'I was 36 when I found a "suspicious lump". Hours after a scan, I got a phone call.'

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I was sitting alone in a café when an unknown number called my phone.

I answered, and the voice at the other end said, "It's your doctor. Your breast scan showed a suspicious mass. You need a biopsy to confirm it's not cancer."

My ears started to ring. Blood rushed to my cheeks.

It hadn't even been 24 hours since my breasts were squashed in a mammogram machine for the first time after going to the doctor about a lump.

Watch: A 35-year-old woman shares what it's like to battle cancer while pregnant. Post continues after video.

I left that appointment with little concern because the ultrasound sonographer told me everything "looked fine". I walked out thinking, 'great, my boobs are all checked'.

So, the sneak-up of a health scare threw me.

My mind sprinted to; 'sh*t, do I have breast cancer? At 36?'. My skin felt hot as I hid near the café's toilets and booked a biopsy for the next day.

I didn't tell anyone except my husband. I went to the appointment alone and was fine until I saw the way-bigger-than-expected needle. Anxiety creeped in when it was shoved into my breast four times (instead of three, because they couldn't get a sample).

Image: Supplied.

Then three big clicks like a hole puncher. It wasn't painful, more confronting.

I put my clothes back on and was told the results would be ready in a week.

Then came the waiting. And waiting.

I won't drag it out, because today 58 (yes 58!) Australian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.

My biopsy was benign. A huge relief. So big, I cried when I got the message.

That relief didn't come until a week of 'what-ifs', and thoughts of my three kids, and oscillating between spiralling and trusting it would all be fine — whatever the result.

The experience taught me a lot. Mostly that I take my health for granted.

Below are five other lessons I got from my first mammogram — including a place I wish I had known about earlier, and an appointment every 30-something woman should book today.

What to know before taking your first mammogram.

You can get tests and results on the same day at Sydney Breast Clinic.

The time between asking my GP about a lump and hearing 'benign' was five weeks.

If I had gone to the Sydney Breast Clinic, I could have had my imaging, biopsy and results all on the same day. Answers in hours, not weeks.

The Sydney Breast Clinic. Image: Supplied.

The CBD clinic offers consultations and imaging by leading breast experts and has connections with every major hospital to link patients with specialists.

"It's a one-stop shop," radiologist and Sydney Breast Clinic medical director Professor Mary Rickard said. "You come in, usually because you have a family history or if you have found a problem, and you will get everything sorted that day.

"We realise it is a very stressful time. We want it to be as simple as possible."

After my experience, I went to get advice about future screenings.

I thought I was being melodramatic getting guidance in my 30s, but this is exactly the demographic of women the clinic wants to see.

Breast cancer is on the rise in younger women.

While women over 50 make up the majority of breast cancer cases, there has been an increase in diagnoses amongst women aged 25-49, according to the Breast Cancer Network Australia.

"We are finding younger women are getting breast cancer more often than they used to," Professor Rickard said.

"It's not being recognised by women themselves or doctors. GPs are saying 'you're too young', and don't investigate. We are seeing younger patients coming in … and the diagnosis is delayed."

Early detection can be the difference between life and death. In Australia, we are fortunate to have the free BreastScreen program, but it's only accessible for over 40s.

For the 1000 women in their 20s and 30s diagnosed with breast cancer each year, their cancer is often more aggressive, because of late-stage diagnosis, a poor understanding of risk or the absence of routine screening.

Sydney Breast Clinic wants to change this.

If you're under 40, go get your risk checked.

One of the best ways to protect yourself from breast cancer is to know your risk.

US actor Olivia Munn made headlines after discovering her breast cancer following a simple risk assessment score.

After learning, she was at high risk, subsequent tests revealed cancer in both of her breasts.

Olivia Munn found out she had breast cancer in both breasts. Image: Instagram/@oliviamunn.

You can ask your GP, but many find it time-consuming.

The Sydney Breast Clinic has a new program calling for under 40s to come in for a risk assessment to improve early detection.

While family history is a well-known risk factor for breast cancer, hormonal factors play a role too, like the age of a first period and whether you have had children.

"Knowledge is power to make informed decisions," Sydney Breast Clinic chief growth officer Renae Lopez said. "You can get cancer young and without a family history."

The Under 40s Breast Check includes a risk factor assessment, a clinical examination and ultrasound. It costs less than $100, and patients leave with results and a screening routine.

"One in seven women will get cancer," Lopez said. "You shouldn't wait until someone you know gets diagnosed before you get yourself checked.

"By knowing what is normal for you, you will feel more confident to notice changes and seek care if needed."

If you have dense breasts, you are more likely to get cancer.

Breasts are made up of either mostly fatty tissue (less dense) or mostly glandular or fibrous tissue (dense). The denser your boobs, the higher your risk of cancer.

I found out I have the highest grade of density. Category D.

This isn't uncommon in women my age, but it does mean I have an increased risk of breast cancer because the dense tissue is not only more susceptible to cancer — it looks white on a mammogram, and so does cancer. So, tumours can be missed.

If you have dense breasts, there is further testing you can do, like a contrast mammogram or MRI. Or you might be eligible for a new Australian-first blood test — BCAL Diagnostics's BREASTEST plus — which can detect cancer markers.

Go gentle on yourself and lean on people during screenings.

My final learning is that kindness and empathy are our greatest gifts to each other.

Sitting in the Sydney Breast Clinic waiting room, spread across two areas, next to a kitchen stocked with tea and biscuits, and kind staff, I saw the effort put in to make it feel relaxed, not clinical, despite what was going on in the rooms off hallways, and the bodies of women waiting.

Going through all of it is never easy. Image: Supplied.

It was a reminder that everyone you interact with is going through something.

And kindness and connection are the antidotes to stress and fear.

I felt much better in my 'waiting-for-results-week' when I shared worries with my mum, and my always level-headed husband, or a friend who reassured me 'oh yeah my friend just went through that, it was all fine'.

As I was leaving the clinic, I heard an elderly patient tell the nurse at reception, "You've got a lovely smile, that helps so much when we're here."

I think we should all remember the power of that too.

Read more:

• 'I went into menopause at 23. Years later, doctors made things worse.'

• '5 months after my partner's cancer surgery, we breathed a sigh of relief. Then I found a lump.'

• 'I've been breast-cancer free for three years. But one thing still traumatises me.'

Feature image: Supplied.