# Mammogram Experience...



## Aliena (Sep 12, 2007)

I wanted to share with you all my mammogram experience I had yesterday. (minus the frustrations I had with the clinic that performed the test)

I went in and filled out my initial paperwork. When called, I was taken into a dressing room with lockers and told to undress from the waist up. I was also asked to use a baby wipe to remove any deodorant I had on. (I am not sure why that was)
After a loooooong wait (hence the unmentioned frustration) I was called into the imaging area. It was a machine I stood in front of and she placed the girls (one at a time) on the square platform. She then pushed a lever that brought down a plastic square platform that squished my boobs onto the platform it laid on. 
I was told to hold my breath and the picture was taken. (actually 4. 2 for each boob)


That's it. It was one of the easiest tests I have ever done. I'm glad it's over with and the good news is, my images came back clear. They said the lump my doc felt most likely was a cylce thing. 

Just though I'd share!


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## Sandie_Zitkus (Sep 12, 2007)

OMG - just the word Mammogram makes me want to run screaming from the room!!!!!!!!!

I had one a few years ago - it hurt like hell - I thought she was going to burst my boobs - NEVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!


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## bigsexy920 (Sep 12, 2007)

I actually had a great experiance as well. Infact they were really careful and they made sure they got good shots and because i have bigger breasts they did it in parts so see everything. It didnt hurt a bit it was just akward. 

Sandie maybe the equipment they have now is better, I dont know. You should try it again for obvious reasons. Let's face it if we stopped doing things that hurt in life we would never learned to walk.. Falling is a bitch.


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## Sandie_Zitkus (Sep 12, 2007)

I have small breasts. If I need any tests in the future a sonogram can do me just fine. Mammograms have not been proven to be effective enough to warrant one every year.


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## SamanthaNY (Sep 12, 2007)

I'm pretty sure mammograms don't feel nearly as bad as surgery or cancer, so that's why I go.

And yeah, I have to do multiple shots too Berna... but I've decided I'm going to take it as a compliment, lol. 

I've often wished a friend lived nearby so we could make a day of it - morning mammos, a nice lunch and afternoon reward-shopping.


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## Risible (Sep 12, 2007)

My last mammogram was similar to your experience, Aliena. No pain to speak of; a little uncomfortable because they do put a lot of pressure on them girlz. The worst part was the casual way the tech parted my gown, grabbed the girlz and spread 'em out on the glass plate, like she was making a sandwich or something. All the while swapping gossip with the x-ray tech behind the partition.

I'm glad to hear your test came back all clear. It's always a relief, huh?


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## Sandie_Zitkus (Sep 12, 2007)

Ladies - please - not having a mommogram is my choice. I respect yours - please respect mine. Thanks.


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## bigsexy920 (Sep 12, 2007)

Well this is good. at least you can get a sonogram. and I dont get one every year yet either. It is good to do something...  



Sandie_Zitkus said:


> I have small breasts. If I need any tests in the future a sonogram can do me just fine. Mammograms have not been proven to be effective enough to warrant one every year.


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## Sandie_Zitkus (Sep 12, 2007)

Here is a very interesting article:

http://www.preventcancer.com/patients/mammography/ijhs_mammography.htm


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## SamanthaNY (Sep 12, 2007)

Sandie_Zitkus said:


> Ladies - please - not having a mommogram is my choice. I respect yours - please respect mine. Thanks.



Did someone say otherwise?


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## Sandie_Zitkus (Sep 12, 2007)

SamanthaNY said:


> Did someone say otherwise?



No I was just sayin.


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## bigsexy920 (Sep 12, 2007)

Aliena, Im glad you posted this it's a good idea for people to realize that it's not such a terrible thing. Early detection is the key and it's proven that the best way to do this is a mammogram. If you wait to long it will and it does spread.


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## Sandie_Zitkus (Sep 12, 2007)

I don't want to sound like I want to argue Berna, cause I don't, but actually 90% of all breast lumps are found by self examination. Self exams are essential to breast health.





bigsexy920 said:


> Aliena, Im glad you posted this it's a good idea for people to realize that it's not such a terrible thing. Early detection is the key and it's proven that the best way to do this is a mammogram. If you wait to long it will and it does spread.


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## bigsexy920 (Sep 12, 2007)

Ok you win ... 

