Friday, May 30, 2008

The Squeeze

This is the dreaded Mammogram Machine.....an instrument of discomfort at the very least and out right pain at times. If you have ever had a mammogram you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, imagine that they put your breast between two plates and try to mash it as thin as a milanesa de pollo. Then they tell you to hold your breath while they walk behind a barrier wall and press a button to start the image making. Hell, you started holding your breath 20 seconds before when they first mashed the breast flat. The machine makes a few noises and finally they say okay you can breath and release your breast. And if you have a strong family history of breast cancer as I do, you willing sign up every year to do it again.

This time was a little worrisome. They took six mashed-flat-as-a-pancake images and then the radiologist looked at them and said they needed to take two of them again. Mmmm.....that usually doesn't happen. And while they were doing that the technician told me that my doctor had also scheduled an ultrasound of the breast. Mmmmm......she hadn't told me that when I saw her the week before. Talk about imagination taking over....mine was running the show. I don't know if the ultrasound tech was new or slow but it seemed much longer than the ultrasound I had about 3 years ago.

When the radiologist came in to take a look at the ultrasound, I told her I lived in Mexico and would be headed back the next day so if there was any concern or anything else that I needed to do and she could tell me now, I'd appreciate knowing NOW. She said that they wanted to take a good look and be sure that nothing had changed since my last mammogram and ultrasound. But then she said that everything looked the same so no need to do anything else on this check-up.

Whew! One more year. I know I'm a little paranoid but my mother had breast cancer at 30 and my sister died of breast cancer.

I'm also glad to report that all the other test results from my medical check-up looked good including the bone density test which was normal. Another Whew! I'm good to go!

4 comments:

Nancy said...

I'm glad to hear that, Billie. It is terrible how our minds can just run away, isn't it? And I know, too, as it is similar for me with my mother and grandmother.

They also left me a whole bunch of wonderful traits, too, I am glad to say.

I'm glad all is well.

pitchertaker said...

Here's a sympathetic ouch, glad you're fit. Onward.

P'taker

Anonymous said...

So glad all went well with your mammogram and sonogram. I just had mine done here in Merida. Like you mine were good, what a relief. And yes, they are worth the pain, not all pain is bad!

again, congrats
Debi
www.debiinmerida.blogspot.com

Kathy said...

Good to see all clear! Here in QRoo I get the U/S along with an osteo test, the mammogram and PAP. Maybe something else. :) Easier to get it all done at once.