This is not cat related at all, but I want to say that I had my annual mammogram today and it was fine. A few minutes of discomfort and I was done, same as every other year. I just feel like it's important to say this to possibly take some of the fear out of it for people who haven't gone yet.
👍
And it must be remembered most lumps in the breast are not cancerous. Less than 10% are malignant, so if you feel a lump in your breast, don't get scared, just get it checked out.
I got my first one in my late 30s as a "baseline" (medical reasons). I have been getting them annually since age 45. My younger sister who is generally doctor-phobic didn't get them regularly. Got diagnosed with BC a year or so back. (She's doing well on the meds). Don't FAFO, just get the scan.
Thank you. My PCP will write the order for my mammogram at next month’s annual exam.
For many years I heard horror stories about the TORTURE of mammograms so I was braced for the worst when I had my first one. I worry that some people don't go at all because of that fear. When I actually went for the first time I was like "WTF? That was no problem at all."
Same. My mother put the fear of God into me about them, but I didn't find it that bad. Key is to relax and accept that it's going to be uncomfortable, but not for long.
Them trying to squeeze to death what little flesh there is beside my nipple while forcing in my ribs was definitely a horrific experience that I hope to never repeat again, I'm glad so many other people don't have to experience that
This is just MY experience. I'm sharing my personal anecdote. I'm sure it's different for everyone. But if you're avoiding it solely because of scary stories and jokes you've heard, please just go and find out for yourself. I was shocked by how easy and fast it was and you might be, too.
I can´t get downtown to the radiologist, agoraphobia here, the taxi wouldn´t be paid for by the mandatory health insurance, bus is impossible for me. So I had to throw away the 4th invitation for a mammogram lately (I´m 54, you get one invitation every year from the age of 50 on in Germany).
New style technology. The first one I had (20 years ago) was horrible and did squash and hurt. The new machines are just brilliant.
I’m 46 so haven’t had a lot but I’ve also had really great experiences with the tech each time. Very understanding that you might be nervous and explained everything and made it as comfortable with another human being as possible!
The newer machines are a lot more comfortable than the older ones, so comfort will vary based on what machines that facility uses. I found a very big difference when I switched health systems for work.
on the flip side, Im one of ~40% of afab US women who have heterogeneously dense breast tissue, which makes mammograms largely uninformative. I find them very painful, and am invariably called back for ultrasound when the images can’t be interpreted. I hate that it’s considered a gold standard test
They are not the funnest, but they are really not bad; get checked Izzy has family history and inherited mutation that increases risk 3×, so get checked often ⚕️
I had my mammogram about a month ago. It was FINE. No problems, no pain either. Super fast and the tech was a really nice older woman.
Thank you for talking so openly about this. My mammos have also always been painless and kind
Depends on the tech doing it. First ones I had were torture. They aren’t now as not the same tech.
It’s gotten easier over the years. Last time I had one it was so quick.
I thought the exact same thing with colonoscopies
They hurt less than they used to. I suspect the equipment has evolved over the years.
It has. Digital tomography machines are far superior to the analog machines. Less adjusting and standing in a painful position. A difference of even 3-4 years can mean vast improvements in the patient experience.
While I find the boob smashing uncomfortable, I’m always impressed by the warm comforting but very professional manner of the technicians. They have all been wonderful.
I can confirm - they’re really not bad at all! I got my first one at 38 because of family history. It’s uncomfortable but mostly awkward
Even if it is painful, it is worth it to detect breast cancer early. Ask me how I know.
Obviously not my area of expertise but I can say that Mom got her's, they found something, they dealt with it, and she's been cancer free for decades. She's coming to visit in December. More stories like that I hope. For those it doesn't apply to, colonoscopy was not as bad as I expected either.
I had my second ever mammogram in March. That’s how I found out I had breast cancer. Please, please, please…everyone get mammograms.
I'm so sorry. I hope you're doing okay. ❤️
Double mastectomy in July, and now completely cancer free. I am extraordinarily lucky to have caught it this early before it could spread. I will now be annoying every single friend, loved one, and random internet stranger with the need to get mammograms.
