Mammogram tomorrow--please tell me what to expect

[Harriet Vane]

Hi folks,

 

I am having my first ever mammogram tomorrow. I'm pretty nervous.

 

Can you tell me what to expect?

 

Thanks.

[Dobela]

A new pain from having your breasts squished in ways you never expected between plastic things. I swear they were trying to make my large ones as flat as pancakes. My mom (very small chest) swears that each time they are trying to pull skin off her back in order to enlarge her breasts.

 

Then they do the other breast. Then it is over.

 

Ok, other than that... The place that does ours is very nice. We are sent to dressing rooms to change. A small sticker thing is put on the nipple. They try to keep you very modest, uncover only one breast at a time, and so on.

[Remudamom]

Never bothered me, but I have a friend who says you should start hollerin the minute the machine starts cranking down.

[hornblower]

Hey - it was in my siggy yesterday that I just had one (& was encouraging others to make their appt!)

 

This is my experience - all my mammos have been in BC, some in regular clinics, and one in a mobile clinic.

 

Low lighting

female staff

you'll be asked to take off your top & bra (you should have been told to not wear deodorant or perfume or skin lotion. If you have any on, they have baby wipes & will ask you to clean yourself.)

 

The machine looks something like an ABM with a vise attached. :D Lots of buttoms & gizmos.

 

The technician will ask you to stand close to the machine and she will tell you where to put your arms. She will touch you on the back and arms to move you in the right place. Then she will touch your breast & essentially flop it onto a little table in front of you & position it correctly. You have to lean close so your ribs are pressed right against the bottom plate.

 

Some of the machines have automatic compression plates with sensors, others the nurse uses dials to move them. Your breast will be compressed by the two plates. She'll tell you to hold your breath & will walk away for a few seconds. The pressure releases in about 2-3 seconds.

 

If you take your breast in your own hand & squeeze almost as hard as you can, that's kind of what it feels like. I'd say moderate, transient discomfort.

 

They take two shots of each breast, from different angles.

 

My techs always say to tell them if it hurts too much & ask if I'm ok.

 

I know someone who had significant pain during her mammo on one breast & did NOT mention it to the technician. Mistake! Turned out there was a small fold in the breast which is why it hurt. Totally messed up her results of course & she had all the stress of getting recalled - this time to the big women's health center with a radiologist physician who is standing by to look at the digital films right away. They told her right off they thought it was just a pinch fold but still..... So if it's really hurting, speak up as you may not be positioned right.

 

I'm in & out in about 5 minutes.

 

IME it's much less invasive & uncomfortable than a pap.

 

hth!

[OnTheBrink]

Hey - it was in my siggy yesterday that I just had one (& was encouraging others to make their appt!)

 

This is my experience - all my mammos have been in BC, some in regular clinics, and one in a mobile clinic.

 

Low lighting

female staff

you'll be asked to take off your top & bra (you should have been told to not wear deodorant or perfume or skin lotion. If you have any on, they have baby wipes & will ask you to clean yourself.)

 

The machine looks something like an ABM with a vise attached. :D Lots of buttoms & gizmos.

 

The technician will ask you to stand close to the machine and she will tell you where to put your arms. She will touch you on the back and arms to move you in the right place. Then she will touch your breast & essentially flop it onto a little table in front of you & position it correctly. You have to lean close so your ribs are pressed right against the bottom plate.

 

Some of the machines have automatic compression plates with sensors, others the nurse uses dials to move them. Your breast will be compressed by the two plates. She'll tell you to hold your breath & will walk away for a few seconds. The pressure releases in about 2-3 seconds.

 

If you take your breast in your own hand & squeeze almost as hard as you can, that's kind of what it feels like. I'd say moderate, transient discomfort.

 

They take two shots of each breast, from different angles.

 

My techs always say to tell them if it hurts too much & ask if I'm ok.

 

I know someone who had significant pain during her mammo on one breast & did NOT mention it to the technician. Mistake! Turned out there was a small fold in the breast which is why it hurt. Totally messed up her results of course & she had all the stress of getting recalled - this time to the big women's health center with a radiologist physician who is standing by to look at the digital films right away. They told her right off they thought it was just a pinch fold but still..... So if it's really hurting, speak up as you may not be positioned right.

 

I'm in & out in about 5 minutes.

 

IME it's much less invasive & uncomfortable than a pap.

hth!

 

Yeah, what she said. Esp the bolded part. LOL

[Belacqua]

My advice: don't wear those convex-soled workout shoes (Shape-Ups, etc.) to a mammo. You'll be asked to stand in some oddly balanced positions, and it's really, really difficult in those shoes. You'll almost topple over and the technician will find it all quite hilarious.

 

Not that I know this from experience, or anything...:blush:

[Lostinabook]

Hey - it was in my siggy yesterday that I just had one (& was encouraging others to make their appt!)

 

This is my experience - all my mammos have been in BC, some in regular clinics, and one in a mobile clinic.

 

Low lighting

female staff

you'll be asked to take off your top & bra (you should have been told to not wear deodorant or perfume or skin lotion. If you have any on, they have baby wipes & will ask you to clean yourself.)

 

The machine looks something like an ABM with a vise attached. :D Lots of buttoms & gizmos.

 

The technician will ask you to stand close to the machine and she will tell you where to put your arms. She will touch you on the back and arms to move you in the right place. Then she will touch your breast & essentially flop it onto a little table in front of you & position it correctly. You have to lean close so your ribs are pressed right against the bottom plate.

 

Some of the machines have automatic compression plates with sensors, others the nurse uses dials to move them. Your breast will be compressed by the two plates. She'll tell you to hold your breath & will walk away for a few seconds. The pressure releases in about 2-3 seconds.

 

If you take your breast in your own hand & squeeze almost as hard as you can, that's kind of what it feels like. I'd say moderate, transient discomfort.

 

They take two shots of each breast, from different angles.

 

My techs always say to tell them if it hurts too much & ask if I'm ok.

 

I know someone who had significant pain during her mammo on one breast & did NOT mention it to the technician. Mistake! Turned out there was a small fold in the breast which is why it hurt. Totally messed up her results of course & she had all the stress of getting recalled - this time to the big women's health center with a radiologist physician who is standing by to look at the digital films right away. They told her right off they thought it was just a pinch fold but still..... So if it's really hurting, speak up as you may not be positioned right.

 

I'm in & out in about 5 minutes.

 

IME it's much less invasive & uncomfortable than a pap.

 

hth!

 

:iagree: I put mine off for over a year b/c I'd heard such horror stories about the whole thing. I went recently & it was no big deal. I have a very, very, very low pain threshold--in other words I'm a big baby--& I didn't think it was painful at all. It was uncomfortable, but that was mainly due to the odd positioning.

 

It was WAY less annoying than a pap.