Poptard, I have an important message about your health. Now that you're geting older, you need to start giving yourself regular breast exams:
1 .Lie down and put a pillow under your right shoulder. Place your right arm
behind your head.
2. Use the finger pads of your three middle fingers on your left hand to feel
for lumps or thickening in your right breast. Your finger pads are the top third
of each finger.
3. Press firmly enough to know how your breast feels. If you're not sure how
hard to press, ask your health care provider. Or try to copy the way your
health care provider uses the finger pads during a breast exam. Learn what
your breast feels like most of the time. A firm ridge in the lower curve of each
breast is normal.
4. Move around the breast in a set way. You can choose either the circle (A),
the up and down (B), or the wedge (C). Do it the same way each month. It
will help you to make sure that you've gone over the entire breast area, and
to remember how your breast feels.
5. Now examine your left breast using the right hand finger pads.
6. Repeat the examination of both breasts while standing, with one arm
behind your head. The upright position makes it easier to check the upper
and outer parts of the breasts (toward your armpit). You may want to do the
standing part of the BSE while you are in the shower. Some breast changes
can be felt more easily when your skin is wet and soapy.
For added safety, you can also check your breasts for any dimpling of the
skin, changes in the nipple, redness, or swelling while standing in front of a
mirror right after your BSE each month.
