Delaying a Mammogram. Am I the only one that does this?

[escape]

Add me to the list of delaying my colonoscopy. Now I'm having some issues and wished I would have done this sooner. My appt. with the GI doctor is in two weeks. I suspect he'll want to do an endoscopy and colonoscopy.

Dawn, I just had my mammogram last Thursday after a three month delay. It was a diagnostic screening meaning a Radiologist read the results right away. Sounds like that's what you'll have. I then had a visit with my breast doctor a few minutes afterwards who confirmed everything was fine. The main thing is that you are having it done. Now you'll be able to go on your vacation and not have to worry about it.

Sending you some for a good outcome!

 

[lucas]

Weird to find this thread!

You sound like me, I have delayed by annual gyn appointment big time. I actually have my appointment tomorrow and I am scared to death about what she will say and what she might find.

I have been delaying my first colonoscopy, too. But I am going to have it done this coming January. I know, still delaying but I have my mind made up to do it then - no later! I've been easing into it, ya know, first the mammogram a couple of weeks ago, tomorrow the gyn and then the colonoscopy.

My gyn doc will read me the riot act tomorrow about coming in late and still not having the colonoscopy done. I want tomorrow to be over with!

 

[PatsMom]

I had the colonoscopy and endoscopy done back in May when they started trying to find out the cause of my anemia, which turned out to be bladder cancer. The tests themselves are nothing - you'll be so out of it you'll not remember what goes on! The prep is unpleasant but not the worst thing I have ever done. Luckily for me my colon is "clean as a whistle" other than some diverticulitis so I don't need to have that done for another ten years. And by then maybe they will come up with a way to do the exam without the preparation!

I have to do the endoscopy every year though because in addition to an ulcer they found I have a precancerous condition called Barrett's esophagus so it needs to be monitored.

My mammo's have always been covered at 100% - one of the few things I don't have co-insurance or co-pays for. This year I actually reached my out of pocket max - colonoscopy, endoscopy, two bladder surgeries, CT scans, ultrasounds, etc they all add up pretty quickly. And now the ongoing treatments for six weeks.

 

[DawnCt1]

Add me to the list of delaying my colonoscopy. Now I'm having some issues and wished I would have done this sooner. My appt. with the GI doctor is in two weeks. I suspect he'll want to do an endoscopy and colonoscopy.

Dawn, I just had my mammogram last Thursday after a three month delay. It was a diagnostic screening meaning a Radiologist read the results right away. Sounds like that's what you'll have. I then had a visit with my breast doctor a few minutes afterwards who confirmed everything was fine. The main thing is that you are having it done. Now you'll be able to go on your vacation and not have to worry about it.

Sending you some for a good outcome!

Thanks for the wizard!! I have referred all of my friends to this radiologist because they LOVE that they know the results before they leave and that he sits with them and answers their questions. He's a very nice man.

 

[escape]

I had the colonoscopy and endoscopy done back in May when they started trying to find out the cause of my anemia, which turned out to be bladder cancer. The tests themselves are nothing - you'll be so out of it you'll not remember what goes on! The prep is unpleasant but not the worst thing I have ever done. Luckily for me my colon is "clean as a whistle" other than some diverticulitis so I don't need to have that done for another ten years. And by then maybe they will come up with a way to do the exam without the preparation!

I have to do the endoscopy every year though because in addition to an ulcer they found I have a precancerous condition called Barrett's esophagus so it needs to be monitored.

My mammo's have always been covered at 100% - one of the few things I don't have co-insurance or co-pays for. This year I actually reached my out of pocket max - colonoscopy, endoscopy, two bladder surgeries, CT scans, ultrasounds, etc they all add up pretty quickly. And now the ongoing treatments for six weeks.

Sending lots of good thoughts (and prayers) your way.

 

[PatsMom]

Sending lots of good thoughts (and prayers) your way.

Thank you.

I think the message I like to share with people right now is don't put off those tests. I had a lot going on at work so I wasn't really pushing for answers. So I failed to return my doctor's calls to come in to follow up on the test results and talk about what comes next in testing. If I had, my cancer might have been found a few months earlier and it might have been confined to the inner layer of the bladder. Instead it had time to penetrate the bladder wall. Thankfully not into the muscle so still probably treatable.


Don't delay your tests ladies! One in eight women will get breast cancer. Breast cancer found while it is still stage one has almost a 100% five year survival rate now. Can you tell I was very active in the breast cancer awarenes movements before being diagnosed with bladder cancer!

 

[Prose]

Just jumping in to say please don't delay your mammos! I was faithful about having one every year after age 40....last year, boom! I suddenly am found to have small tumor, grade 1, stage 1 breast cancer. It was even too small to feel with self-exam. I had a lumpectomy, chemo and radiation, which sucked, but did not suck NEARLY as much as if I had waited and it had spread!

I have felt the irrational fear of them 'finding something' but really, you DO want to know and you DO want to get treatment as soon as possible if there is something there. Go in with the attitude that not waiting means a better chance that any problem will be caught early.

 

[escape]

Thanks for the wizard!! I have referred all of my friends to this radiologist because they LOVE that they know the results before they leave and that he sits with them and answers their questions. He's a very nice man.

Dawn, this is great! Is it still just considered a normal screening? My insurance will cover a normal screening but since mine is diagnostic, I have to pay for some of it. I don't know of any radiologist around here that would go over the results with the patients right after the screening. What a great find!