Everyone wait till you feel the lump rather than detect it with a mammo before it gets so large you can feel it.


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## Aliena (Sep 12, 2007)

Sandie_Zitkus said:


> I have small breasts. If I need any tests in the future a sonogram can do me just fine. Mammograms have not been proven to be effective enough to warrant one every year.



Sandie, I'm real sorry you had such a bad experience with your mammogram. I think they are important and I'm happy to read you are using back up prevention; hence self breast examination and ultrasound. 

I hope you're doing well from your surgery!


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## Esme (Sep 12, 2007)

How serendipitous Aliena! I just went for my first mammogram yesterday too. I was nervous because I'd heard they were painful, but quite frankly, after spending time in the hospital last summer, I wanted to do anything to avoid having that experience again. I was pleasantly surprised at how painless it was, how quickly it went, and basically what a non-event it was. 

I do a BSE every month and my doc checks too, but with the history of cancer in my family, I'm willing to do what it takes to keep on top of things for my own peace of mind, if nothing else. Early detection is an added bonus.


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## Aliena (Sep 12, 2007)

Risible said:


> *The worst part was the casual way the tech parted my gown, grabbed the girlz and spread 'em out on the glass plate, like she was making a sandwich or something.* All the while swapping gossip with the x-ray tech behind the partition.
> 
> I'm glad to hear your test came back all clear. It's always a relief, huh?



Yes, I found it amazingly awkward having a stranger reach into my gown and grab my girls. I felt like asking her (thank God it was a *her*) if she'd mind buying me a drink first. However, because of the mood I was in I decided against it. 


I was a little relieved too. I've been feeling this particular "bump" now for a little over a year. I thought it was in my head until the doc announced she felt it too at my annual. 
I won't postpone my suspicions again; better safe than sorry.


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## Aliena (Sep 12, 2007)

Esme said:


> How serendipitous Aliena! I just went for my first mammogram yesterday too. I was nervous because I'd heard they were painful, but quite frankly, after spending time in the hospital last summer, I wanted to do anything to avoid having that experience again. I was pleasantly surprised at how painless it was, how quickly it went, and basically what a non-event it was.
> 
> I do a BSE every month and my doc checks too, but with the history of cancer in my family, I'm willing to do what it takes to keep on top of things for my own peace of mind, if nothing else. Early detection is an added bonus.



We're mammogram sisters!!! 

View attachment 26984.jpg




I'm glad to read your test went well AND quick! Mine was a 2hr affair! Not from the test itself, rather from those running the office.


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## SamanthaNY (Sep 12, 2007)

Ahh, I'm proud of you Aliena and Esme! And delighted you both got clean bills of boob health!


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## TraciJo67 (Sep 12, 2007)

Sandie, I do respect your decision not to have a mammogram, but wanted to add just one thing .... like you, I also have small breasts. I have had several mammograms done, and the procedure never hurt at all. I had a breast reduction surgery 5+ years ago, and when my breasts were large, the mammogram was slightly painful. I am wondering if perhaps the technician did it incorrectly, or if perhaps your breasts were extra sensitive at the time (mine always are when I'm menstruating). Not saying you should/shouldn't have mammograms done ... just that it hasn't been my experience that they are painful, nor have I heard that from anyone I know. It should be, at most, just a little bit uncomfortable.

Dee, glad to hear that yours went so well for you 

Edited to add: My mother is a breast cancer survivor. A mammogram picked up a suspicious area on her chest wall, and an ultrasound & needle biopsy confirmed cancerous cells. It was caught very early, and hadn't spread to any of her lymph nodes. She had a lumpectomy and is just finishing up a course of radiation therapy. Because it was caught so early, she didn't need chemotherapy. Had she waited until she could feel a lump, the results could have been tragic. The tumor was on her chest wall; she would not have felt it until it was very large.


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## Sandie_Zitkus (Sep 12, 2007)

bigsexy920 said:


> Ok you win ...
> 
> Everyone wait till you feel the lump rather than detect it with a mammo before it gets so large you can feel it.



Berna that is not what I meant - I'm sorry you felt I did. But mommograms are not as effective as all the hype. But I respect your decision to do as you please. 

For pre-menopausal women with no family history of Breast cancer mammograms could actually be harmful because of the radiation and the trauma to the breast from the mamogram itself.

