An online pal of mine is going through some scary things right now with her health. There are lumps involved (not in her breasts), fatigue, just a feeling of being unwell. Her doctors told her they wanted to get her in for a mammogram. She has shared this with the online group (yeah, it's my online animal list so stuff it!) and a few of the women have made comments that I find horrifying. Two in particular outright REFUSE to have mammograms done. WHA?!?!?! We have a 14 year old girl on the list and I really think she's an impressionable young lady. Several of us have come down on the side of getting them done annually, once the doctors tell you it's time (or earlier if there are lumps and bumps found).
It brings to mind a story I've not shared here. Men, if you don't want to think of my "girls" then look away. If you do and it's in that sick twisted way, again I say, look away (and if you read DON'T comment any icky stuff cuz I will totally delete!!!).
My first Mamogram:
I was chatting one night about a year ago, on the phone with my dear friend Reagan. While blabbing away I noticed that there was a feeling in my right breast that really shouldn't be there. Now, I don't feel myself up while chatting on the phone with friends, but I happened to rest my hand on my chest and felt something odd. So I investigated. The conversation went like this...
Me: Holy shit!
R: What?!
Me: I feel a lump.
R: Where?
Me: Right breast and it's HUGE!
R: You'll call Monday, they'll get you in, it will be fine.
Me: Yeah, but I'm saying it is ginormous!!!!!
We went back and forth like this for a little while before we decided that it was a conversation that was getting me nowhere, but worked up. We decided that Kev should have a feel when he got home to confirm what I felt.
Me: I need you to do something but first know, it's not going anywhere!
Him: Ummm.
Me: Feel my right breast...right....there.
Him: Hmmmm.
Me: You feel it, don't you?
Him: yes.
Me: Okay, I will not panic, it's a lump. I will call Monday to make an appointment. Why does it have to be Friday night?!?!?!?!
Him (looking a bit green): Yes, Monday we'll go in.
I called that Monday and got in immediately. I love my doctor and his staff. I always leave feeling as though I've seen an old friend. Dr. Smucker (yes, that really is his name!) indicated he thought it was just a cyst because it was not hard like a rock and you could move it around. But, just to make sure, he sent me for my first mammogram. I was terrified. I felt that it was going to be the most painful thing ever in my life. I sat alone in the room with my paper top on (opening toward the front for easy access) and waited for the tech to come in and feel me up. She was a sweet woman. Caring and compassionate. She even went and got Kevin when it was all done and we were going to get a sonogram of the lump. Flatten does not begin to describe how the girls were treated by that machine. There was no booze or sweet nothinin's whispered. The tech simply hoisted them one by one on the plate and squished the hell out of each one two ways. The lumpy one had to get squished three times in one direction because it just wasn't catching it right. Joy. By the third squish, I actually felt like it wasn't going to ever come out of the vice grip, but I never felt actual pain.
We went to get the sonogram next. Again, everyone was nice and helpful and even though they looked at me with worry in their eyes, they were so kind about it all. The doc indicated he thought it was just a cyst, but we'd look around and see what we could see. It was large, in my mine, 2 cm x 3 cm. I think it felt bigger. He said that most of the times the cysts will go away on their own, but if I wanted we could have a needle biopsy. I decided to leave it be since everything was pointing to cyst. I kept an eye (and hand) on it and when I started to freak because it was starting to hurt, Kev reminded me to stop poking at it. Yeah, that helped it stop hurting.
It's now been a bit more than a year and the doc was right, it did dissolve. However, I keep feeling the girls and making sure there isn't anything to cause concern. If I ever feel a hard lump that will not move...Dr. Smucker will be called.
6 comments:
Congratulations!!
You are doing the correct thing, talking about this. I am proud of how you and Kevin dealt with this.
I am hoping that you will continue getting the requisite annual female checkups. I never miss my annual prostate exam, that has become a semi-annual occurence. It has something to do with age.
So, let that impressionable young lady in your online doggie group know that fear is no protection against disease. There is sufficient scientific evidence to point out that early detection can lead to an early cure.
You are one fantastic person. I'm proud to be able to brag that you are my daughter. Am I blessed or what? I'm blessed.
jack said it all jes right... 'cept yer obviously not my daughter. with a name like Dr Smucker, i jes hafta ask if he ever says he's doing "jes grape today!?"
noh? well, it'd be funny. wonder if his wife cans peaches.
anyway, a friend of mine in college (so, she was around 22ish?) ID'd and in turn lost her right breast to cancer. that's the closest brush i've had with that location/disease/friends involved.
i'll pray to anyone up there that you stay healthy, and alll the other wommins out there.
keep checking. keep squooshing, stay with us. we're not done with you yet.
hugs,
B
Good for you, keep doing the check ups. Was not happy that I had to have one (my first) at the time I was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Squishing is not fun, and me with not much to squish, what made it harder is all the moles that I have. The tech had to put a dot (marker) on each mole that the mamogram might catch. I think that all tech's are really great, all very sympathetic and helpful.
The first time my cousin found a lump under her arm, she thought that she might have cnacer, turned out that she was pregnant.
I told the world about my first mammogram in my blog, too... but mine was requested by me, a card carrying member of the "naturally lumpy breast brigade". Figured I was 35 and it was time. As it turns out, I have some calcifications or some such in my right breast....nothing to worry about, except for the part where I had to have two mammograms and an ultrasound for them to figure it out!
It's scary, and a not a little silly, that your friends "refuse" to have one...it's not a fun experience by any means, but if it could save my life (or at the very least, my girls!), it's totally worth doing. I hope your young friend also reads your blog and gets that message.
Hi to Jack's daughter! Seen you over at his place and thought I would stop by.
I've been having my yearly mammos for probably over 15 years now and you do get used to it, the squishing and flattening.
As far as the size of the lumps, my gynecologist had an artificial breast loaded with lumps on her desk and had me feel it. The lumps were all about the size of bee-bees, as in bee-bee gun bee-bees, and very hard. That was certainly an education for me.
Checkups are very important because you never know. :)
Dad- thanks. Sorry I didn't share with you two earlier...it seems to run in the family. ;)
B- The whole reason we picked Dr. Smucker was because "with a name like Smucker, he has to be good!"
Adrianne- That time was the one time I've been NOT envious of my smaller friends. Having something to smoosh, helped.
Kerri- Life is totally worth it. ANd those "friends"...I'm not so sure they are anymore.
Karen- HEY! I've seen you in my Dad's comments. I'm glad to be a member of the mammo club. It shows I care about myself and I value life. When do I learn the secret handshake? :)
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