🥰👍
Good news! Congrats!
🥰👍
congrats on being cancer free!!
Same here !!
Hardest part for me is two scans per boob because no one has YET invented that panoramic lens for the mammomachine!
I was told by a tech that breast density can make a difference in how uncomfortable it is, denser = more discomfort. That said, as a person with dense tissue, the actual amount of time the tissue is compressed is maybe 3 minutes? So, yeah, uncomfortable, but it's over quick.
it's painful for me but it's SO WORTH IT. those few minutes once a year could save your life.
IMO if anyone’s done a Pap smear, a mammogram is a breeze
in my experience, I’d rather have a pap smear while getting my teeth drilled then get a mammogram
Highly subjective opinion
Agreed!
My most recent pap was actually nothing at all, where my previous ones had been quite painful. I had my first mammogram last year and it was suuuper uncomfortable lol but it6s all worth it for your health!!
💯
The "fast" part is key. Is it pleasant? No. But at least it's fast, and it's so important to have it done! I always boight myself a little treat afterwards, like a fancy hot chocolate or a really good pastry. I have a friend who buys herself a pretty bra as a reward.
It’s much easier right after your period when your breasts are less sensitive and tender.
The last two I've had to wait over a year because of appointment availability, so that timing is going to be challenging to arrange.
Also it might save your life.
I find mammograms unpleasant, and I still go. My grandma was saved by one. It gave her 20 more years of life!
It's a little twisty, but all in all, nothing to worry about.
Lmao once at a restaurant, i overheard a lady talking to her friend about how she had just had a mammogram and the plates got stuck so she was just trapped tits first in the squisher. She said it didn't hurt at all, and it was funny to see the technicians panic a bit, only stuck for maybe 90 seconds
I would get a hundred mammograms if it meant not having to go to the dentist.
Going to add to this so that people can see more anecdotal experiences. For me it was no worse than leaning against something with your weight on your breasts. A bit squishy and uncomfortable, but certainly nothing to get scared about. Go out and get your recommended mammograms people.
I’m glad you got your mammogram. It saved my life. I didn’t have a lump on my breast but the mammogram caught the cancer.
Tip: w/US health insurance it's free. BUT there's a loophole. A screening mammogram is free. A diagnostic mammogram is not. If they add an ultrasound or have you repeat the mammogram in 6 months everything's diagnostic for the that time PLUS the following year - even if they don't find anything.
Good to share. Honestly, I had no clue before I went. I think my second one was worse than my first one bc I was surprised by the discomfort. I think it probably depends on a bunch of things like breast size, machine, operator, fluid retention, pain tolerance, etc.
I’d like to also share: don’t be freaked out if they make you come back in for additional imaging on account of “dense breast tissue”. I was freaked out when I got the call but apparently it’s common.
I get called back every. single. time. And then they have to send me for ultrasound anyway. 40% of afab women have dense breast tissue. My obgyn says breast MRIs would be ideal for cases like mine, but insurance companies will not cover them
Sorry to hear that but good to know. I didn’t even know MRI was used for breasts but I guess that makes sense - why wouldn’t it be?? I only recently learned that sometimes, US is used (my mom had to get one done by US while in hospital bc of physical limitations). This thread has been instructive!
Same here, especially common if you are younger.
That’s interesting. I didn’t know that. I had my first one around 40, I think.
Yeah, it's ever so lovely when your automated test results come back immediately with a big fat "ABNORMAL" label before anyone calls to tell you what's going on, and then you have to wait for days or weeks for the second test. Ask me how I know.
(The second scan was fine, and if I interpreted the doctorese correctly on that report, what the problem amounted to the first time was "boob was squished funny.")
Gotta get the right squish. 🤣
Exactly. Only precision, fine-tuned squishing will do.
