Before Rebecca Whithouse began talking about the breast lumps, surgeries and medical appointments that have occupied years of her life, she wanted one point understood.

“I don’t have cancer,” she said. “Let’s make sure we put that clearly.”

For the 43-year-old Belle alderman, however, that statement does not erase the pain she has experienced or the uncertainty she continues to face.

Since 2023, Whithouse said, she has undergone repeated mammograms, ultrasounds, biopsies and two operations while dealing with recurring breast lumps, swelling, bleeding and discharge. Tests brought reassurance that cancer had not been established, but persistent symptoms kept sending her back for care.

Following her most recent surgery in August, she said conversations with her medical team have focused more seriously on her future breast cancer risk, including genetic testing and possible preventive surgery.

During an Oct. 7 interview, Whithouse described a struggle she largely kept private, the exhaustion of waiting for answers and why she wants other women to speak up when something does not feel right.

Her willingness to talk comes from hoping someone else might recognize a concern and seek help sooner.

“How I kind of channeled that, ‘I’m scared and I’m upset,’ was ‘can I help somebody else not go through it?’” she said.

Her experience began with a lump that behaved differently from others she had noticed.

Previously, smaller lumps had appeared and disappeared. When another developed, she initially expected the same outcome.

“I wasn’t too worried about it at first,” she said.

But this lump grew and remained. Eventually, she began experiencing discharge.

Whithouse sought medical attention and was sent for her first mammogram in February 2023. The findings prompted an ultrasound and biopsies.

The speed of those first appointments caught her off guard.

“I was not prepared,” she said. “I had not even started having regular mammograms yet.”

At about 40, she had not expected breast health concerns to become such a persistent part of her life. She had breastfed her children, which providers have said decreases the chances of breast cancer in later years. She did not know of a family history of breast cancer. Both were circumstances she had taken as reasons to feel reassured.

But the lump remained, and testing did not provide the clear explanation she wanted.

Whithouse said she underwent additional imaging, biopsies and cultures. Providers also attempted to withdraw fluid from the area with a needle.

She remembered being told that continued observation was an option.

By then, waiting had become difficult. Beyond the physical symptoms, she wanted to understand what was happening inside her body.

Whithouse credited Shannon Wright, whom she sees at the local clinic, and the clinic’s nursing staff, with helping her obtain care when the uncertainty became overwhelming.

“I see Shannon Wright, and I love her,” Whithouse said.

She recalled contacting the clinic and telling a nurse how much the unanswered questions were affecting her.

“I can’t handle this,” she recalled saying. “I can’t handle not knowing what’s going on with my body.”

According to Whithouse, the clinic contacted the general surgeon’s office, which called her back that same day to arrange removal of the lump.

That response remains important to Whithouse. She felt someone had listened when she explained that waiting had become too much.

She underwent surgery on her left breast in August 2023. Afterward, she said, she was reassured that the findings did not establish cancer.

She healed and tried to move forward. However, more lumps appeared.

Some subsided. Others required continued attention. Whithouse said she began having mammograms and ultrasounds about every six months to monitor changes.

“They just kept me because that’s what happens when you tick so many boxes,” she said. “They keep an eye on you.”

The appointments became part of her routine, along with deciding whether a new sensation was familiar or needed to be reported.

Then, around Christmas 2025, she noticed a different lump in her right breast.

This one was bigger and harder.

“It felt more like a rock was in my breast,” she said.

By then, she had become familiar with the changes on her left side. The new lump on the right brought fresh concern.

Whithouse said she underwent biopsies in February, when samples were taken from two lumps in the same area. Small biopsy markers were placed at the sampled sites.

In the following weeks, she experienced bleeding and discharge from her right nipple. She said one of the markers later came out and that she took it to her medical team.

The continuing symptoms were sometimes severe.

At times, Whithouse said, her right breast became so red and swollen that it was approximately a cup size larger than the other. The area was painful, and she experienced substantial discharge.

Much of that was happening without people around her knowing.

“During this time period, what nobody knew was that there were times where my breast was so red and swollen,” she said.

She remained relieved that tests had not established cancer, but still needed help with a painful problem that was not resolving.

Whithouse said her local clinic again helped her obtain care, this time through a referral to a breast surgeon at Ellis Fischel Cancer Center in Columbia.

She described the staff as kind and responsive. One visit became particularly memorable.

Whithouse arrived expecting another diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound. Instead, the appointment developed into an effort to address the swollen area immediately.

An ultrasound physician examined her and attempted to release pressure and obtain material from the area. A surgeon and additional staff then joined the effort.

“The next thing I know, I’ve got a surgical team in the room with me,” she said.

The unexpected turn was overwhelming, but she appreciated that providers were acting on symptoms that had continued for so long.

Whithouse said a sample was collected, although it did not establish a cancer diagnosis.

Further appointments followed. She said she was seeing the breast surgeon approximately every four weeks while they evaluated the area and its response to treatment.

