Heads Up: Schedule the Mammo | Lifestyle

by BritWinfield

I get squeamish when it is time for my mammogram appointment. I have to admit that I am one of those women who are not terribly proactive with recommended self breast exams. I know what that is all about: it is fear. Fear of finding something I would rather not know about or have to deal with. But how foolish is that? Not knowing wouldn't make something bad go away. I have a young family that depends on me for so much in their life. I owe it to them to be wiser. I also know that I am not the only woman around who feels and behaves as I do.

I have a list of excuses as long as my arm that can keep me from staying on track with the mammogram appointments. I argue that I don't have the genetic predisposition or lifestyle habits that contribute to breast cancer and therefore it is alright to let diligence slip. But then I see an old family photo album and am aware that I do indeed have a maternal aunt who had breast cancer. And I am reminded that there is no definitive lifestyle that precludes the disease.

A sense of duty finally overwhelms me and I make the dreaded appointment. On the day of, the clinic informs me that they cannot locate my baseline records from a couple of years before and that they need to collect my info and history all over again. This does not do much to bolster my confidence about the upcoming procedure regardless of it being a state of the art facility.

I redo the initial paperwork and then have a few minutes of reading time. I pick up a coffee table style book and realize that it is a record of some women who have sat in this very same waiting room over the years. It is a photo essay of their struggles and victories after receiving a breast cancer diagnosis. It is not all sugar and spice. By far, most of the women's stories were ones of restored and continuing health but there were a sobering few whose stories had run their course before the book's publication. There is an authenticity to this book in its refusal to gloss over truth that makes me take stock.

Mammography is generally 85 to 90% accurate. Only 6 to 8% of women who have a screening mammogram get news of potential abnormalities that need further investigation. When I wipe off my underarm deodorant and don the pink vest the tech hands me in the changing room, little do I realize that today is the day I will fall among that 6 to 8%.

My pictures are taken and there is professional conferring. I wait in a provided chair, thinking maybe there was something wrong with the machine. Before long, two doctors are at my side, the younger one obviously in an observational role. The senior doctor shows me a tiny spot on the image he is holding, explaining that despite there being a 99.9% chance that this will prove to be nothing, he is not willing to take the other 0.1% chance. I protest for a minute; I don't know if it is my unhealthy denial kicking in again or a valuable sixth sense. The look on their faces tells me that I need to definitively rule out the malignant possibility and I end up scheduling a biopsy.

As usual, I do my best to not entertain any scary thoughts over the next few days, but apprehension builds regardless of my best efforts. The day arrives. I am guided to a dimly lit procedure room and sit in a chair that reminds me of being at the dentist's office. A sterile tray of instruments, including the core biopsy needle, is a few feet away. There is ultra sound equipment and a large monitor squarely ahead of me.

This is to be a minimally invasive breast biopsy. The doctor will use the core biopsy needle to extract three to five tissue samples of about 1/16 of an inch in diameter from the suspicious area. The ultrasound imaging will act as her eyes, guiding her movement of the biopsy needle. I will be mended with a bandaid once all is done and can expect only minor tenderness for a few days.

Once I am sufficiently numbed up, the physician begins her probing with the needle. There doesn't seem to be a direct route to the target area she has her eye on and there is a good deal of weaving around inside which surprises me. At last she is pleased with her location and I sense a minor 'grab and tear' as the needle extracts the necessary tissue. I clench my teeth, not from pain but from the strangeness of that tiny numbed tug.

In about thirty minutes, the procedure is all over and I will hear the prognosis from the clinic in a matter of days. I go home with my bandaid on. In a timely fashion, I get good news from the clinic. The resident was right about the 99.9% chance of good health. I sleep well that night.

All it takes is a little distance from the good news and my attention turns to being horrified with the massive discoloration on my breast. The greens and blues of an enormous bruise take their sweet time spreading before dissolving. Nobody warned me about this. A needle in the breast going hither and yon on route to a target will apparently do this. For the next while I do all my dressing in the closet without the light on to prevent myself from seeing the bruise or thinking about it. Doesn't that sound true to form?

No one can afford to ignore the truth for long and I know this. So I am determined to break with my procrastination habit and schedule my mammogram appointment a year ahead of time. In the past two years I have sat up late nights with a couple of friends whose biopsies did not turn out as mine. I have been part of the mini armies of supportive neighbors and girlfriends that provided food for their families, transportation to treatments and much needed babysitting. These women have inspired me with the way they have waged their battles with breast cancer and successfully kept their eye on the prize of wellness. They both believe that they were rewarded for their due diligence, by scheduling a regular mammogram. What greater reward could there be than having one's life spared?

DISCLAIMER: This article is provided as information only and is not to be taken as financial advice.

Brit has been a lifelong advocate in the fight against breast cancer. She is the director of web communications for Fight Like A Girl and she is gathering and collating breast cancer survival stories to encourage women in the fight. You are welcome to visit, use and add to this online library: Breast Cancer Support Library.