That would freak me out! I got a phone call & they used ambiguous terminology - I was still freaked out. But I think I’m less sensitive now. My mom recently passed away from a surprise brain cancer diagnosis - after a 7 week rollercoaster in hospital, I think I’d be less paranoid now by findings.
Oh, I’m sorry about your mom — what a doozy of a thing to hit so suddenly!
Thanks. It really was. Cancer was not on the radar bc her family didn’t have any history. It’s a long story (she had Parkinson’s disease, still lived independently and didn’t suffer from headaches) but the experience has helped me better understand when I should step back and assess vs. panicking.
Thank you for sharing your story. ❤️ My Mom never has anything good to say about hers, and her boobs are much smaller and less dense than mine. I'm not looking forward to when I have to start my mammograms... But hopefully they are as easy as yours!
Was going to say this too. The bigger the boob, the less painful because there isn’t as much pull on the skin surrounding it. (Is what my tech said.) I’m hypermobile, so maybe the extra-stretchy collagen helped me too. Honestly, I found the arm/shoulder position more uncomfortable than the squish.
I'm a DD cup, even after lumpectomies, my mom was an AA, except when she was nursing us. (Err, yes, I do favor my paternal grandmother.) Mom found mammograms quite uncomfortable, me, I never had much of a problem. Understandably, it's a lot easier when there's more to squish, you see.
This is nice to know, thank you! I already know I have dense breasts so that's the one thing I suspect might make it a challenge really. I guess I'll find out when I find out :)
Much easier when there’s more there to squish. More difficult with smaller breasts.
I'm old enough to have had one of the painful ones the first time, but the technology changed fast and it's got much better, more accurate, and really not bad at all. In the olden days it did suck! Also, likely much fewer women in the field back then, so men were giving them, so...
I think in the 80s it was much worse. Today the worst part is the way you have to stretch and hold. The machine isn't as rough
The place I go to has always been great - in and out in like 20 minutes if I didn't also need an ultrasound.
Also make sure if you have dense tissue (half of women!) to advocate for an ultrasound or even an MRI. Also had my first this week and it too was a breeze. www.thecut.com/article/brea...
For my insurance to cover a whole breast ultrasound, I had to have the mammograms first, and then have results that required followup. That led to two more sets of mammograms with negative findings. Ultrasounds are often ordered after positive findings with the second set of mammograms.
This was my experience as well.
Insurance won't pay if you don't start with a screening.
I mean, I didn't know I had dense tissue until I got my first screening. 🤷♀️
I'm one of them! Was told in the letter the doc sent me with my results. But I actually never heard about doing ultrasound/MRI. Thx for the tip! I'll have to remember that come January, see what the doc thinks. ❤️
I haven't had one yet, but I like being squished so maybe I'll enjoy it
I've heard that the machines used to be way worse about it but yeah nowadays it's just whatever lol.
I find it helps to have DD saggy old lady boobs. That’s my story.
Thing is, men get these. How bad could it really be.
Do they? I thought people with minimal chest volume had to be screened by echography
Some do, yes.
Mine was excruciating but I'm still gonna do them at the frequency dictated by the doctor as it's important. (I wonder if density plays a factor in the pain levels. I actually learned about diff density levels after it. XD)
Agreed-you awkwardly snuggle the machine, but it has built-in handles, your breast gets mildly squished a bit, and you hold your breath for a few seconds. Repeat a couple times, then do the other side. I understand the squishing can be more annoying for the smaller-chested, but I’ve never had pain.
I wish. I wear either an A or B cup and was told I have dense breasts. They have to use a lot of pressure and because there’s not as much tissue the machine was digging in to my rib cage and my boob was squished and pulled.
I hear they improved patient comfort because people were afraid of them, so they just didn't get them. Kind of like dentistry.
I was so scared. Like, shaking in my boots. It's uncomfortable. The biggest hassle about getting a mammogram was taking out and putting back in my nipple ring.
There have been significant improvements to the machines. They used to make me cry, now a routine mammo is a nothingburger, but because I have dense tissue, of course they also want to go in with firmer paddles (and of course, charge me for a “ diagnostic“ mammo) that hurt again.