I was just giving out additional info. I'm sorry if you took offense.


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## Sandie_Zitkus (Sep 12, 2007)

The tech I had squeezed my breasts so hard they were sore for several days.

I had a small lump when I had my mammogram - I also had to have a sonogram to see if it was solid or not. Turns out it was a small cyst. But I found this lump while doing my monthly self exam.

I am not trying to say anyone else is wrong. People with large dense breasts have a different set of issues. But my breasts are small and not dense so self-exam works well for me.




TraciJo67 said:


> Sandie, I do respect your decision not to have a mammogram, but wanted to add just one thing .... like you, I also have small breasts. I have had several mammograms done, and the procedure never hurt at all. I had a breast reduction surgery 5+ years ago, and when my breasts were large, the mammogram was slightly painful. I am wondering if perhaps the technician did it incorrectly, or if perhaps your breasts were extra sensitive at the time (mine always are when I'm menstruating). Not saying you should/shouldn't have mammograms done ... just that it hasn't been my experience that they are painful, nor have I heard that from anyone I know. It should be, at most, just a little bit uncomfortable.
> 
> Dee, glad to hear that yours went so well for you
> 
> Edited to add: My mother is a breast cancer survivor. A mammogram picked up a suspicious area on her chest wall, and an ultrasound & needle biopsy confirmed cancerous cells. It was caught very early, and hadn't spread to any of her lymph nodes. She had a lumpectomy and is just finishing up a course of radiation therapy. Because it was caught so early, she didn't need chemotherapy. Had she waited until she could feel a lump, the results could have been tragic. The tumor was on her chest wall; she would not have felt it until it was very large.


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## Green Eyed Fairy (Sep 12, 2007)

My older sister acquired breast cancer at age 34 and died from it at age 40 hence I have been fairly regular mammograms since the age of 28. First one at age 28 then every other year until age 34 (the same age my sister found cancer). Every year now since age 34. I just turned 39- and it's kind of funny because some in the waiting area assume I must be over 40 to be getting mammograms but I was asked once why I was getting one so young. 
I only remember one being unpleasant and I blame that on the gruffness of the mammographer herself. There has been a little pain/discomfort but so what? It's worth it and far better than having untreated cancer that grows and kills you. Having a quarter or more of your breast cut off seems a helluva lot worse than 90 seconds worth of boobie smashing.
They don't like you to wear the powder or deodorant because sometimes it smears onto the glass and gives false imaging.


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## Green Eyed Fairy (Sep 12, 2007)

bigsexy920 said:


> Everyone wait till you feel the lump rather than detect it with a mammo before it gets so large you can feel it.




My sister never did regular breast exams - she found her lump totally by accident. It was so large she noticed it while adjusting her bra strap. She went to her gyno that told her it had to be a cyst since she was too young to have breast cancer. She followed the recommendations of her doctor but when the lump didn't get smaller she went to another doctor that gave her a mammogram. Less than a week later she had a lumpectomy. She went into remission for four years. Then her cancer came back with a vengeance- spreading into other parts of her body. 
It's your life- and personally I think it's worth it to get a mammogram- especially if your doctor gives a shit enough to send you for one.


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## Theatrmuse/Kara (Sep 12, 2007)

Sandie.....I am glad that you do have regular sonograms.......breast cancer claimed my grandmother, my mother and one sister. ( My dear sister found her lump through self examination and it was too late.) It is not something to mess around with and we all must take a PROACTIVE stance if possible.

I started having mammograms at age 30..........have found two lumps on my own and a third the mammogram found before I could detect it through self examination. After that mammogram, they also did a sonogram. That last one called for a lumpectomy....thankfully benign. But it was the mammogram that found it.

I just love ya so much, girl. Remember that. Hugs, Kara


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## Sandie_Zitkus (Sep 12, 2007)

Kara let me try to explain this once more.  I choose not to have mammograms because there is no breast cancer on either side of my family and because I have done enough reading on the subject that I have come to the conclusion that _*for me*_ mammograms are an unnecessary risk factor and could actualy increase my chances of developing breast cancer. That is what the most recent research is saying for someone _*like me*._

How can a mammogram increase your chances of breast cancer you may ask.  Well, I posted a great article in a post earlier in this thread. But some ways are - trauma to the breast from squashing them, unnecessary radiation exposure that is cumulative, and cancerous cells from breast cancers too small for even a mammogram to detect can be crushed and dispursed through out the body causing cancer growth in other body organd.

