Ladies...I need some info please.

[maslex]

I'm going for my first ever mammogram. I don't know what the expect (except what I've heard from other people that it hurts). So I went online and read a few pieces of info from there. I'm just wondering if it's all the same everywhere.
I do have a few questions if you don't mind me asking.

1--does the size of your breast matter? I'm big in that area and I have had many people at work say things like..."oh wait until YOU go and get one done. I'm not sure they have a machine big enough" Then I've had people tell me that it'll hurt more for me because of my size, I've had people tell me that it'll hurt less due to my size. So who knows.

2--the other thing that I read was this. A lady was giving a run down of how things run in her doctors office and I was wondering if this was the norm for everywhere. She said that once your name is called, you take off your bra & shirt and put on a little gown and then sit in a room with all the other ladies getting the same test done. Then when it's your turn, you do have it done and then go back into the same waiting room until they tell you that you're all set and can get dressed. Is this true?

What are your experiences?

 

[Lorelei Lee]

Depends on where you go. When I had it done at a large hospital, we all sat in the waiting room in our paper capes. The reason they make you wait -- sometimes they see something on the films and want to do an ultrasound to supplement the images they got from the mammogram.

As for it hurting...I think it's the skill of the technician that matters most.

 

[DizBelle]

I think the only time size matters is if you are extremely small. They might have some issues getting the breast in the machine. I don't think discomfort has anything to do with size but with sensitivity. They do want to flatten the breast as much as possible to get a good picture so if you are bigger, you may have farther to go to get flattened. But I think the discomfort of the squishing would be about the same.

Where I go, you are called from the initial waiting room and ushered to another room that is another waiting area with several private dressing rooms in it. You go in a room, disrobe from the waist up and put on a robe. Then wait in the waiting area (with any other women that are there) until they call you for your mammogram. You are in a private room with the machine and a technician (a woman). They take the pictures and you are done.

All in all, it's no big deal.

 

[ChristaDeVil]

Had my first last year. It's really not bad.
As for experience, in our facility, you have a separate waiting room for Women's Imaging, so only women are there. When it's your turn, you go to a dressing area to change and put on a robe. This room is attached to the mammo room, so you go through a little connecting door and never have to walk through the main hall.
The mammo itself is fairly short. As for pain, it was uncomfortable, but not really painful.
Good luck! It will be over soon!

 

[krcit]

It's uncomfortable but pretty quick. At me place, they give you a robe and you change in a dressing room. Then you go sit in a group waiting room until they call you in, they take the films and then back to the dressing room until the Dr takes a look at them..sometimes they want more films. Don't panic if that happens, it is fairly common. After the Dr looks at the films then they tell you to get dressed. My place has baby wipes and deodarant available for you to use. The baby wipes are mostly for when you get a sonogram done so you can clean off the gel. Good luck!! Make sure that you don't wear any deodarant, creams or powder.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I have big breasts as well, and in my experience the mammogram is not difficult at all. The machine that "squishes" your breast is made to stop before it gets too painful, it's more like pressure.

 

[crashbb]

I'm not sure of your age, but if you haven't reached menopause, one of the things that can influence the pain level is where you are in your cycle - some times are more sensitive than others. I started mammograms when I was 25-years-old (family history), so definitely before menopause. Since I booked 6 to 12 months out, I didn't try to book around my cycle and just dealt with it - it was never really painful, but definitely differed depending on the timing.

The timing can also influence whether or not you are called back - doing it 5-10 days after you start your cycle is the lowest false-positive time. They've added MRIs to my screening and those are always booked within specific 5 day time-frame. Since my mammograms are on the same day as my MRIs, they now fall in that frame as well - definitely fewer call backs.

On thing I was told is that size isn't all that important, but being relaxed is. Makes sense - if you tense up,so does your body and it is much harder to squish something tense than relaxed.

Oh, and if you shift your weight and move your feet, don't trip over them. Falling when you are being squished in the machine is not much fun. Admittedly, the technician told me that I was the first person she had ever seen who had managed to do it (and she'd been working for 15+ years).

Like others, I've always changed into the gown and waited in the waiting room (and the room only had other women in it).

 

[mrsv98]

I'm going for my first ever mammogram. I don't know what the expect (except what I've heard from other people that it hurts). So I went online and read a few pieces of info from there. I'm just wondering if it's all the same everywhere.
I do have a few questions if you don't mind me asking.

