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Should I Have This Lump Examined?
I'm a huge hypochondriac and I've gotten to where I can't run afford to run to the doctor unless I know there might be a problem.
The other night, I noticed a lump on the upper left side of my chest and there are certain things that bother me about it. I had a relative look at it and she's insisting that it's nothing but a rib. However, I've tried and tried and I can't find an identical lump on the opposite side of my chest, which there should be if it's a rib. Also, it feels slightly softer than a bone, it moves a little, and it hurts. Maybe a better word would be that's it's uncomfortable.
I've looked it up and, aside from cancer, it could be a sebaceous cyst or it could indeed be a bone. Should I get it looked at or am I making too much of this?
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First of all, before I answer your question let me just say this. As a British guy it always really shocks me to here people from other countries talk about not being able to afford to go to the doctor. The idea of having to pay to see a doctor or for medical care I just can't get my head round. In the UK no one ever asks you for money at a doctor's office or hospital. Those with no money at all get the same standard of care a multi millionaire would get. I make this point because I know in the US there is a lot of miss information spread by those against socialised / government funded heal care. They like to say how poor the care is and tell horror stories. We have an excellent health service and it's always provided me and my family first rate care when we need it.
Back to your actual question! No one on this site should be offering medical advice. If you have a lump and you are concerned you should see a doctor. Please do see one.
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams and live the life you imagined,
Ashok
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My answer is an unequivocal yes, a doctor needs to see this lump. Any lump on, in or near your breasts need to be examined by a doctor. As the previous writer said, we are not doctors and we cannot examine the lump over the web.
My wife found a lump in her breast now going on six years ago. At first she was going to ignore it, then thought better of it. She is now a breast cancer survivor because of early detection. It took a MRI mammogram to properly detect and diagnose the lump and find a second one hiding behind a milk duct. Even then the doctors were not sure until a Biopsy was performed.
That fact that this lump is not on your breast says it may very possibly be a fibroid cyst. The question is: Are you willing to bet your life on that it is without a proper diagnoses from a doctor?
You should not worry about the cost of the diagnoses as there are programs to help defray the costs.
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No one can diagnose you here. You don't want us telling you it's fine when we simply can't know that for sure. Even if we were doctors, how accurate could our diagnosis be if we can't even see it.
If you want my advise, I would have it looked at. If you're convinced it's not your rib, a doctor might be the only one to convince you otherwise. It's better to be safe than sorry.
But I will say this. I am a hypochondriac as well and I worried myself over a rib. You can move them a bit, so they aren't firmly stationary. And if you do mess with them too much, they can get sore and uncomfortable. And are you sure it's not on the other side? Is there a chance that it just sticks out more than the other side does? No one's body is perfectly symmetrical.
Don't look anything up online, at least no more than you already have. What you're reading is likely a worst-case scenario, something that probably isn't the case. Even if it was a lump, it's probably nothing life-threatening. Looking for answers online could make you far more anxious than you need to be.
Odds are you're fine, but to know for sure go ask your doctor.
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