First Mammogram Next Week ... What to Expect

Please let me know how it went. I am still scared and keep putting it off every year even though I know better!!

Right, no deodorant, perfumes, lotions or powders that day til after it's over! (I always take my deodorant with me!)
It is a little uncomfortable, but no that bad. I am a DD cup and I really think it's more painful for the "less blessed"!
You will be standing near a machine and you place your beast on a shelf-like surface and then there is an upper shelf-like plate that will be lowered on to your breast. Repeated in the other breast.
Good for you for taking care of yourself!

No sweat. The nurse with gloved hands will guide you on placement and move your breast to the right spot and then kind of crank the plates together which will squeeze your breast. She'll tell you to hold your breath while she steps behind a curtain and hits the button to take the x-ray. Then she'll step back in and release you and tell you how to stand and move the breast and camera for another angle shot. About 3 pictures of each breast as I recall.

When that's done, you will be asked to wait there while she goes out to check the slides to make sure the pictures were clear.

They'll probably send you a note in a week that it was okay or the doctor will call you if something looks suspicious. Many suspicious things aren't cancer so don't get upset.

Essentially, it's like you grab hold of your breast, top to bottom, and squeeze hard and perhaps add a pinchy-pull at the top. Hold your breath to the count of 8 seconds and that picture is done. Repeat about 5 more times. That's all. No biggee.

Certainly nothing compared to getting stage 3-4 cancer treatments because you didn't do it! :-)

HI,
Don't worry, a mammogram is no big deal! You are right, don't wear deodorant, powder or any thing under your arms, no perfume either. The exam takes about 10 or 15 minutes. sometimes they take a picute and are not happy with how it turns out so they take it again. I have had lots of mammograms, sometimes you have to wait a few minutes after the mamogram to make sure all the pictures came out all right, they may call you back in and take another picture if its not quite what they want. It does not mean anything is wrong, just that they are not happy with that picture. If they use digital they know right away if the picture is ok and you can just leave when its over. So here is what happens:
They will call you from the waiting room and you go in a little dressing room and remove your top and bra, put on a gown open in the front , You leave your pants on. then you wait in another waiting room till you are called and then you go into the room with the mammogram machine. the tech has you take one side of your gown off and places your breast on a flat plastic plate and you lean toward the plate, you have to move your arms up or down or what ever, to get into the right position,(Let the tech move you the way she wants you positioned) then another flat plastic plate moves down on top of your breast and presses against it. its not painful, just squishes it a little, but no big deal. the tech takes the x-ray and then positions you in another position. I think its 3 or 4 pictures per breast. just let the tech do all the positioning. It really is easy and does not hurt, just a bit of pressure.
J.

I had my first mammogram this fall. The exam itself wasn't such a big deal, just a little uncomfortable. The one thing important to know is that after the mammogram, they might call and ask you to come in again to do another mammogram and/or ultrasound. This happened to me and I freaked out and was a wreck for a week thinking I had breast cancer. They later explained to me that if it is your first mammogram, they may want to do a second mammogram or an ultrasound to get a "baseline" to use to compare with future scans. This is especially this case if you have fibrous breasts, which apparently I do. I guess this makes your tissue really dense so they need to take extra scans of specific areas.

Anyway, I just wanted you to know this might happen and to not get upset and jump to gloomy conclusions like I did. My scans came out just fine. Good luck!

As the previous posters said, it is not a big deal. Just make sure to go at the time of the month when you do not still have tender breasts.

I don't love mammograms, but I do love the place where I get them. It's at a hospital and the lab gal puts a heating pad on the plate so it's warm when the time comes to put my "girl" up there.

Same advice as others, it's pretty easy and over quickly. It's uncomfortable, but not unbearable. Just stand there and let the radiology person do the work! And yes, take deoderant with you!

I had my first mammogram last year and I was terrified from all of the horror stories. It was a breeze. It was uncomfortable but not painful. I think if you have smaller breast then it become more painful. It wasn't what I expected at all. It took about 15 minutes for the entire process. Good Luck!

I was prepared for pain, but pleasantly surprised. It was not that bad. What I wasn't prepared for was how impersonal it was. Before I knew what was happening the lady had my entire breast in her hand and placing it on the machine. I thought...and little warning might have been nice, like, "I am now going to grab your boob..." She was not rude, it just a procedure and she was used to it. I was not; I did joke with her and said that usually I would ask to be taken to dinner before I let anyone grab me like that. We got a good laugh! Seriously you'll be fine.

Hi,

I, too, had my first mamogram at 40. For me, it was a breeze. I joked with the technician that maybe it was because my boobs were already droopy and flat.

I tried to prepare myself for the absolute worst, but was very pleasantly surprised. Don't get my wrong, it's not my first choice of an activity, but it wasn't earth shattering either. The most uncomfortable part for my was how she contorted my arms to get the perfect shot. And there was some pressure on my breast from the plates, but even that wasn't so bad.

I never heard about not wearing deodorant, not sure how that helps.

I'm glad you are going to have it done. I am doing the 3Day walk and I know just how important it is.

God bless.

I had a baseline mammogram at 35 and am due again now that I turned 40. I have small breasts. It wasn't the compression of the breast that was uncomfortable it was that the machine kept pressing into my breastplate (perhaps because I don't have a lot of breast tissue?). Not the worst thing in the world by any means but I'm glad it doesn't have to be done more than once every year or two. Doesn't take very long- maybe 15 -20 min. if I remember correctly. You will be standing while they do the exam most likely. REmember not to wear deoderant, lotion, perfume. Don't stress about it, just do it. Best wishes for a healthy outcome!

As you've probably heard in the news there are some concerns about mamograms. What you may not have heard is that there is an alternative to them that doesn't involve any radiation called a thermogram. If you want further info, Dr. Mercola's website talks about it; you might want to check it out before deciding. Also, as a bonus, it doesn't hurt either. Take care.