I had my 1st mammogram. I'm only 35. Why you may ask?? B/c I'm adopted and I have no family history to look back on.
About a week later I get a call saying I need to back for a specialized pic of my left breast, and an ultrasound. My heart flutters. Nothing is wrong they reassure me, they just can't see as well as they would like. They schedule it, then I get a letter in the mail with not so reassuring wording, "your bilateral screening shows the need for further evaluation." That makes me feel lot's better.
I go back, they do more stretching and squishing and do the ultrasound, and are very tightlipped about it. I just think, 'this is my body, you can talk to me about it you know?' The ultrasound tech was the only one who actually did. At one point I actually thought, maybe ignorance was bliss. Which goes against my very being, as women we should know our bodies, we should know about our bodies, we should take care of our bodies.
It all turned out ok, it was a lymph node that they saw. Alas, I'm done for another year. But ladies, are you?? Are you getting your paps, and your mammos?? Are you doing your monthly self breast exams??
I admit I don't self check at all, but I do go for the yearly exam. Although b/c I'm not considered in the high risk category, my insurance company has unilaterally decided that I will have mammos every other year.
ReplyDeleteglad all is well :) they are now saying paps every other year too unless you have ever had irregular results.
ReplyDeleteYes, Jenn, that's the other thing they told me, I can go every other year for the pap b/c it's always been normal (I'm almost 46). Personally I think it's giving people a false sense of security b/c the insurance companies don't want to pay for women's preventative care.
ReplyDeleteWe have them every three years from the age of 50, unless there are indicators like family history, when they start earlier. There have been some who've said that the radiation could trigger a growth in healthy tissue, so I'm not happy about mine, especially as I have to have double exposure on account of my boobs won't fit in in just one go!
ReplyDeletei do self-checks and have my yearly exams. in 2008, i had to repeat my mammogram 2 additional times for a total of 3 because there was a change from the previous years. i thank God everything turned out fine. my previous dr had said i could go every 3 years for my pap. i don't think so--too much time lapse in a 3-year period. glad everything turned out fine for you Kris.
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