Women DUers: I get my first mammogram tomorrow. Any words of wisdom

[RamblingRose]

or support? I hear it is very painful, and am dreading it.

[Imalittleteapot]

1. Relax. n/t

[candy]

2. I had my 15th Saturday

It pinches hard,but doesn't hurt.
Be sure to bring something to read. My hospital has a new,state-of-the-art women's imaging centre and NOT ONE THING TO READ.

[flowomo]

3. Hey, why just women DU'ers?

My wife gets these regularly, so I live through the process as well. It's uncomfortable (the "big squash" she calls it) but not "painful." The worst part is waiting for the results, and the sometimes alarming letters you get -- which sometimes are mistakes and sometimes are routine followup letters that worded so badly you don't know what they're saying.

[Misunderestimator]

4. More pressure than pain

For me at least. Really nothing to be worried about. It's more painful if you are menstruating or if you have very dense breasts. One word of advice... be sure to remove those little stickers they put on your nipples, I forgot once until I noticed them hours later when I looked down during a meeting to see them protruding conspicuously. :)

Oh, and one more thing.... nearly everyone I know who had their first mammogram was called back for either ultrasound and/or a needle biopsy because of some suspicious thing the radiologist sees. And none of them (including my callback) turned into anything. I think it's generally fear of malpractice that they are going overboard on the first one.

After that there is a record of your xrays to compare in later examinations, so the borderline suspicious stuff usually happens only the first time. (Also, if you move, make sure you remember where your xrays are kept so that they can be forwarded to your new doc.)

[RamblingRose]

7. That happened to a friend of mine, and it freaked her out when they called

her back in. Glad to know it's not uncommon. Hers was fine too.

[flowomo]

8. Yeah, they can be thoughtless about that.... so be sure you know

the facts before you react to anything you get in the mail

[asjr]

11. Are the stickers something

new? I have never had those. I have very large breasts and when they are squashed they look like flounders. I never seem to be able to relax, and I do think relaxing would make it less painful.

[Misunderestimator]

18. The were new for me last year

They have a little round thing on the front that helps the radiologist pinpoint (so to speak) the center of the nipple. They might not be widely used.

[tigereye]

22. lol

missed the stickers! Have never had those in all the years I have been getting my "tit in a wringer." It is uncomfortable, but not scary. I always say that the machine must have been designed by men ( I could be wrong, sorry guys.)

I have never been called back after, either, for any procedures. They usually read them right after and that is that, plus the obligatory letter.

Well good luck. Think of it as a rite of passage and alternately amusing and necessary for your health. :)

[DemExpat]

5. I would call it uncomfortable, not painful.

And it only takes a few seconds. :-)

The best advice, noted above, is to relax.

Good luck tomorrow,

DemEx

[jrthin]

6. Relax.

The anxiety is the worst part. It's not painful, maybe uncomfortable, nothing more. Also, to help with the possible discomfort, don't schedule your appointment near a period when you breasts are most sensitive. Bottom line: RELAX.

[rvgwinn]

9. mammygram

If it hurts,request another tech. A good trained tech knows how not to hurt!

[mcar]

19. That's exactly right

The tech will try to squish your breasts as much as possible to get the best image, so it's to your benefit to put up with as much pressure as you can take.

It should not hurt, though. You should just feel pressure. I'm more uncomfortable with the nipple stickers, but they don't hurt either, just uncomfortable in a sensitive area.

Believe me, women can get through childbirth so mammograms are a breeze.

Congratulations for taking charge of your health!

[Paradise]

10. absolutely NOT painful! n/t

[demnan]

12. I agree.

It should not be painful. You'll feel much better having done it.

[RamblingRose]

13. There's not much there for them to squeeze, for better or worse.

If size matters.? ;-)

[July]

28. It can take longer if you're small.

Hard to get a good grab on them, and then they'll often ask for repeat mammos because they didn't get a great picture.

If you have cysts, you could have some awful pain (I saw God, I'm pretty sure). When you don't, it's tolerable, though uncomfortable.

Be sure to speak up if you can't take it. The technician should respond if you're really suffering.

As others have pointed out, they're quick to follow up on anything remotely suspicious. Ultrasounds are helpful. If they want to biopsy, though, a small woman can't always get the Mammotome, which is a less complicated outpatient biopsy (put you up in the air on a table with your boob hanging through a hole). Think twice about getting a surgical biopsy unless they're fairly sure. I've had two and am very sorry I did. PM me if you get to that point.

[eileen from OH]

14. Explain that you are nervous and ask if there's a tech. . .

who is especially good at positioning. They won't be insulted or anything and at some places it's kind of an open secret that some techs have a reputation for this. (My sister's an x-ray tech.) After years of really uncomfortable mammograms I had one tech who spent, I swear, 3 minutes having me turn my foot a little or lean my head a certain way and all sorts of little things that you wouldn't think would matter but boy, did it. I always ask for her now.

eileen from OH

[Kahuna]

15. They squash your boob flat like a pancake. It probably hurts more...

it you have small breasts since they gather it all the way to the chest bone.

[Ilsa]

17. They go straight up against the breast bone

on large-breasted women also. Anything less would be an incomplete reading.

[Ilsa]

16. Just had another one. If you're going early in the morning,

don't bother with deodorant, because for one of the views, your armpit comes into contact with a smooth corner of the machine, so you will have to wipe the deodorant off. Take some deodorant with you to put on afterwards (if you use deodorant). Of course, a protocol like this might vary from place to place.

