After several conclusive rounds of medical testing, a lump in the mattress of Georgetown University Junior Michael Norman (SFS ’16) was found to be benign. Norman, a resident of Nevils, was relieved after what he described as an “emotional roller coaster.”

“When facilities told me that the lump was benign, I was so overcome with happiness, “said Norman. “I was just very much happy that this whole ordeal was now behind me.”

While the situation is now positive, it was much more grim at the outset. Norman first discovered the lump during his monthly mattress self-examination.

After several rounds of texting the mattress was “cleared” of any signs malignancy.

“I was doing my routine check, as I have since adulthood, and I felt something that didn’t quite feel right,” said Norman. “I decided that I should probably get the growth checked out.”

Norman contacted Georgetown’s Office of Residential Living, who in turn filed an expedited medical work request with Planning and Facilities Management, due to the severity of the issue.

“We realized that this issue was incredibly serious and needed immediate attention because of its time sensitivity, so we made sure that everything was done as quickly as possible. The entire process was completed in only three months,” said Lauren Hitt, head of Residential Living, adding that the standard medical work request timeline was generally between seven and nine months.

In the end, the tests came up negative, but Norman is looking at the big picture.

“If I hadn’t been doing my monthly lump self-check, who knows how long it would have gone unnoticed,” said Norman. “I’m just glad I caught it, even if it was benign.”

“Hopefully other students will use my experience as an example to always check your mattress at least once a month. I got lucky, but many others may not.”