The day I found my lump

I would say my life was good.  I just bought a new house with my husband 2 weeks ago and we just celebrated the 4th of July in our new community.  Our son was amazed by the fireworks and we were having such a great time.  But today changed everything.   It was approximately 4am when I woke up this morning lying flat on my back with my left arm extended straight above my head and my right hand resting on my left breast.  How weird I thought?  I never sleep like this.  Right then, my right hand cupped my breast and that’s when I found the lump.  My eyes opened wide as I checked again.  There is certainly something there.  It’s like nothing I felt before.  Could this be a dream or am I really feeling something?  I laid there for the next hour wide awake panicking.  I know something is wrong and all I could think about about was, what am I going to do now?

9am
I didn't know what to do.  So I called my OBGYN's office.  I told them I found a lump and I needed to get it checked out.  The only doctor available was located in the Fairfax office.  I didn't care where I had to drive today.  I just knew I had to get it checked out.  Dr. Policelli was a Dr. I had never seen before.  I'd been at this practice for about 4 years and I've never even heard of him.  They explained that he is an OB in the office but doesn't participate in births so that's why I have not met him before.  Ok, I don't care who I get, just get me in.  And they did.

3pm
I met with Dr.  Policelli.  He seemed nice.  As he was doing my exam he asked how I found it.  I told him I was sleeping in bed and for some reason when I woke up I was in a position that I had never been in before.  Meaning I was on my back with my left arm straight above my head as if I was stretching and my right had was on my left breast.  It was just so weird since I never sleep on my back.  For some reason when my hand went across my breast that's when I felt the lump and I knew I had to make an appointment.  Dr. Policelli said well, I'm going to send you for a mammogram but if you want, I can do a needle extraction.  A WHAT?  He said he would take the needle, insert it where the lump was, extract fluid and if it was clear, that was a good sign.  So since I was crying and freaking out I thought, well if he pulls out fluid, that's good.  So I let him do it.  Let me tell you that was no picnic.  That was painful but there was clear fluid so I was happy and felt a little relieved.