I felt the same way about it! A bit of awkward standing and bending, a mild squish for less time than I can hold my breath, and then the other side! I can see how it could be a bit painful for some, but it definitely was not for me.
I’m pleased it went well. Worth reminding women that not all get invited for an annual test. Some have to ask.
Thank you
I’ve had many, and only one was really uncomfortable (probably due to where I was in my menstrual cycle). And in any case, it goes quickly and it’s an excuse for a Little Treat after.
Always nice to get a Little Treat after!
That’s a great way to look at it quick, manageable, and you still get to reward yourself after. Love the ‘Little Treat’ philosophy.
It’s painful And uncomfortable for me
I have experienced the unwanted outcome of a mammogram. Thanks to early detection, I have survived that mess for 16 years and counting. I still go every year. Thanks for the reminder!
My mom was 66 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, so I started my mammograms at 40 and every year since('cept 2020). I'm 67 and still cancer free.🤞 Get it done for peace of mind.
I was recently having my past mammograms transferred from One hospital to another, and the radiologist who was pushing them to the cloud was exclaiming over the fact that I had a mammogram in january, 2020...two days before my city went into lockdown.
Wow.
Good for you! I was supposed to get one in January 2020, but rescheduled due to COVID. Pushed it out again. Put it off. Joking around with DH one night and jiggled my boobs at him and discovered a lump. Luckily, I got by with a lumpectomy, but the surgery was a nightmare.
Lord Covid was responsible for a lot of terror and misery! I'm SO glad for your sake it was just a lumpectomy. Even a biopsy from one that turned out to be benign was awful.
Same with the colonoscopy that I had done today. I've spent weeks dreading it, but it was fine, and the hospital staff were all so kind.
I have my first one next month. I wish I had known I have to do a round of prep six hours before my appt!! I wouldn't have made it for 9a! 😜
Ugh, I had to drink the prep last night, then wake up at 4:30 this morning to do another round of prep. That's probably the hardest part for me.
In 2017, I actually received the news that so many women dread, and had to get chemo and lost my hair, and it was actually not bad. Being bald for a few months is a helluva lot better than allowing cancer cells to run amok in your body.
I always used to tell my anxious ladies that a mammogram is "no worse than some dates I've been on" which usually got a knowing smile and lower shoulders.
The widely circulated medical horror stories experienced by women - whilst surely all valid in their own right - led to my own mother avoiding medical attention for both a (thankfully benign) growth on her own breast, but then also refusal to see a doctor for anything, including deepening dementia.
Thank you for encouraging people to engage with doctors - my experiences are in the UK where cost isn't even a barrier. But the impact (on loved ones) of people becoming alienated from proper medical treatment terrorises me and I'm sure many others. I have nightmares about it daily.
While I'm here, I'd like to submit my own 'cat of yore'. Mia died of heart failure caused, I think, by a steroid the vet gave for her weakness/wobbliness at 16, following a vestibular disorder. They refused to accept any fault. Losing her broke my heart. Thank you for all your positive messaging.
I'm so sorry. 💔
I am so sorry for your loss. I hope you are comforted by lovely memories of your time with Mia.
Sorry for your loss. She was a beautiful girl.
I second that! Thank you for the reminder🥰
Good for you.
I guess I needed to hear that.
My wife is a survivor, these reminders are important
Me too, last week. There is nothing like the relief I feel when I get the letter saying “no cancer detected.”
I'm not sure why, I've tried a number of ways to make it better, but mammograms for me are extremely painful. And I continue to get them every 2 years because it's worth it.
From what I gather from people I know with breaststroke, their main fear of the procedure is of radiographers who fail to grasp that the machine is not a 200 tonne industrial press.
Mammograms, prostate exams and other regular check-ups are no joke. Keeping watch is just so advantageous that it's not worth risking not doing them.
And in my province they mail out a poop test to do at home every 2 years, looking for blood in the stool. If you get one of these in the mail, just freaking take the time to do the sample taking and send it in! Your taxes are paying for it already so just get it done! Peace of mind!
