By Katie Wadland of EatSleepMomRepeat.
So I had the pleasure of going in for my first mammogram recently. I had been having some mild pain in my left breast for a while and happened to mention this to my ObGyn at my recent visit. I couldn’t feel any lumps and fortunately, she didn’t either. The pain was sort of hard to describe – almost like that sensation you get when it’s time to nurse. Except I haven’t breastfed in almost a year and a half.
My reports landed me at the Breast Health Center, getting my first mammogram at the ripe young age of thirty-three. I went in feeling okay, and tolerated the actual testing pretty well. In my head, I assumed the whole squashed breast thing would last much longer, but really was only a few seconds per image. I won’t tell you it was comfortable, but it definitely isn’t worth any serious dread or apprehension. I asked the radiologist if I’d need an ultrasound as well, and she said wouldn’t unless they found anything worrisome in the mammogram. She finished taking her images and sent me back to the waiting room. I waited for twenty minutes and then got called in for an ultrasound.
Cue rapid heart-rate, rising anxiety and total dread. I questioned the radiologist as to why they called me back for more. Of course, the radiologist couldn’t tell me anything but assured me the doctor would be in as soon as she was done to review tests for herself and give me my results.
The good news is my breasts were given the all clear. The bad news is I promised God I’d never yell at my kids again. Actually, I promised him three times, because three is my lucky number and apparently I develop sudden-onset OCD when I’m scared out of my mind. I made sure to make an exception in my negotiation for yelling if there is a safety hazard, like the kids are about to get hit by a car or jump from something high, because my OCD and belief that I actually have some ounce of control over these kind of matters is rational like that.
So long story short, my lovely Bs shouldn’t need to be squashed again till I’m forty. I have been advised to cut down on caffeine (argh), as this can cause these kinds of symptoms. It was also explained to me, and this is worth noting if you end up in a similar spot, that younger breasts are denser and harder to read by mammogram, explaining the callback for the ultrasound.
But all jokes aside, breast cancer is no laughing matter. One in eight women will be diagnosed in their lifetime, but early diagnosis improves your chance at survival. So from one woman to another, don’t forget to do your monthly self breast exams. They are best done several days after the end of your period, and you can learn more about the proper technique here.
This post was originally published on EatSleepMomRepeat.
Related post by Katie Wadland: A Beta Mom’s Guide to Bringing Your Kids to the Gynecologist
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About the Author
Katie Wadland is a Massachusetts-based mama raising her girls with her husband out in suburbia. She sometimes wakes up and wonders how the hell she got here. She’s a part-time Physical Therapist, part-time Blogger and full-time Beta Mom Extraordinaire. She has been published at Scary Mommy, Kveller, Mamapedia and BluntMoms. Her Beta Mom Guides and other ramblings can be found at EatSleepMomRepeat, and you can follow her on Facebook, Instagram or at Twitter.