The Importance of Early Detection in Breast Cancer
The first time I found a lump on one of my breasts, I was in my early twenties. Actually, I didn’t find the lump, my doctor did. It was during a routine annual exam. It was a little scary going for my first mammogram at such a young age.
Fortunately, everything turned out fine for me.
It turns out I have dense tissue in my breasts. This means I develop lumps fairly frequently. They’re usually nothing to be concerned about. But the only way to know for certain is to have a mammogram.
A mammogram is a breast exam used to screen you for breast cancer. They squeeze your breast between two cold, hard, flat surfaces. Then they take x-rays of your breasts at various angles. It’s sometimes painful but mostly uncomfortable.
How to Prepare for a Mammogram
There isn’t very much preparation for a mammogram. It is recommended that you avoid chocolate, coffee, or caffeine before the test. The caffeine can make your breasts more tender making it more uncomfortable during the exam. You should begin to avoid them about a week before your exam.
Hopefully, where you for your exam will be as cool as mine. They have coffee readily available and giant jars of Hershey kisses in the waiting rooms. To make up for all the chocolate you gave up
On the day of the exam, do not put on deodorant, lotion, perfume, or anything else on your breasts or under your arms. If you do, you should thoroughly wash it off before the exam. It could alter your test results or prevent the x-rays from being clear.
After checking in for your exam you will be asked to undress from the top up and put on a gown. You should wear a skirt or pants so you can at least have your bottoms on when they remove the gown during the exam.
The worst part of a mammogram is trying to hold still while they take the x-ray. If you move while they are taking the x-ray, it could come out blurry. Making it difficult for the doctor to make an accurate assessment.
Then you have to do it again. Which is a little more painful now that your breasts are already tender. After years of experience, I’ve mastered the art of holding my breath while they are taking the x-rays.
When Should You Have a Mammogram?
Your doctor will recommend a mammogram if there is something unusual or suspicious about your breasts. Like a lump, tenderness, pain, unusual changes or discharge from your nipples; or any other unusual changes to your breasts.
If you’re old (like me) it is recommended that you have a mammogram once a year. Typically if you are over the age of 40 or if there is a history of cancer in your family. Speak to your doctor if anything seems unusual about your breasts or to find out when you should have your first mammogram.
If you have any of the above mentioned symptoms, schedule an appointment with your doctor immediately. Early detection could mean the difference between life or death.
After they take the x-rays you will be sent to a waiting room. They recommend that you keep the gown on in case the doctor recommends more testing. Then you sit in a room with other women all a little nervous while waiting for their test results.
The doctor will call you into a room where you go over the x-rays together.
If everything looks good they send you on your way. You can breathe easy now knowing you’re okay.
If something looks suspicious, then further testing is recommended. They typically start with more x-ray taken from multiple angles and more advanced technology like 3D images.
If something warrants concern, the next step is to have a biopsy. Where they extract samples from the breast tissue to run more tests.
After your mammogram, you will most likely be offered a choice whether to stay and wait for your results or to leave. If you decide to stay you will wait to see the doctor and go over the results together. If you decide to leave they will call you with the results.
Keep in mind, if you are called back it is no longer considered prevention. Your health insurance may charge you differently for your follow up visit. I learned this the hard way by having to pay out of pocket. Apparently, had I stayed the entire appointment would have been covered under prevention saving me money.
I usually wait since I want to know the results as quickly as possible. One year when I was there for a routine visit, it was kind of busy and I didn’t feel like waiting. Since I was there for a routine visit and not because of any unusual changes I wasn’t too concerned.
As Murphy’s Law would have it, things looked suspicious.
I was surprised when I received a call to come back for more testing.
This time when I arrived at the facility, they sent me to the other side. This side is where the women go who failed the initial breast screening. I call it the scary side. It was not fun sitting in the waiting.
You can’t help but people watch while you’re there. Wondering who has cancer. It makes me happy to see women come out of the doctor’s office with expressions of relief and joy. I too felt relief on that day. It turned out to be nothing.
My sister Natalie wasn’t so lucky. She died of breast cancer. She had been struggling with her weight and was taking high blood pressure medication.
She was only 46 years old when she died. She found the lump between her regular checkups and annual mammograms. Only 7 months after having a routine mammogram. She wasn’t scheduled for another one for 5 months.
It turned out to be the most aggressive form of breast cancer. After careful consideration, she decided to have the most aggressive treatment. Her doctor scheduled a double mastectomy and both her breasts were removed only 2 weeks after she was diagnosed with cancer.
Six weeks later, she went back to have her stitches removed. Another cancerous lump had already formed on one of her scars. She went back to surgery to have the lump removed. Then she went through chemotherapy, radiation, and chemotherapy again. Despite the early detection, cancer spread rapidly into stage 4. Once in her lymph nodes, cancer spread everywhere including her lungs. She died exactly one year after having her breasts removed.
My sister Natalie didn’t win her battle with cancer but many do.
Her overall health wasn’t very good, to begin with. She was overweight, was taking high blood pressure medication (which completely killed her sex drive), and she smoked.
Your health and choices can significantly impact your treatment. Including your chance of survival and risk of contracting other deadly diseases and breast cancer.
There are many cancer survivors who are alive today because of early detection.
As well as their overall health and choices.
It’s scary to think about but extremely important. Early detection and immediate treatment is the best way to battle this deadly disease.
Check your own breasts every month. Only you know what your breasts feel like. What is normal for you and what is not. If you have any unusual symptoms or any of the above mentioned symptoms, it is critical that you call your doctor to have your breasts examined.
As quickly as possible.
On a side note, my sister was an organ donor. Because cancer had spread throughout her entire body, only her corneas could be donated. I learned shortly after her death that two people can now see because of her. An eighty year old woman in WNY and a 44 year old man in Tennessee.
Knowing her death at least allowed two people to use their eyes helped make the healing process and loss of her death a little bit easier.
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