My super fast annual mobile clinic mammogram caught something that sent me back for more exams. Found a tiny lump of cancer that has been removed and nothing in lymph nodes. Absolutely no idea and could not feel a thing myself. Just go get the checks, folks! Not fun or pretty but techs are superb!
I had breast cancer. Lucked out with stage 1 and been clear 7.5 years. The cancer side is painful due to scar tissue and radiation. BUT they have new paddles now! A woman must have invented them! Slightly curved and so much better! Shout out for self exams too, you know you best. I found my lump.
My mom found hers too. She also lucked out and is cancer free about the same amount of time as you are.💕
Cheers to you both!
It's worth 15 minutes of however it makes you feel to gain 364.99 more days knowing your chesticles are healthy. Catching cancer early (like in my case) is also a great benefit. If you have dense breasts, ask about ultrasound and MRI. Mine wouldn't been caught sooner if I had.
My mammogram advice is to not worry about the gown. The techs have to pull you this way and that for the right views, and you don't want to worry about trying to keep a robe from falling off one shoulder. It makes it go faster.
I usually just give up and pull it back. 😂 I don't have anything the tech doesn't have, and it's more trouble than it's worth.
Thanks for the reminder!
I get mine each year: the few minutes of discomfort is definitely worth it. Although no problems have arisen, there have been changes which appear to be postmenopausal related (totally normal). I'm just glad to get it done.
Well said.
thank you. i just scheduled mine because of your reminder. 💕
🥰
Your kitties thank you
Thank you.
I got my first mammogram last year. From all the hype I was expecting a hellish, if short-lived, procedure, but when it was finished I was like, "...that was it??" Piece of cake. I wonder if the technology has improved in recent years.
And get a colonoscopy, too! You won't even remember.
Crazy coincidence, I had mine today too. I agree with every word of your post.
I had my first last year and I was so scared and nervous. I was told how painful it was. The day of the mammogram, I was nervous. It wasn't as bad as I expected.
Thank goodness! I had a minor cancer and surgery(squamous cell carcinoma) on my tongue a couple years ago, cancer free now, but it was not fun.
I’m really hoping by the time I go in for one, it’s all updated. I’m cutting a bitch if they’re still using the old torture device.
Checked on the titties and now back to the kitties. Glad you're ok though
The boob vise. It’s uncomfortable but, by far, the worst part is them telling you to relax while your tit is in its grip.
thank you for this. i’ve been made to be scared about it thanks to my mom
I had my first one earlier this year. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be l, but I was very very sore the next day. I think the day after for me personally was worse than the actual procedure.
I also get a yearly ultrasound with mammogram, because of a family history & dense breasts. I’m praying for a family member who’s starting treatment for breast cancer.
A friend of mine gets annual MRIs in addition to mammograms due to being very high risk and having very dense breast tissue. It seems extreme to some but they just recently found a tiny spot that is benign now but has to be removed to prevent it from becoming cancerous in the future. Worth it!
Outstanding!
Excellent! 👍
Important message
thank you for sharing this! it’s really crucial that people don’t let a little discomfort get in the way of their health.
Excellent!! I’m open about when I get mine for the same reason, and my annual with the OB. I’ve easily put off and forgotten to make my appointments before so not only is it gentle encouragement, it’s also reminder for some 😅
A point about the correct title for the person who performs your mammogram. They are technologists, not technicians. Technicians service the machine, technologists serve you. Signed, The spouse of a recently retired mammography technologist. ;-) Please schedule your mammogram!
Great reminder. Also - do not listen to the pseudoscience junk floating around right now where some MAHA people are claiming that mammograms and biopsies cause breast cancer. That is full on bullshit and that will get people killed.
Sometimes I worry that repeating this kind of thing -- even to say it's bullshit -- gives it a bit more credibility and acceptability, and introduces the idea to people who hadn't come across it before... (I didn't know people were saying this before reading this, for instance.)