So - for me - I choose to say NO. I am not post-menopausal yet. When I am I shall (with my doctor) discuss what my options are then. 

I hope you all can respect my decisins like I respect yours. The best thing we can all do for our health is to be educated. Kara your situation is very different than mine - I hope you see that. 






Theatrmuse/Kara said:


> Sandie.....I am glad that you do have regular sonograms.......breast cancer claimed my grandmother, my mother and one sister. ( My dear sister found her lump through self examination and it was too late.) It is not something to mess around with and we all must take a PROACTIVE stance if possible.
> 
> I started having mammograms at age 30..........have found two lumps on my own and a third the mammogram found before I could detect it through self examination. After that mammogram, they also did a sonogram. That last one called for a lumpectomy....thankfully benign. But it was the mammogram that found it.
> 
> I just love ya so much, girl. Remember that. Hugs, Kara


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## Miss Vickie (Sep 12, 2007)

Aliena, good for you for biting the bullet and getting it done. I had my baseline one almost two years ago and was surprised at how little it hurt. Unfortunately, they didn't quite get everything they wanted and I had to go back and get it done again, this time with a smaller paddle that pushed down harder on one particular "suspicious" area. THAT one hurt like a sumbitch, but we needed to get a really clear image so I sucked it up. 

I think part of the reason it hurts more for some people may be that if you have fibrous or cystic breasts they have to push harder to image through that denser tissue; the plates spread it out a little better so they can see the margins and the quality of the tissue better, sometimes more than others depending on the shape of the breasts. So for some women it CAN hurt a lot more, depending on where they are in their cycle. 

And naturally, like anything else it's technique sensitive. I have women complaining to me that the fundal checks my colleagues do hurt like hell and they always tense up when I'm going to check and massage their uterus after they deliver. I somehow manage to do it without hurting them, which always surprises them. I just don't feel the need to manhandle someone unless it's necessary to stop their bleeding. Some of my colleagues believe otherwise and will vigorously go in and massage the hell out of an organ that's just been through hours and hours of work. Sometimes you have to do that, but more often it's working well enough on its own that just a gentle touch to be sure it's the right shape, size and firmness is enough.

Anyhow, that's totally off topic to breast issues but it demonstrates that different practitioners do things differently, each with the same goal -- healthy patient -- but approaching it very differently. I'm such a wimp and hate hurting people that I'd do the minimal amount of breast squish; others probably feel that we're detecting cancer, here, so a little temporary discomfort is worth the price.

In either case, it's good to -- by whatever means work for you -- keep checking those breasts!


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## Michelle (Sep 12, 2007)

If a lump was found, Sandie may have had the high compression that Vickie mentioned above. I can testify that those are very painful. But a normal, routine mammogram shouldn't usually hurt.

It has been shown that the incidence of breast cancer deaths have decreased for the first time in the past couple of years. This has been attributed to education and more women having routine mammograms.


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## TraciJo67 (Sep 13, 2007)

Sandie, I did some research on what you said regarding mammograms. I have to admit, I was very shocked by what I saw. This site pretty much confirms what you've said about the risk vs the benefit of mammograms:

http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20031014/does-mammogram-risk-outweigh-benefit?page=2

This site gives more information:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mammogram/WO00023

I thought a lot about what you said, and I appreciate that you brought it up. This is the first time I've ever heard that an annual mammogram may not be the best option for every woman. 

Another thing that surprised me? Mammogram pretty routinely catches one form of cancer early -- ductal carcinoma in situ. This is the exact type of cancer that my mother was diagnosed with. From what I'm reading, though, some experts say that this type of cancer is usually non-invasive even if left untreated. 

But ultimately, I think about all of the women who take no preventative measures at all ... they do not conduct self-examinations, or have annual check-ups. My sister-in-law had a hard lump in her breast for a very, very long time before she finally consented to having a mammogram. Her coworkers managed to push her to have testing done. She works for the cancer society in Malaysia! Now, she's an invaluable asset, as she is a cancer survivor and can relate to her clients with real empathy. She is also living without a breast, and went through the horrible ravages of chemotherapy, and went into menopause at the age of 35. Still, she's alive & that's what is truly important. But I can't help but wish that her cancer would have been detected earlier, and she could have saved her breast & her reproductive health.


