be really sure, he said I could come back in 3 months and have the procedure repeated. At this time it is 3 months later and the lump has disappeared.

If you would like to know more about thermography, click here to see a previous entry.