When it comes to health, sometimes we feel guilty about talking about it when it needs to be addressed. “It’s my health, I can handle it on my own.” That may be our thinking, but we have to understand that there’s a limitation to that mindset. Our health is a priority, so it is okay to talk about it because it is a serious matter.

Not too long ago, probably around the beginning of July 2021, I had started to feel discomfort in my left breast. I didn’t think too much of it, thinking that it would go away soon. That discomfort started to become painful, and I couldn’t sleep at night because it was hard to find any sleeping position. Sometimes, I would be “on-and-off” when it comes to sleeping.

A few days later, I felt a lump starting to appear in my left breast. And honestly, I started to cry. I was scared. I had gotten so scared that I didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t have the courage to say anything.

Every time I felt the pain, I would cry silently and did my best to not let it show. And this went on for days. The pain was starting to slowly go away, but the discomfort was still there. The lump was still there, so I was still very careful and cautious of what sleeping position I did. It was only when I couldn’t hold it into myself anymore that I told my mom about it. She immediately told my dad, and they set an appointment right away with my doctor to do a check-up on me.

On the day of the appointment, my doctor was examining my body, and she felt the lump on my left breast. Along with the discomfort I felt, she was doing her best to be gentle, and that was reassuring to me. After the examination, she told me that I may have “fibroadenoma”. But to be sure, she told me to get an ultrasound. My parents set an appointment to get an ultrasound as soon as my doctor told them.

Doing the ultrasound was a nightmare. It was my first ultrasound, so I was scared to death. The person doing the ultrasound had to put a little more pressure to see the lump, and let me tell you… The discomfort felt so disgusting that when I was done with the ultrasound, I started to tear up.

The ultrasound worker told me that I can have a procedure done to see if it is cancerous or not. But to do that procedure, a needle needed to be inserted in my left breast to suck out some of the lump’s tissue. Then, she left the room to get a doctor. Alone in the room, I started to cry again because of what I had heard.

Calming myself down, the doctor came in and informed me what needed to be done. And I had three options. One, talk to a surgeon to do another examination before discussing surgery. Two, insert a needle to take out the lump’s tissue and examine that tissue to see if what I have is cancerous or not. And three, for six months, I will check in once a month just to see if I’m doing okay and to see if the lump is not growing.

I chose the third option. I was too scared for anything that involved surgery and needles. But I can take these next six months to mentally prepare myself. Because after those six months and nothing is getting better, then I will have no choice but to do the other two options. And to be honest, that’s fine with me because I had time to prepare myself for when those options need to be done.

In a way, right now, I feel at ease. I’m still mentally preparing for the other two options, but I mean that I feel at ease because I was able to tell someone. Imagine if I stayed quiet, and I let that fear of uncertainty about my health tower over me. I didn’t want that fear to continue with my life. But I am also thankful that that fear gave me the courage to say something. And now, I’m not scared anymore. I feel less troubled, and I was able to get information about my health.

I know that it is not easy to speak out right away because that fear keeps you from telling. However, you are not alone when you need to be talked with. We can change that fear, and put you at ease as well, even when it comes to health. All it takes is your voice.