I think the newer mammogram machines have better resolution, so I don't think they have to press as tightly (to get a less dense picture) as they used to, but it is still a tit-vice. Once you are having it done, it takes about five-eight minutes to get all four views (two for each breast). Whether or not it "hurts" has to do with how sensitive your breasts are. Pain and discomfort are very subjective experiences.

I started having M's in my early thirties due to suspicious areas on the breasts. After having two kids and doing extended breastfeeding, my M's are clean as a whistle.

[Mrs. Venation]

20. It Isn't That Bad

It hurts a little, but it's not excruciating, and it's well worth the momentary discomfort. Think of it like this; breast cancer is excruciating, the pain is persistent, and it can kill you. A mammogram hurts for a few moments, the pain goes away, and it can save your life.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

21. a boob poem...you might copy this & the toon & give to them to post

Boob Poem

For years and years they told me,
Be careful of your breasts.
Don't ever squeeze or bruise them.
And give them monthly tests.

So I heeded all their warnings,
And protected them by law.
Guarded them very carefully,
And I always wore my bra.

After 30 years of astute care,
My gyno, Dr. Pruitt,
Said I should get a Mammogram.
"O.K." I said, 'let's do it."

"Stand up here real close" she said,
(She got my boob in line),
"And tell me when it hurts," she said,
"Ah yes! Right there, that's fine."

She stepped upon a pedal,
I could not believe my eyes!
A plastic plate came slamming down,
My hooter's in a vise!

My skin was stretched and mangled,
From underneath my chin.
My poor boob was being squashed,
To Swedish Pancake thin.

Excruciating pain I felt,
Within it's vise-like grip.
A prisoner in this vicious thing,
My poor defenseless tit!

"Take a deep breath" she said to me,
Who does she think she's kidding?!?
My chest is mashed in her machine,
And woozy I am getting.

"There, that's good," I heard her say,
(The room was slowly swaying.)
"Now, let's have a go at the other one."
Have mercy, I was praying.

It squeezed me from both up and down,
It squeezed me from both sides.
I'll bet SHE'S never had this done,
To HER tender little hide.

Next time that they make me do this,
I will request a blindfold.
I have no wish to see again,
My knockers getting steam rolled.

If I had no problem when I came in,
I surely have one now.
If there had been a cyst in there,
It would have gone "ker-pow!"

This machine was created by a man,
Of this, I have no doubt.
I'd like to stick his balls in there,
And see how THEY come out!

[tigereye]

25. that is excellent!

and I am going to send it to some friends!

[Hell Hath No Fury]

23. Depends on your breasts....

I have smallish, VERY dense, polycystic breasts that are near impossible to read. When I've had a mammo, the pain was so intense I almost passed out. Fattier, less dense breasts tend to have little or no pain when being smooshed.

As recommended, don't wear deodorant, don't have the smooshing done when you are premenstrual and may have breast tenderness (I made THAT mistake once!), and look into the new imaging technology that is available if you do have too much discomfort when you have a mammo.

I am having my next one with the new imaging machine -- it works essentially as an MRI for the boobage. I am SOOOOO looking forward to it! :)

[July]

26. I'm in your boat -- what's the new machine called?

I'm not doing mammograms again for a while after 2 needless surgical biopsies (too small for Mammotome). I've been waiting for something better to come out. Any information?

[latebloomer]

27. I have sonograms done, not mammograms

I insisted on it because i don't trust the radiation of a mammo. I go to a very good breast center where a doctor does the testing. At first they tried to get me to go with the mammo, but they've given up on me now, and apparently it's accurate if you get someone who knows what she's doing.

May try the MRI when they get that up and running.

[July]

29. Thanks.

They always send me for sonograms after they have trouble reading my mammograms (small, dense breasts). After doing this numerous times for the last 25 years, I've decided I'm not doing the mammograms any more, like you. Glad to know I'm not alone. Can't wait for something more accurate.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

31. I'm not sure of the name...

just that is uses MRI technology. I'm due to go in a few weeks -- I'll drop a line and let you know what I find out.

On the upside, because I have dense breasts, at 43 I have the rack of a 15 year old! :)

[jumptheshadow]

24. Take some Motrin first

It's like closing your breasts in a refrigerator door.

[MissMillie]

30. Not painful, really

but maybe uncomfortable. I felt like I was being contorted a bit to get them the view they wanted.

It's really not that big of a deal.

On the upside, I had my son in stitches when the self-addressed envelope came back w/ the results. I opened the enveloped and pretended to read:

"Dear Ms. _________,

Nice tits.

Sincerely,

Mammography Department, XXXX Hospital"

[redwitch]

32. it's not really that bad

and it could save your life! Good, smart girl to take care of yourself! I would call it mild discomfort- for a few seconds really- I prefer it to say, the root canal I had on Monday, ummmm childbirth, ummm, oh, lots of other things. Really not bad. I do think that if this was the way we tested for testicular cancer, a new completely comfy way would be found! LOL

[amazona]

33. don't wear powder or deodorant, don't know why, that's what they said

Alas, I will be honest with you and admit that it is excruciatingly painful. If you are claustrophobic, then it is especially stressful. There has to be a better way. I skipped getting last year's, it is just too much for me. And I usually have a very high tolerance for pain. I think it is the crushing sensation that gets to me. Oh God. On second thought, I hope you are not actually reading this before your check-up. And if you are, find out if you can get a Valium first. When I see my ob/gyn this year, I think I am going to have to sit down and talk to him about alternatives. I have never asked for Valium or Xanax in any other circumstance, even when my house was crushed by an oak tree, but there is a limit. For me, this is a terrifying experience.

[AlCzervik]

34. It's more uncomfortable than painful

imho, i'm small chested so it was a bit more awkward for me getting them in the squishy thing but it didnt hurt.