Today I went in for my very first mammogram. I am 42, and they now want women over 40 to get an annual mammogram, so off I went.
You may be like many women out there, scared to death of the thought of a mammogram. I wasn’t scared of the actual mammogram, but will admit to being scared of the results BUT that is no reason to put it off. I thought I would tell you what to expect if you haven’t had one yet, or have been putting it because of the fear of the unknown.
Preparing for your Mammogram
Make sure to schedule your appointment at least one week after your menstrual period, that way you won’t have as much tenderness in your breasts and will have a better experience.
Before you head out to your appointment, be sure not to put on any deodorant, powder, or perfume under breasts and or underarms. I was told that they could show up in the results and basically render it useless.
That’s pretty much all you have to do beforehand, besides think positive and not worry 🙂
What To Expect During The Mammogram
After signing in, I was taken to the exam room and asked to disrobe from the waist up. I was given a hospital gown shirt to wear while I waited for my exam.
Once inside the exam room I was asked a few questions about my family history, and personal history. Took 2 min’s. Then I was asked to step up in front of the machine. The machine itself is a little intimidating, especially if you already have that made up picture in your head that it’s going to smash your girls flat.
Once standing in front of the machine, the technician will ask you to remove one arm from the shirt exposing your breast on that side. Then she will place it on the black plate, like the one in the picture above. She will start the machine and the clear plate above will come down on your breast while taking the x-ray. I didn’t have any pain at all, just a little pressure.
Now it’s time for the side squish 😉 The machine rotates and again, the technician places your breast on the black plate, and positions your arm straight out where you will hold on to a handle. This is to get an image of the side of your breast, and underarm, where a lot of your lymph nodes reside. She turns on the machine and again takes images. This position did hurt a little, but nothing major, and it’s all over quickly.
I will have my results in a few days, and then a report from my Doctor.
I made it through my first mammogram, and you know what, it wasn’t that bad.
I told the technician, who was super awesome and had me at ease the entire time, that I would be blogging about my experience because I know there are women who are fearful of the procedure. It is sooooo very important to get this done, if my anxiety ridden self can do it, so can you! Don’t worry about being embarrassed, or let shyness stop you, the technician does this for a living and has seen all shapes and sizes, believe me, she isn’t judging anyone, she is there to protect your life!
If you are over 40, please promise me you will schedule a mammogram…. promise?
(This is my experience, and it may differ from yours).
Dianna Ranere