Everything is fine.

That being said, on Thursday I went to my GP to have him look at a dime-sized pinkish rash that had been on my right breast for over three weeks. . .a little itchy. . .but mainly just becoming a worry. Cortisone cream wasn’t working. . .it had started out just looking like a bug bite or something. It had remained the same size, shape, and color for the entirety of its little, bothersome existence. It just wouldn’t go away.

He gave me some prescription strength cortisone to use and it seems to be doing the trick, but I think I’ll still keep my appointment with my ob-gyn on Monday just ’cause it will make me feel better to have them take a look at it too.

I am not a hypochondriac, but I was concerned about my unexplained and tenacious little spot. I very rarely get ill, and when I do it’s normally due to lack of sleep coupled with some errant germ that I catch from one of the many children with whom I’m in contact on a daily basis. I AM very aware of my body and how it behaves. I hope you are too. This was not normal for me, so it was worth the time and co-pay to get it looked at.

Four years ago I had a friend who was diagnosed with Inflammatory Breast Cancer. If you’ve not heard of IBC, it is very rare–and very aggressive–and presents itself in many, many ways. You can go from nothing at all to swelling, fever, and pain overnight. Or it can start out as just general itching. Or it can start out with a rash that looks like a bug bite. You don’t HAVE to have a lump to have breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer can also happen to very young women, rarely to men, and to women who are breast feeding. It has often been mistaken as mastitis, thought cases are rising so people are becoming more aware.

Ironically this is breast cancer awareness month. I hope you are takin’ care of the girls by doing monthly exams, keeping your yearly appointment with your gynecologist, and if you are between 35 and 40 you’ve had a baseline mammogram. My doc does them at 35 just to get a jump on anything.

I am glad my “nothing” truly turned out to be NOTHING. If you have a “nothing”, make sure to get it checked out too–and encourage those around you to do the same.

:)