That is definitely a valid concern. And I think to a general public audience I would agree. For the most part I have found users on Bluesky to be (mostly) more partial to Evidence Based Medicine and aware of a lot of the absolute junk out there right now.
Had my first boob squish back in 2020! Little did I know it would be my last as I got diagnosed with cancer (luckily caught early). Only one breast was infected (and a couple lymph nodes), but I decided to have both removed. I don't want to go through all of this again.
Oh and regarding your other post about the "tortures" of mammograms being told to us... I agree it wasn't all that bad! Well, my infected side did hurt a bit, what with the tumor being squished. It's funny, my breasts were quite small that it was difficult to get them laid out on the scanner, lol
This is so important thank you for sharing. Reminding me I need to make an appointment soon.
When I finished the squishing part of my 1st in Swiss German I was mumbling words of comfort to my girls and the mamogramist thought I was talking to her. 'Nei, ich spreche zu meine Boobies'. 'Boobies? Was sind Boobies?' She found the word hilarious. Come the sonogram 'wo sind deine Boobies? hahaha'
My boobies were fine by the way. The squeezing is uncomfortable rather than painful.
Thanks for this, and I'll second this message. Before I had my first one years back, I heard stories about how horrible it was. It wasn't. As Cats of Yore, it was a few minutes of discomfort, then done. It's fast, easy and * really * important. (Also, that reminds me: I gotta schedule mine. :)
When I had a breast tumor (turned out to be benign) I even had a mammogram with the tiny "pinpoint" machine while a needle was threaded into my boob to locate the tumor for surgery. And you know what? Even that was not that bad.
I had my first mammogram 36 yrs ago. Those machines REALLY hadn't been perfected yet. The plexiglass wasn't rounded but square and I ended up with a three corner bleeding tear in my breast! They also used WAY more pressure back then than now, and no pad underneath. Trust me. Now it ain't bad!
I did genetic testing last year and found out I'm eligible for an annual breast MRI as well as an annual mammogram. When my healthcare provider first brought up genetic testing to me, I was scared and put it off for years. Glad I changed my mind.
I had mine as well. The procedure is MUCH improved from the time when you would go home with sore and aching breasts. I remember those times, and I still do it. It's worth a few minutes of discomfort to prevent the excruciating suffering of dying from breast cancer.
I do mine yearly. It can be a tad uncomfortable, but it beats cancer(which is sadly in my fam). I call it my "date with the Terminator." I also did my first colonoscopy this year. Was scared, but of getting an IV the first time. I have needle issues. But it went surprisingly well! +
Gonna go with a 5 year plan on account of family history, though I could do 10. But I did it once, wasn't bad, so it's not scary now. Prep was annoying more than anything, really. Get those boobs, butts, and other places checked, folks! Discomfort beats cancer any day!
It’s so worth it, especially if it’s your first time or if you haven’t gone in a while! My first (earlier this year) revealed what ended up being a cyst, but the thought of something worse being there for possibly years until it got big enough to be felt? No thank you, peace of mind is so valuable!
💕
Absolutely all women should follow HCP guidance & obtain mammograms as indicated 🙏 Absolutely the instruments thereof *MUST* be refined; it’s the 21st century & men testiclettes do not get repeatedly slammed on four sides into a tiny cold cabinet, et seq. Self-examination remains valid. Pls do so:
Us olds remember how mammograms used to be and, yes, they were incredibly painful. Heavy compression and long exposure times. The new equipment makes the experience fast and easy.
This is the truth! Now, the intense pressure just lasts for a second or so (4 different views, so no more than 8 seconds of intensity!).
Another to say that I personally find them fine. Minor discomfort due to how you have to position your arm, but that's it. Mine's tomorrow & the only pain I'm expecting is because you have to stand & my arthritis is now really bad, so my knees & ankles will be *not* happy with me.
I got tired of going for a mammogram and ignored the first letter for an appointment plus we had builders around repairing a leak.Two weeks later I got a second reminder and I thought I might as well go.They found a tumour in my right breast ! Go and don't ignore these tests!