She underwent multiple courses of antibiotics, used topical treatments and had additional attempts to drain the lump.

Eventually, she said, her surgeon determined that removing it was the next step.

“I think that you’ve done enough. I think that I’ve done enough,” she remembered being told. “I think at this point in time we just need to get it out.”

The operation took place in August 2026, around the beginning of the school year.

This time, Whithouse told very few people beforehand. The person who would drive her home knew, but she largely kept the plans to herself.

“I didn’t tell anybody,” she said. “Nobody knew.”

She understood that some people were hurt by not being told. At the time, however, she wanted to concentrate on getting through the procedure.

“For me, I just needed to do it,” she said. “I just needed to go and have it done.”

Her children were another consideration. She did not want their first week of school dominated by concern about her health.

“I didn’t want them to, ‘What’s going on with mom? Well, how’s mom?’” She said. “I didn’t even want that to be a concern for them, because this has been years of things.”

Whithouse said the surgery went well and brought relief. The area has been healing nicely.

However, she described the latest tissue findings as abnormal and said the follow-up discussion raised more serious questions about her future breast cancer risk.

She understands those conversations as a warning that cancer could develop later, although she does not currently have a cancer diagnosis.

Genetic testing, further tissue evaluation and preventive mastectomy have been among the options discussed, she said. She has not described making a final decision about preventive surgery.

According to the National Cancer Institute, risk-reducing mastectomy can lower breast cancer risk for some people at very high risk. Decisions depend on individual circumstances and discussions about potential benefits and harms. Surgery does not eliminate all risk.

Whithouse said she appreciates that her team has continued monitoring her while allowing time to consider the next steps.

“They have been really supportive,” she said.

She described their approach as remaining attentive without immediately moving to the most extensive intervention.

“We’re not gonna jump to drastic, but we’re gonna stay on top of it,” she said. “I really appreciate that approach.”

Even with support, the years of recurring symptoms and unanswered questions have been exhausting.

“I’ve been dealing with this for years. I’m tired of it,” Whithouse said. “I’m very, very tired.”

She also acknowledged that she has not always responded to uncertainty by immediately seeking care.

“No news was good news for me,” she said. “I ignored it.”

Other responsibilities took priority, and she canceled or rescheduled some appointments. Looking back, she wishes she had given her concerns more attention sooner.

“I’m not proud to say that,” she said.

She remembered reassuring herself that her age, breastfeeding history and lack of a known family history meant she would probably be fine.

“I was just kind of like, ‘Oh, it’ll be fine. It’ll be fine,’” she said.

That admission is part of her message. She understands how easily a concern can move behind everything else that needs attention.

But she wants women to ask questions when something changes and explain when symptoms or uncertainty are affecting their lives.

“Know your body. Know when something’s wrong and trust your gut,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to say, ‘This is not okay and I can’t handle this. I need to know.’”

Whithouse encouraged women to become familiar with their breasts and ask a provider for help if they are unsure what they are feeling.

She said she has sometimes brought a concern to an appointment only to learn that it was normal tissue. She would rather ask than remain uncertain.

“Bring them up to your doctor,” she said. “Ask for those, to be like, ‘Hey, help me check.’”

The American Cancer Society says most breast lumps are not cancer, but new lumps and other changes should be evaluated by a health care professional. Changes can include swelling, skin changes, pain or nipple discharge other than breast milk.

Breast awareness complements medical care and does not replace recommended imaging or follow-up. The National Cancer Institute says breast self-exams alone are not an adequate screening test.

Whithouse also understands why cost causes people to hesitate.

“It’s not cheap to go every six months for a mammogram and a diagnostic ultrasound,” she said.

She encouraged people to ask providers about financial assistance and speak with insurers about coverage rather than assume care is out of reach.

Missouri’s Show Me Healthy Women program offers free breast and cervical cancer screenings to women who meet age, income and insurance requirements. Information is available through the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services at 573-522-2845.

Whithouse said she is willing to talk with people facing similar concerns and help research resources.

She has also been offered information about support groups, including groups welcoming people facing increased cancer risk without a diagnosis. Although she has not attended, she wants others to know support exists.

For herself, the repeated appointments are worth continuing. She said she would go “a thousand times” rather than face the consequences of failing to follow up if something became more serious.

Humor has helped her cope.

Throughout the interview, Whithouse joked about her breasts, medical procedures and the discomfort of discussing them openly. The laughter exists alongside genuine fear.

“I know if we don’t laugh about it, we’re gonna cry,” she said.

Speaking publicly is another way she hopes to make something useful out of the experience.

Looking back, the advice she would give herself is straightforward.

“Hey, don’t ignore these,” she said.

For now, she continues healing and preparing for further conversations with her medical team. Her next steps remain unresolved, but she intends to keep seeking care and encouraging others to speak up.

“At this point in time that’s where I’m at with it, is just bring it on,” she said. “I’m full of spite. I got no quit in me.”