From the balance of what I've been reading, Sandie, it appears that most experts agree that the benefit of mammogrammy may be overstated ... but that it is still the very best tool in the arsenal for early detection. One of the risks touted is false positive results that require further testing and/or lumpectomy. I'd hate if that happened to me, but would consider it a necessary evil. Because breast cancer claims the life of tens of thousands of women per year, I'd want to be very, very sure that I wasn't living with a ticking time bomb. 

I am nearly 40, overweight, menstruated early, have never carried a child to term, smoked for 15+ years, and now have a family history. I meet several of the higher risk factor criteria. So I will go with the medical advise that I've been given, and will have a mammogram done at least every 2 years. The actual risk posed by the radiation is very, very low -- even the experts who believe that mammogram isn't always essential agree on that. So really, to me, the potential risks of mammogram are very much offset by the possibility of having cancer and not knowing about it because I can't feel the lump. 

In my mother's case, even if the chances were excellent that her cancer would never have killed her .... I am extremely thankful that it was detected in a very early stage, removed, and she was treated. We now have peace of mind. Had it been me, I wouldn't want to live with even a 10% chance that the cancer would spread and invade the rest of my body, and I'd want it detected as early as possible and dealt with. On the whole, I'd rather live with the risks posed by annual mammograms than with the possibility of early death due to undetected cancer. I do know that mammogram does not detect all forms of cancer, but it is still a powerful tool in detecting some. And with that, there is the added protection that I am having medical experts examine me on a yearly basis. That alone is a powerful incentive for me to have the tests done.

For women who want to weigh the risk of mammogram against their risk of developing cancer, here are the breast cancer risk factors:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/breast-cancer/DS00328/DSECTION=4

Finally, I am not trying to convice you -- from what you said, I think you made an informed decision that works for you. I just thought about this thread a lot last night & this morning, and felt compelled to add this information for anyone who may be reading & is undecided about annual exams.


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## Sandie_Zitkus (Sep 13, 2007)

Thank you Traci - it means a lot to me that you took the time to read about opposing views about mammograms. And thank you for respecting my decision.  Self examination is the most important tool we have in this fight.

There is something else I wonder tho The #1 killer of women is NOT breast cancer - it's heart disease. How many women have an EKG every year?? 




TraciJo67 said:


> Sandie, I did some research on what you said regarding mammograms. I have to admit, I was very shocked by what I saw. This site pretty much confirms what you've said about the risk vs the benefit of mammograms:
> 
> http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20031014/does-mammogram-risk-outweigh-benefit?page=2
> 
> ...


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## Miss Vickie (Sep 13, 2007)

I think this thread just illustrates the importance that every woman (and man!!!) be informed about breast cancer and how to diagnose it early in a way that works for them. Each person may make a different decision, after weighing the risks and talking with their doctor.

In my own case -- partly out of laziness and partly because I'm low risk and don't feel it warrants the exposure to radiation *for me *-- I opt not to have yearly mammograms. I had my baseline two years ago, am low risk since I've breastfed three babies, each for a *LONG* time, have no family history of breast cancer, etc etc etc. I've had two in a row that were clear, and now I feel copasetic in waiting until next year to have another. In the meantime, I religiously do breast self exams and would go to my doctor at the first sign of something being amiss. 

OTOH, the annoying thing about nurses? We end up pretending to be our own physician and irritate the hell out of our providers. 

Sandie, it seems that you've informed yourself and are willing to undertake any potential consequences of not having yearly mammograms. Am I reading that right? If that's so, then more power to you, and I encourage you to continue to confer with your doctor and do regular breast self exams. (Or better yet, have Wayne do them. )


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## Sandie_Zitkus (Sep 13, 2007)

That's exactly right Vickie. If my doc thinks I should have one I would have to think about it. However since 90% of all breast cancer is found by self-exam and I also have my doc do a breast exam - I am not convinced a mammogram is a benefit for me. 



