Surviving At Home

Most adult women know what a mammogram is and how important the test is in the early detection of breast cancer. Yet, even knowing the importance of a yearly mammogram after the age of 40, so many women put off having the test.

Some women are afraid of hearing devestating results that will change their lives and still others are afraid that it will hurt. Oprah jokes every year about getting her boobs squished and that’s honestly all it is…your boobs get squished for a couple of seconds.

I’m at that lucky age where my doctor recommended a baseline mammogram, which is taken in your late 30s to provide the doctors a general picture of the healthy breast tissue which they will use to compare future results. My appointment was on Tuesday and I survived it! Honestly, it’s not bad!

After arriving at the imaging center and filling out new patient paperwork, I was escorted by a very nice female technician to the exam room. I was literally done within 20 minutes. You put on a gown, the technician puts the film into the machine, and then she positions the breast onto the screen and you get squished. Truly, it didn’t hurt. You’re squished for only 5-10 seconds on each side, just long enough for the tech to go behind the protective screen and push the button.

For each breast they took 2 xrays, trying to fully get all the tissue around the breast. It may sound awful to be “squished” but there’s no pain, just some pressure which is relieved the second the machine releases its grip. If you’ve been through childbirth, this is nothing in comparison. And what’s a few seconds of discomfort if you can detect a problem early and improve your chances of fighting off cancer?

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Please take your good health into your own hands and schedule your own mammogram. It could very well save your life.