PatsMom - you are so right. It's easy to dismiss the issue when you are feeling "OK" or when you're busy. As for mamograms, I keep hearing/reading conflicting reports - not always accurate, can't always detect, false readings, etc. However, I guess it's just one of several ways of detecting BC. I know that self exams are important; however, I seem to have a lot of fibrous tissue and I don't know if I would be able to tell if it was a lump I was feeling or not. I guess that's why my breast doctor insists on seeing me every year even though I have never had any real issues.

 

[escape]

Just jumping in to say please don't delay your mammos! I was faithful about having one every year after age 40....last year, boom! I suddenly am found to have small tumor, grade 1, stage 1 breast cancer. It was even too small to feel with self-exam. I had a lumpectomy, chemo and radiation, which sucked, but did not suck NEARLY as much as if I had waited and it had spread!

I have felt the irrational fear of them 'finding something' but really, you DO want to know and you DO want to get treatment as soon as possible if there is something there. Go in with the attitude that not waiting means a better chance that any problem will be caught early.

Good point!

 

[DawnCt1]

Dawn, this is great! Is it still just considered a normal screening? My insurance will cover a normal screening but since mine is diagnostic, I have to pay for some of it. I don't know of any radiologist around here that would go over the results with the patients right after the screening. What a great find!

Yup, its how he does things. I have a friend who is a radiologist and she told me about him. That is who she goes to. She told me that he is extremely conscientious and only does so many mammograms per day for that reason. Every patient gets the same care. Its like having another physician office visit. I don't have a copay nor a balance.

 

[postage stamp]

Well your husband can get mad at you for delaying when he's first in line at the proctologist's office!

That said, at least you are going now. no sense in beating yourself up over something that can't be changed. It's important and you know it's important and that's what matters.

 

[DawnCt1]

Well your husband can get mad at you for delaying when he's first in line at the proctologist's office!

That said, at least you are going now. no sense in beating yourself up over something that can't be changed. It's important and you know it's important and that's what matters.

Actually he was. He's bugging me about THAT too. One thing at a time however.

 

[postage stamp]

Actually he was. He's bugging me about THAT too. One thing at a time however.

I told my husband that after birthing his children I wanted a front row seat for his appointment.

He, on the other hand, did not find it amusing!

 

[KJ Luvs Pluto]

Good luck. I hear the prep is more uncomfortable than the actual procedure. You might need those big girl panties.

I'll have to remember this when the time comes and try to incorporate it into the discussion somehow. I love to try and make the doctors and nurses laugh. Especially the oncology and radiation oncology staff - there are not usually too many smiles in there. I on the other hand was always cracking jokes - maybe not always appropriate, but I would rather laugh than cry.

Back to the topic at hand - let's all try not to put these screenings off for too much longer. We need to be here to answer each others questions after all.

 

[Feralpeg]

No, I don't put it off, but then, I've already had breast cancer once. Stop beating yourself up, Dawn, and just go.

 

[Piglet4Ever]

I had my first mammogram about 4 months ago, I am 38 and have a history of breast cancer in my family, so Dr thought it would be a good idea to get a base line reading done. I made myself sick over the appointment. I am not good with Dr appointments in general, but I make sure and get an annual exam each yr anyway. Let me just say DH is a Saint for putting up with my foolishness Anyway, the mammorgram turned out to be a breeze for me. I stressed myself out for nothing. Sure it was a little uncomfortable, but nothing horrible. Now that I know what to expect I am not worried about having it done in the future.

 

[DawnCt1]

I am back!!! I am fine, but I will never delay again. It is not worth the anxiety. There was a new tech. I told her that he would want another film on the right. (He always does). The digital imaging is great. Everything shows so much more clearly! He was busy today with ultrasounds, (his ultrasound tech went home sick) so the waiting, which wasn't that long, was torture!! I thought I was only about four months late. I was shocked that I was due last Dec. He asked me "what happened, we sent you two cards". He did. I promised I won't be late again....without a really good excuse of which I had none!

 

[ckret01]

I am 37 and my Dr made me go since I never had one done. I went for the first mammogram and they found something, so I had to go back and get another mammo done, then two ultrasounds and then an MRI. They said they weren't extremely concerned but want me to come back in 6 months for another MRI to see if anything changed since this was my first time having this done. I'll tell you, it scared the daylights out of me to go through all that within a months time not knowing what is really going on. So I guess next month which will be my 6 month check up, I will see if anything is wrong.

Glad you went Dawn

 

[DawnCt1]

I am 37 and my Dr made me go since I never had one done. I went for the first mammogram and they found something, so I had to go back and get another mammo done, then two ultrasounds and then an MRI. They said they weren't extremely concerned but want me to come back in 6 months for another MRI to see if anything changed since this was my first time having this done. I'll tell you, it scared the daylights out of me to go through all that within a months time not knowing what is really going on. So I guess next month which will be my 6 month check up, I will see if anything is wrong.

Glad you went Dawn

It is scary. I switched to my current radiologist after my mother died of breast cancer. He is very thorough. He repeated several before I left on our first visit and then he scheduled me for an ultrasound which he did himself. For two years I went every six months. I have had no changes since that first one. Now you have a very detailed baseline which will only be of benefit to you going forward. I generally feel "invincible"...until I don't.