mammograms

[KnottedYet]

okay, now I feel a little silly for worrying so much. my only experience with mammograms has been my sister and SIL -- both who ended up with cancer. I've never really talked to anyone else about it. hopefully you're all correct and it's just a call-back to get a clear baseline.

thank you all so much for your advice and kind words.

Lorri

Don't feel silly! It is scary stuff, especially when it's new and you are already worried!

[indysteel]

Velogirl, another big, big hug from me. Like some of the other women who've responded, I started getting annual mammograms when I was 30 because of my family history (my mom was diagnosed when she was 34). Ironically, my OB/GYN felt something "funny" when I was 34, and I essentially freaked out. Thankfully, an ultrasound determined it to be a waterfilled cyst, but I remember how hard waiting for that appointment was. So, my heart goes out to you.

I certainly hope and pray this turns out to be nothing. In any event, I'm glad you got a baseline--and I hope the women out there who haven't gotten one yet are motivated by this to make an appointment today.

[shootingstar]

I had a mammogram twice, with last one about 15 yrs. ago or less. I'm fibrous in 1 boob. That was all. Was I stressed while waiting for testing? No.

Maybe I'm just dull in the head but after working in a hospital for a few years , where patients were paraplegics & quadriplegics, paralyzed for life and then hearing stories from siblings who work in health care about all sorts of deaths and accidents, a mammogram visit and results wait...needs to be taken into stride.


I'm 48...it has been recommended that I have another one. I found out the booking appointment list is several months long. But will book soon..after Christmas.

Velogirl...if I was in your position, it wouldn't be the mammogram waiting rm. stress but the fact that you are not covered by health insurance plan for other sudden accidents/diseases that may happen.


I'm Canadian....and most definitely prefer the Canadian health care insurance system if something wrong. occurs.


Best of luck velogirl!

[Velobambina]

Sending you good thoughts, Velo. As others have put it well, chances are good it's nothing. If they saw something disturbing, I'm betting they would have found a slot for you sooner.

I had a breast tumor removed when I was in my early 30s. Thank God, it was benign. The lump was very evident, but I didn't do self-exams. My gyn found it during my annual pap/pelvic. I had to go through two-three months of tests (needle biopsy, ultra sound, mammo, visits w/surgeon, etc) before surgery was scheduled and it was out of my body. It was a hellish time of uncertainty, especially since I could feel the the damn thing.

I'm supposed to have a mammo every year, primarly because of the lump (I'm almost 45 now). My gyn will hold my BCP script "hostage" if I don't get in for a yearly exam, so I have the mammos done as ordered. I readily admit having them done every 18 months--not every 12 months--but I don't want to subject my body to radiation, small dose that it may be. Having them done is not optional, nor is having a yearly pap smear.

Try to think positive. Please let us know how it goes.

This is a little bit of a threat highjack but I was wondering if it were more or less painful for larger breasted gals? I'm not well endowed, to put it mildly, and well, I don't dig that whole mash thing. It's like the xray tech has to gather then smash. So would it be easier to xray someone with more meat on them in the breast area?

[silver]

Velogirl, I hope the visit goes well for you. And I hope they give you lots of info.

This is a little bit of a threat highjack but I was wondering if it were more or less painful for larger breasted gals? I'm not well endowed, to put it mildly, and well, I don't dig that whole mash thing. It's like the xray tech has to gather then smash. So would it be easier to xray someone with more meat on them in the breast area?

I answered this in another thread. I found the two mammograms that I had pre-implants to be HORRIBLE. but the one after was pleasant. I was very flat chested with tight skin across my chest. It appeared that the technician was trying to scrap skin up from my legs to smoosh between the plates. I left with red streaks all over my chest from my collarbones to my navel. Afterwards, no problem.

[velogirl]

thanks, everyone! I had my call-back today and they did another mammogram and an ultrasound. apparently I have a bunch of liquid-filled cysts in my breasts and the ones in my right breast create a pretty large mass -- not uncommon for someone my age.

the good news is now we have a baseline.

and BikerZ, thank you for the healthcare tip -- I'll definitely look into it.

Lorri

[bmccasland]

Yaaayyy!!!! So glad to hear smushed things weren't anything major to worry about.

[velogirl]

Velogirl...if I was in your position, it wouldn't be the mammogram waiting rm. stress but the fact that you are not covered by health insurance plan for other sudden accidents/diseases that may happen.

ShootingStar, trust me, I do stress about not having health insurance right now. I had insurance until about a year ago and then left my part-time job (bike shop) and had already applied for and been accepted for insurance so I didn't take my COBRA. Then, the insurance carrier turned me down. Unfortunately, I have a pretty robust medical history (5 surgeries for various things + on-going treatments for other various things) and in California an insurance carrier can deny you coverage for any of these various things. I just tried applying for insurance again last week and was denied. Luckily I have accident insurance and cheap prescriptions, but I pay everything else out-of-pocket (and it ain't cheap).

[KnottedYet]

ShootingStar, trust me, I do stress about not having health insurance right now. I had insurance until about a year ago and then left my part-time job (bike shop) and had already applied for and been accepted for insurance so I didn't take my COBRA. Then, the insurance carrier turned me down. Unfortunately, I have a pretty robust medical history (5 surgeries for various things + on-going treatments for other various things) and in California an insurance carrier can deny you coverage for any of these various things. I just tried applying for insurance again last week and was denied. Luckily I have accident insurance and cheap prescriptions, but I pay everything else out-of-pocket (and it ain't cheap).

The US healthcare business drives me nuts. And I work in it, so I'm allowed to say that!

[AnnBB]

Hang in there, I know its going to be a hard week and hard to not stress over it. I recently was in a similar situation, during my annual was told that I needed to go to a specialist to have some lumps further looked at, and of course they couldn't get me in for over a week, I was a mess for that week trying to prepare my self for the worst but hoping for the best and just being so confused and not understanding why me?? I'm only 26 and couldn't believe I was already going through this, after an ultrasound it was found that i just have many fibrous lumps, so it looks like I have many years ahead of me with rechecks as they will want to make sure thats all they are. I sympathize with you this week as I know I just wanted to know by the time it was over, I had so over analyzed it all that I just wanted to know what the answer was and was so tired of stressing over it.

Keep your chin up and know that i'm sure things will turn out just fine for you too.

[Tuckervill]

They have to grab and smash the big ones, too. I think they're trying to get as much as the connective tissue from the chest as they can. Like I said, mine are much more stretchy than the used to be, and for that I'm grateful!

Karen

[KnottedYet]

All I can say is TG for breast-feeding! Sure, I have to scoop "the girls" up and pour them into my bras, and yeah when I lie on my back they end up in my armpits, and if I stand up nekkid I look like something from National Geographic; but mammos are pretty slick!

Flappy = Happy!

[lph]

All I can say is TG for breast-feeding! Sure, I have to scoop "the girls" up and pour them into my bras, and yeah when I lie on my back they end up in my armpits, and if I stand up nekkid I look like something from National Geographic

ROTFL!

A girlfriend of mine calls it the "empty sock" syndrome.

(And y'all do know that it's mostly hormones from pregnancy that make them go Pamela then flabby, and not the breastfeeding per se, right?)

[bikerz]

Hi Velogirl - regarding the health insurance issue - have you looked into the California Major Risk Medical Insurance Program?

Checkout these links -
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=576841
http://www.mrmib.ca.gov/MRMIB/MRMIP.shtml

I don't know much about it, but it seems like just what you need. (I have similar issues with health insurance as a self-employed person).

And good luck tomorrow - I just had my annual mammogram yesterday, and at the clinic I go to in Oakland, they have you wait right there in the room until the radiologist has read the films, so you get the info right away (well, in 20 minutes, anyway). When you go to sign in tomorrow, maybe you can ask if you can meet with the radiologist right afterwards, so you don't have to wait through the slow holiday period to get the results.