Mammogram

There are so many jokes mammograms! Have you heard the one on the refrigerator door - or the bookends - or the garage floor? Thank you to all the jokes, "Mammogram" has become a household word, and it's not that I have no sense of humor, but as a mammography technologist, I heard the jokes many times . I think the jokes are embarrassing for women and degrading treatment with respect to their physical body. Many women say: "If men had to do this, there would be a better solution" - which may or may not be true. Most people agree that mammograms are not perfect, but until there is a better solution, I think it is time to look at mammograms in a different light.

In May of 1985 and 1986, I asked my doctor to order a mammogram for me and he refused both times saying I was too young. There were no centers of mammography screening that I could see, so that's it. In December 1986, at the age of 42 I felt a lump in my breast and a mammogram the same day. It proved to be a breast cancer stage II with 4 positive lymph nodes. I had a lumpectomy, a mastectomy and chemotherapy but chose not to have radiation. I obviously was not too young to have cancer.

In May 1985, at a cost less than $ 60.00 mammography and would have resulted in my having minor surgery to deal with a small hump. Delaying the diagnosis until December 1986 the cost of medical care I received both in dollars and the amount of human suffering we faced. I say "we" because the diagnosis of cancer affects the family, friends and community of the person with the disease. A timely mammogram would have saved us all a lot of grief.

The common perception is that the mammogram is a negative experience, I think it's a bad reputation. Mammograms are quick and easy breast X-rays, which usually means two views of each breast - one from the top and the other side. They are performed by friendly, skilled technologists who do their best to help women feel at ease. The goal of technologists is to obtain the best films possible and also to make the experience as quick and painless as possible.

When people go for mammogram the most important thing to know is that the relaxation of the upper body is the key to a positive experience. I know it's hard to relax when you're worried, but that's why I think we need to reduce public apprehension of this test. It is easy to relax by taking a few deep breaths before the test. By relaxing your muscles, you'll be much more comfortable throughout the test if you are tense. Another advantage is that the films are better, because it is easier to image the back of the breast near the chest wall if the pectoralis muscles are relaxed. When done, you can hear you say: "It was not bad at all!"

Some women are embarrassed to have a mammogram because they do not want someone other than their partner to see and touch their breasts. The mammogram jokes add to their fear of pain and embarrassment making it harder for them to manage, and I know some women who avoid having a mammogram for that reason. The test is done in privacy, there is a female technologist will be present. Technologists, for the most part, are sensitive people who will do the test as quickly and professionally as possible. Many women who have stood the test over a long period is amazed to see simple and painless as possible.

Mammograms include compression of the chest with a plastic plate to produce an image of high quality with less radiation. Breast compression is meant to be tight, but it should not be painful and it only takes a few seconds. If you think watching a bunch of grapes - it is difficult to see them all in one place. If you divide the grapes, you can see more grapes. Similarly with the use of compression, more breast tissue is visible when the breast is spread out. With.