November 17th, 2007
Who is Afraid of the Big, Bad, Mammogram?
Me. That’s who. Or at least I was before yesterday at exactly 3:05PM. That’s when I experienced one for the first time. That is the moment I realized I’d been a complete moron for not having gotten one sooner.
I’ve heard so many rumors about how painful Mammograms were. “They put you in this machine and smash your breast,” I’d been told by several women. Each one accompanying the story with a vivid demonstration - slapping their hands together suddenly. Needless to say, I was terrified at the thought.
During a recent visit to my doctor she ordered one for me. So, I made an appointment. Fortunately the center she recommended was completely booked up (I could get an appt. at the crack of dawn, 25 miles away, on Jan. 4, 2008 and I’d better like it) plus the woman making the appointments had the social skills of a hungry hyena. This led me to phone up the old HMO and find out who else offers mammograms in my area.
I got a list of three within five miles or so. I called the first on the list repeatedly, but the line was busy. Something I still find amazing in the age of technology. So, I called the next on the list, which just happened to be right across the street from my primary doctor. The woman who answered was incredibly sweet, personable, and friendly.
I asked how far out they were booking appointments. She told me I could get one the next business day.
“Like Monday (the next business day)?” I asked in disbelief.
“Like Monday,” she replied. I could hear the smile in her voice.
Now I felt powerful. Emboldened. A rare occurence in a medical facility. It was about 1:45PM on a Friday afternoon, but I was already off for the day for the doctor’s appointment I had earlier. I figured I might as well shoot for the moon.
“You wouldn’t have anything available for today, would you?” I asked in a tone that was carefully crafted to put me safely in the realm between ‘I know I’m crazy for asking this, but…’ and ‘Please, please, please!’
“How far away are you?” she asked. Then she gave me an appointment in 45 minutes. I couldn’t believe it.
I was bowled over. These people couldn’t be real. Then I get there and they are extremely friendly. The office is decked out in a leftover Halloween skeleton wearing Cleveland Browns gear and all of the ladies are wearing their Ohio State Buckeyes t-shirts (on the eve of the big annual game against our arch nemesis Michigan State), and necklaces and bracelets made from actual buckeyes.
Talking to the receptionist is like talking to one of my aunts. She is adorable, funny, and efficient at her job. Next I meet the tech. She put me completely at ease. She took a peek at the “patients” and opted to switch to a larger plate - “rather than trying to squeeze the girls onto the small one.” “The girls” and I appreciated that. We were also grateful that she kept the auxilliary plate warm with a heating pad when it wasn’t in use. Brilliant.
After that first compression my reaction was, “That’s it?”
“Well, I’ve got 3 more to do.”
“No, I mean, that’s it? That’s all of the pain I should expect?”
“It’s nothing. You can’t listen to those rumors,” she said. “Now let’s get the other side.”
So, now it is a matter of waiting a few days for results. Maybe that was always the scariest part, anyway. But, not going, and not knowing, would be an awful lot worse.
The American Cancer Society recommends having a baseline mammogram between ages 35 and 40, and then a screening mammogram every year after age 40. If you are in these age ranges, have you had a mammogram? What about your mother, sister, friends, aunts, cousins?
I know that as individuals, we can’t save the world, but we can sure as hell try. Pledge now to get your mammogram, or make someone you love get one. Visit this site to help women who can’t afford them get mammograms.
November 17th, 2007 at 9:21 am
Thanks for sharing your first time story Samara. As a woman in the 35-40 age zone (and having just heard of a friend in her early 40’s who now has breast cancer) you make me think about scheduling one of those baseline tests.
November 17th, 2007 at 2:33 pm
I am glad to hear that, Tami. I would definitely encourage you to call for your appointment, as soon as possible. Before you can talk yourself out of it, like I did a year and a half ago.
December 2nd, 2007 at 12:12 pm
It’s good to see that you highlight the importance of regular check ups. So many women prefer to bury their heads in the sand, or are so busy putting their kids first that they leave it till it is too late to be successfully treated. Now, being 51, I had my first call for a mammogram last year and like you I didn’t find it an ordeal. Uncomfortable for a few moments yes, but then it was all over when the pressure was released. I was so pleased to receive an all clear notification through the post - a small price to pay for peace of mind for a few years. My friend since childhood, neglected to go to her Dr. despite several years of abdominal pains, but recently, due only to the fact that her sister who is undergoing chemotherapy phoned to say that the Dr. at the hospital had broken it to her that she carried a faulty gene, therefore, her close female relatives were at high risk to develop ovarian or breast cancer. She was in hospital with an hour and has been diagnosed with bi-lateral ovarian cancer. I plan to do a little research and write something for ‘Everything Girl.’ If something we write encourages women to get checked out and have early treatment it is a good thing.