For Mother's day I am gifting myself my 1st mammogram



So what's it like ?

I don't want to know.



But good for you!! I know it's a must at some point. I do self exams and I of course get the regular exams yearly but the mammograms really do scare me.

I want to know




I too have always done self checks and annual Dr checks

I am not scared at all just wondering what goes down

ya know

CarrieMpls said:

They scare me too.

Mach said:

let's just say that once you've experienced it you will never again refer to the experience as one you would "gift" yourself

applekisses said:

I'm supposed to be scared ?

you will be standing in a room with an x-ray machine like a dentist's appartus looming over you. the nurse/intern will instruct you to place your breast on a flat glass/x-ray panel.

the nurse/intern will lower a matching glass/x-ray panel until your breast is pressed flat, flat as in one inch thick.

then, while you endure this discomfort, you will be told "don't move" and the intern will disappear into the next room, hit a switch to activite the x-ray, and will then return to release you from the x-ray machine's vise-like grip.

other side? rinse and repeat. not pleasant, certainly. but nothing to fear.

XxAxX said:

So like, WHY ?

they don't smoosh your boobs til the insides explode out the nipple do they ?

Mach said:

Nooooo... I'm glad that you're not!

I just don't want to get my boob smashed.

XxAxX said:

THESE boobs ... 1 inch flat

jesus mother mary the sheep and the wisemen

~faints~

Mach said:

yes. sometimes your breasts will POP!!!!!*



























*not


you may, however, feel like they will

Mach said:

That's why I find it scary! I think it's GOT to hurt.

Mach said:

I just pulled out a ruler and held it to my chest...there is NO WAY.

Maybe in 10 years they'll figure something else out...otherwise I'm not doing it.

CarrieMpls said:

well, okay it does a bit. they keep smashing the breast until it's as flat as it will go. this is because they are x-raying for lumps and the flat image will help with that.

i might have exaggerated a little bit regarding the 'once inch thick' part though it seems that way when they do it.

to be perfectly honest the entire procedure seems incredibly backward and barbaric. but, better than the alternative which would be undetected breast cancer.

applekisses said:

I have REALLY full round boobs...

1 freakin inch flat



I'm not doing this man

Mach said:

happy mother's day!

XxAxX said:

If there were a lump there, wouldn't it get broken open?

Also, I think it's the cheapest way to detect lumps at this point. It seems like an ultrasound would do a better job and would be completely painless.

XxAxX said:

midevil tourture before ren fair weekend again




do your bobs bruise

I bruise easy

Mach said:

Happy Mother's Day!! comfortable or not, i think that's a great gift to give yourself.

XxAxX said:

CHIC0 said:

I agree


wanna go for me ?

applekisses said:

yep. but, as we all know, women's health care lags FAR behind research in men's health care, and is relatively underfunded. so we are stuck with this method for now.

Y'all don't get the ladies checked out on a regular basis? We cannot have that around here! Seriously. I have a friend who was just diagnosed with BC and she is 35 years old! GO TO YOUR DOCTOR NOW!!!

Mach said:

are you implying i have man boobs!?!?

Stax said:

Had your PSA checked lately ?

I"M GOING today to have my boobs sqwashed

CHIC0 said:

NO




So ? wanna

In another larger study, 52% of 1,800 women surveyed reported moderate to extreme discomfort during mammography.

How Discomfort During Mammography Can Be Minimized

By surveying women about their experiences with mammograms, researchers offer suggestions on how to minimize discomfort during mammography.

To alleviate much of the pain associated with mammography, patients may wish to:

Find a “friendly” mammography facility with knowledgeable mammography technologists
Control the breast compression themselves during mammography
Change mammography facilities when dissatisfied with care/service
Use calming self-statements and learn distraction techniques to use during mammography

Breast compression, which is necessary to flatten the breast so that the maximum amount of tissue can be imaged and examined, is a major cause of fear and discomfort during mammography.

Breast compression is necessary during mammography in order to:

Flatten the breast so there is less tissue overlap for better visualization of anatomy and potential abnormalities. For example, inadequate compression can lead to poor imaging of microcalcifications, tiny calcium deposits that are often an early sign of breast cancer.
Allow the use of a lower x-ray dose since a thinner amount of breast tissue is being imaged
Immobilize the breast in order to eliminate image blurring caused by motion
Reduce x-ray scatter which also leads to image degradation
While breast compression can be temporarily uncomfortable for some women, it should not cause significant pain. If a woman experiences pain during a mammogram, she should notify the technologist immediately.

Patient-Controlled Breast Compression

Some mammography facilities will allow the patient to control the breast compression herself during mammography. This can greatly reduce anxiety, making the woman feel more comfortable during the procedure, both physically and emotionally. Women should feel free to ask the technologist about controlling breast compression herself before the exam begins or when scheduling the exam.

Researchers have found that a woman often feels more comfortable during a mammogram with a courteous technologist who can provide thoughtful answers to her questions. Knowledgeable technologists can also help women with distraction techniques to take their minds off the exam. In a study published in the February 2000 issue of the journal Radiology, researchers found that factors associated with mammogram discomfort included the facility itself, satisfaction with care, and the patient’s perception of the technologist’s “roughness.”

If women are not satisfied with the quality of care they receive at one facility, they should feel free to change facilities. However, it is important that a patient obtain her original mammogram films if she changes facilities so that future films may be compared to them.

Please see the section, Key Steps For An Optimal Mammogram, for more information on minimizing pain during a mammogram.

Here are some studies too:

http://radiology.rsnajnls.../214/2/547

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.g...t=Abstract

Up to 93% of the women reported the mammogram examination was painful. On average, women rated the mammography pain in the low to moderate range. Considerable variability in pain ratings was found, however, with some women reporting severe pain and others reporting little or no pain.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.g...t=Abstract

Mach said:

Good for you!

For the record, my annual physical is this Tuesday.

XxAxX said:

There is an incredible thermal imaging center here and they do breasts but it is reccomended to have the mammogram 1st

Stax said: