Like many women, I postponed my first mammogram Kaiser Permanente started pestering me to make an appointment about 13 seconds after I turned 40 It was in 2018
But then my mom was diagnosed with uterine cancer I was promoted to a more demanding job My husband changed jobs And, I admit, I’ve been avoiding doctors since I got broke his shoulder five years ago (Seven months of x-rays and physiotherapy will do it for you)
I subscribed to the « I’m too busy » excuse for two years – until the editors of the Columbian encouraged me to make this long delayed appointment and write about it J agreed to lay it all bare in the hope of convincing you to also have your mammogram
Making an appointment was easy I was able to go online and set a time and place I could even have chosen to go for the weekend
I received an email educating me on all the things I wasn’t supposed to do – like wearing deodorant or lotion – and reminding me to wear a mask Photo editor Amanda Cowan came to document my mammogram She and I went through the gauntlet of COVID-19 safety procedures, including temperature checks and questions about international travel
That morning I was so nervous I changed my outfit three times But it didn’t matter what I was wearing because I had to swap it for a hospital gown anyway (For a mammogram you have to undress on top, so wear something easy to take off and skip dresses or jumpsuits so you can at least keep your pants on)
Radiologic technologist Jenni Barr walked me through the process, which is really simple It’s mostly about staying still and holding your breath while one breast at a time is compressed Barr has me helped position myself so the imaging machine can do its job
I’ve been told that women with big breasts – I’m a 38DD – find mammograms more painful My mom, who has cystic breast tissue, always complained of pain during her screenings I expected to be miserable
But it didn’t hurt too much Each of the four images took less than a minute to capture The date lasted maybe 20 minutes, and only lasted so long because I was posing questions for this article While the pinch and pressure was uncomfortable I wouldn’t call it pain The most painful part was trying to put my left arm – and the shoulder I broke – in the right position to take one of the images
« It’s actually quite rare for a person to have a painful experience, » said Dr Belinda Holland, Portland-based Kaiser radiologist
She recommends that you make your appointment early in your menstrual cycle and take Tylenol before your appointment if you think you need pain relief If the squeezing of the machine is causing pain, tell them the technician, she said
The most surprising part of my screening was how exposed I felt I think my next mammogram will be less stressful because I won’t have a photographer to follow
Not all experts agree on when women should have their first mammograms, this is how I rationalized delaying mine The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends women to start screening at age 50, while the American Cancer Society says 45 Most doctors, however, tell their patients to do so at age 40
« In general, for most standard-risk women, 40+ provides the most protection, » Holland told me in a phone interview after my date. The incidence of breast cancer in women aged 40 to 45 is about double that of women aged 35 to 39
The numbers in Clark County are striking According to 2017 figures, the most recent available from Clark County Public Health, the rate of breast cancer in women aged 40 and under is 157 per 100,000 inhabitants For women in their forties, the rate is 1663 per 100,000
Holland – and Kaiser Permanente – recommend annual mammograms, even during the pandemic She said if you pick a date – an anniversary, a holiday, when your car’s tabs renew – you’re less likely to forget
“Everyone has a different story,” she says Your doctor can help you determine if you are at higher risk and if you need to be screened before you are even 40
Risk factors include a family history of breast cancer at a young age, mutations in the BRCA gene, or chest radiation therapy for Hodgkin lymphoma in childhood.However, 75% of breast cancer diagnoses involve women with no family history of the disease
At the end of my appointment, the technician told me that it is not unusual for a radiologist to see something during a scan This is not a reason to panic
“When you have your first mammogram, we don’t know what a normal mammogram looks like for you,” said Holland “For this reason, we are very careful”
About 10% of women are called back for more imaging, but the radiologist usually reviews the scans and gives you the results at the same appointment
« The majority end up being normal, » said Holland « Sometimes we can find something (and) recommend a breast biopsy »
Breast cancer, mammography, screening
News from the world – United States – First mammogram: an easy rite of passage