Miss Vickie said:


> I think this thread just illustrates the importance that every woman (and man!!!) be informed about breast cancer and how to diagnose it early in a way that works for them. Each person may make a different decision, after weighing the risks and talking with their doctor.
> 
> In my own case -- partly out of laziness and partly because I'm low risk and don't feel it warrants the exposure to radiation *for me *-- I opt not to have yearly mammograms. I had my baseline two years ago, am low risk since I've breastfed three babies, each for a *LONG* time, have no family history of breast cancer, etc etc etc. I've had two in a row that were clear, and now I feel copasetic in waiting until next year to have another. In the meantime, I religiously do breast self exams and would go to my doctor at the first sign of something being amiss.
> 
> ...


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## Sandie_Zitkus (Sep 13, 2007)

A Case Against Mammograms!


The 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 steamrolled.

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!!


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## Fuzzy (Sep 14, 2007)

I'm sorry if I'm intruding.. however, the technology coming available now that I'm involved with introduces VLRAD (Very Low Radiation) and digital imaging that can find suspicious lumps and tissue the size of a pin head.

I just I had to say. Carry On.


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## lemmink (Sep 14, 2007)

If you have a family history of breast cancer I would really suggest you get a test done to see if you have the defective BRCA1, BRCA2 or TP53 genes. And if you do, you should probably get an MRI.

I'm just sayin'.


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## SocialbFly (Sep 14, 2007)

While everyone is entitled to their own opinion, as it is your life, and your body, i would like to encourage everyone to be screened. 

I had a close friend, a fellow nurse, who was sick at work, they told her to go through the er before she went home. Well, they just happened to do blood work, and they found some elevated liver enzymes. In a month, her world was upside down. 

Three and one half hard years later, Maggie died of metastatic breast cancer. She was 45. She had multiple surgeries, she had mets in her liver, spine, hips, well, everywhere. I used to rub her back when it ached, the one time i visited, and i felt the cancer nodules under her skin. i wont ever forget that feeling as long as i live. She even had to have a hip replaced, as the hip eroded from the cancer.

No, you absolutely have a right to not have mammograms. Maggie had one but a couple of years before, the lump was on her chest wall. A recent mammogram would have found it. 

I know we, as medical people, always throw the worst case scenarios at people, when this is the choice that is made. But there is also something you can do to prevent the problem, a mammogram with self exams done as well. I too, have had some awful mammogram techs, but i choose to keep having them, 'cause i don't think i will ever get the sight of Maggie out of my mind. And most importantly, that is not how i would choose to die.


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## SocialbFly (Sep 14, 2007)

Lemmink, that is a nice suggestion, but did you know that MRIs have a 350 pound weight limit?? The open ones have the same weight limit. I know, i dialed all over st louis looking for an MRI to do my knee, they all said 350. Even Barnes hospital, which was supposed to be all fat friendly...yeah...350...
so great advice, but advice many of us here can't follow.


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## Ernest Nagel (Sep 14, 2007)

SocialbFly said:


> Lemmink, that is a nice suggestion, but did you know that MRIs have a 350 pound weight limit?? The open ones have the same weight limit. I know, i dialed all over st louis looking for an MRI to do my knee, they all said 350. Even Barnes hospital, which was supposed to be all fat friendly...yeah...350...
> so great advice, but advice many of us here can't follow.



Dianna, et al,

I'm surprised you were unable to find a facility with higher limit vertical field (standing, aka open) MRI in St. Louis. There are several in DFW and I believe they all accept patients up to 500lbs. Here's a pretty informative article on the subject but there are many others:
http://www.medical.siemens.com/siem...es/brochures/cs_diagnostic/obesity_HT_v12.pdf

If you or anyone else is interested I suggest you google "standing MRI" and your city or state. I think it's incumbent upon this community to be sure all of us receive the very best care and info available from the fat-phobic medical mainstream. My annoyance is that those facilities you called could have referred you to facilities with higher capacity machines.


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## Miss Vickie (Sep 14, 2007)

The other issue with MRI's is that if someone is trying to avoid radiation, going the MRI route isn't the way to go. Ultrasound, OTOH, might be.

Again, I reiterate that a woman (and man!) should make that decision with her doctor to determine what's best for her in her situation. There are lots of reasons why people want to avoid even low levels of radiation and I respect that. That's why working with one's physician to determine the best way to be screened is a good idea. It's just so hard to know what's the best option, and everything carries risk, but starting with being well informed is always a good idea.


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