Also put a reminder on your calendars for self-exam once a month!
There are apparently new "no-smash" options available in some places.
My 1st one, I almost passed out from the pain, didn't go again for several years. My s-i-l convinced me to come in for one, said she'd be gentle. Totally pain free! Every one I've had since was no biggie. I'd like to hunt down the bitch who gave me the 1st one, though.
I had my first mammogram in 1991. They were still the squish-'em-flat kind, but the alternative was to do without and possibly live to regret it. I think it was ten years ago that my hospital started using a machine that wasn't so sadistic AND got a better quality picture. Don't put it off.💐
I would add too that when you get a great, skilled technician they know exactly how to position you so the discomfort is minimal. Makes all the difference ☺️
True. My technicians are very good, and check with me throughout the procedure, both sides, to make sure I'm still relatively comfortable.
No big deal. Did my first one this year.
The machines _have_ improved a LOT. I've had two* bouts of breast cancer, both caught quite early because of regular mammograms. Treatment wasn't pleasant but it was straightforward, it worked, and my docs and I aren't worried about it coming back. *Different kinds, 1 L, 1 R. Not a metastasis
By the time I could have felt the tumors they'd have been a lot bigger & a lot harder to treat. It's not 100% but it worked for me. NB I have dense, cystic breast tissue. I needed ultrasound follow up. Even easier than the mammograms. Cold goo, it sometimes tickles, it's a bit sticky. No biggie.
This is a very important message. I had breast cancer at 40 and early detection was crucial.
On the somewhat lighter side ...
Thank you for sharing. It’s important to tell others how easy many medical procedures are. I had a colonoscopy 2 years ago… while the “cleanse” wasn’t fun, there were no issues. Cheers to good health! And, for good measure, Frisco says hi!
My mother died from colon cancer when I was 23. They didn't have routine colonoscopies at the time of her death. I've had three. Now in my seventies I've lost both parents, a sister, & brother to cancers. Do what you can to live a long life. Hi to Frisco!
I went for my very first mammogram a month ago and this afternoon had an ultrasound biopsy for a 1cm lump; now I wait for results and hope I get a phone call from my doctor instead of a push alert from MyChart, the joys and agonies of technology. But first—chocolate cake! My tata earned it.
My first mamogram detect my first cancer. I was about to turn 40. Trust me folks, it does save lives.
Thanks for the reminder. I’m due.
Sadly, I have dense breast tissue so they stretch and smash mine flat so aggressively they leave bruises on my ribs, and then I get a letter saying they can’t see through my breast and I need an ultrasound screen, but insurance won’t cover it so I must pay out of pocket - it sucks every time I
I'm larger breasted, and was worried about how much it would hurt being "squished". 😂 I had a great tech, and we discussed all of the jokes told to women. She had heard them all, and then some. I've had it done many times since, and although I still worry, the actual procedure isn't bad at all.
And, may I add, if you have to go back and redo it, don't be alarmed. It happens. That doesn't mean anything is wrong, so don't freak out. Most of the time, they just need a better scan. Happened to me a couple of times
Mine is tomorrow! Ladies, go get one SOON before they make us pay for them again.
I have to get mine done still, I don't like getting all squished.. they never look at the tenderness on the edges of my breasts... something to mention in my Friday appointment
Real. I have an aunt who never took one but barely escaped the reaper due to contracting pneumonia in Europe after a trip for her birthday. as of October they should be cancer free.
This has been my experience, too! It's not exactly fun, but it's not really painful, and it's so fast. And I've always gotten very nice technicians. Get your mammograms, boob-havers! It ain't no thing.
Thank you! I have had one but needed the reminder to schedule another :)
Mammograms ARE important, but you know whoever invented that machine did not have boobs...😅
Regular testing saved my wife’s life. Please, do it!
I got my mammogram this summer. I am pleased to note I did not get embarrassingly turned-on by the process this time.