A brave mum-of-three has shared a photograph online of DIMPLES in her breast which she says were the ONLY sign she had breast cancer.
Sherrie Rhodes posted the intimate picture on social media to raise awareness of the symptoms.
She found two dimples which were unlike the lumps usually associated with breast cancer.
She went to her GP who referred her to the breast clinic and, on Monday (24 July) Sherrie was given the devastating diagnosis.
However, her first thought was to warn others on social media.
Sherrie, from Hull, East Yorks., said: “I decided to do the post almost straight away. I was sat in the car park and thought, ‘I’m going to put a picture on Facebook’.
“It’s an intimate area and I was nervous about doing it but thought I’d do it in a delicate way and thought it would be worth it if it helped just one person.
“If I hadn’t seen a post like this previously I wouldn’t have known that this dimpling was a sign of cancer.”
Sherrie shared a picture of the dimples on her breast with a message encouraging women to check for all abnormalities on their breasts – not just lumps.
The post has since been shared 350 times and Sherrie has been contacted by women with the same dimples who didn’t know they were an indication of breast cancer.
Sherrie, who works as a carer for elderly and vulnerable people, said: “I noticed when I was trying on a new swimming costume it looked a bit strange and different and I was worried.
“I’d seen a post about dimples being a sign of something sinister so I made an appointment to see the GP but I wasn’t too worried because I didn’t have a lump or anything.
“I was referred to the breast clinic which revealed a mass, I then had a mammogram and I got the results on Monday.
“I couldn’t stop crying, I’ve got three children and having to tell them something like that was horrendous.”
Since sharing her post, Mrs Rhodes has been inundated with messages of support to praise her for helping others.
Gilly Whitton said: “I’ve had a terrible phobia of touching my own breasts, not just touching but also looking at them either in the flesh or through a mirror.
“That was until yesterday, yesterday I touched my breasts for the first time in years and it was because I saw this heartbreaking status from my friend Sherrie.
“Thank you Sherrie for raising awareness so soon after your diagnosis. You’ve already inspired me more than you know.”
Lucy Michael said: “Early detection means better treatment outcomes. Well done Sherrie.”
Kellyjo Fletcher said: “Sherrie, I am so proud of you for sharing this, you’re a fighter and your bravery to do this will raise awareness to others.”
The NHS says that while 90 per cent of breast lumps are not cancerous, it is always advisable to have them checked by a doctor.
Other possible symptoms of breast cancer are: a lump or area of thickened tissue in a breast; a change in the size or shape of one or both breasts; discharge from a nipple; a lump or swelling in an armpit; dimpling on the skin of the breast; a rash on or around a nipple; or a change in the appearance of a nipple, such as becoming sunken.
