Will People Go Through A Period Of Distance When Dealing

Will people go through a period of distance when dealing with early acknowledgement of a lump in their breast? Like my mom isn't going to work and she's leaving for days at time, which isn't like her. I really don't understand what is happening and she doesn't want to talk about it because she says she doesn't want to be a burden. Obviously this is hard, and our Primary care physician just keeps making appointments. I'm not sure what stage she is on, or if there even is one. Is a second opinion necessary even though we don't know what the lump is. It just keeps growing.