When you’re sitting in a waiting room, you instantly focus on the most random things around you. Like the weird artwork on the walls, or the quality of the seats. The seats in this room were a purple which totally didn’t go with the cream walls. I couldn’t stop staring at them. I’d filled in the forms to register my appointment; and I was sitting there waiting to see the consultant, with Fiona next to me.

“Do you have any history in the family?” No.

“When did you feel something?” Last Friday.

“Have you found a lump?” I can feel something firm, but not really a lump.

“Are your nipples inverted?” Erm…I don’t know?!

“When was your last cycle?” Started yesterday.

“Ok…let’s take a look and examine you” *And exhale*

September 8th 2017.  A Friday.

I had a ton of emails to catchup on, and I was massively behind. I’d finished my calls for the day, and my goal for the afternoon was to just plough through what I could and make the “to do” list more manageable for the following week.

I’d chosen to work from Mum’s for the day, and had tucked myself into the kitchen; away from distractions of the living room TV.  I just needed to focus. So I put my headphones on, and got ready to respond to client X, but stopped…because that’s when I felt it. A weird wave of sensation across the left side of my breast.