1--does the size of your breast matter? I'm big in that area and I have had many people at work say things like..."oh wait until YOU go and get one done. I'm not sure they have a machine big enough" Then I've had people tell me that it'll hurt more for me because of my size, I've had people tell me that it'll hurt less due to my size. So who knows.

I am a small "D" or large "C" and yes, it hurts. However, it only last for a few seconds, the machines are designed to release as soon as the image is taken. I think it somewhat depends on the the tech, but lets face it, you are taking a sensitive body part and squishing the bejeezus out of it!

2--the other thing that I read was this. A lady was giving a run down of how things run in her doctors office and I was wondering if this was the norm for everywhere. She said that once your name is called, you take off your bra & shirt and put on a little gown and then sit in a room with all the other ladies getting the same test done. Then when it's your turn, you do have it done and then go back into the same waiting room until they tell you that you're all set and can get dressed. Is this true?

See if your mammography center or hospital does traditional or digital mammograms. The last two I have had have been digital and they are SO much better. The tech can see instantly if the image is clear, no going in the other room to develop the films. Also, they can be read very quickly. This year, I had mine done about 10:30a and by 2:00p I had the all clear. It also saves on the going back and waiting, once you are done, you are out of there.

What are your experiences?

All in all, yes it is uncomfortable but it only takes a few minutes and it really is worth it to know nothing is lurking that could harm you. You will be fine!

 

[Mrs Eeyore]

I just had my first one and didn't find it painful at all. Maybe slightly uncomfortable, but I had prepared myself for much worse and was pleasantly surprised. As others have said, it was very quick. I had to stand in an awkward position for some of it (cheek against the machine, arm wrapped around it) and I could imagine that some people might have difficulty maintaining that position, but it didn't last long.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

My insurance will not pay for digital so I had the other. I am not going to sugar coat it. I thought it hurt but it was only for very short periods of time when they took the pictures.

At our lab, we got into a gown, sat and waited. They called you in, took the pictures and you went into another room to sit. The doctor was in a room with the door open and you could see her reading the pictures. When she was done with yours, she called you in and explained any problems, asked if you had any questions. Some woman were brought to other areas for further tests. I am good so I just get the usual make sure to make your further appts. and to never skip a mammogram.

I have heard that if you are a coffee/cola drinker to limit the intake of both for a week before.

 

[Christine]

I am a B/C cup. It has never really hurt me, just a tad uncomfortable. I get more discomfort from the rollers pressing down at the top of my chest and hitting the bones there.

As far as waiting after the pictures are done: if I get a routine mammo, no I don't wait. They send me off and I get the results a few days later. If I get a diagnostic/comprehensive mammogram, they make you wait while they read it right there.

 

[ols386]

I wouldn't describe it as being painful, only uncomfortable.

I've never had to sit in a room with other ladies waiting to have a mammogram. The facility where I go only does one person at a time.

 

[Tosie]

I've had 3 or 4 and none have been painful. A little uncomfortable, yes, but no pain. I would imagine the smaller your chest is, the more uncomfortable it would be. I don't have that problem, lol.

The place I go has little dressing rooms. They call you in, you change into the gown, then go into the mammo room. They take the test and the results are digital so if they need to do it again you're still in the room. Then you change back into your clothes and you're done!

Don't sweat it.

ETA: the worst part for me is not being able to wear deodorant until the test is done!

 

[FLCyndi]

Not painful at all and I have mine done at a military facility. If you have implants more views are required.

 

[DebbieB]

It depends on the facility if the radiologist reads it right away or not. Where I go, if your doctor requests a screening mammogram they do not read it there. You get results in a 2 or 3 days and they will tell you if all is OK or if you need more views. If you do get called back, the radiologist is there to read it right away and then do any additional views or ultrasounds. If you have a problem, like a lump, the doctor requests a diagnostic mammogram and the radiologist is there to read it right away. Again, it depends on how your facility works. A coworker of mine goes to a place where they automatically read right away.

 

[mtemm]

where I go you are taken to a private room to undress/wait. not my favorite experience, but one that I do happily. I just tell myself it doesn't last that long.

 

[Aladora]

I've only had one and I had big breasts, like 36DDD on a 5 ft 2 body big.

Like others here have said, it doesn't hurt but it can be a bit uncomfortable. As for sitting in the waiting room in a paper robe, that was not my experience but since I'm in Canada, I might have had a different experience than you will have.

I sat, fully dressed, in a waiting room with other women, I was sent to a change room to take off my shirt and bra and put on a paper robe and waited in the mammogram room alone. After the mammogram, I was sent right into an ultrasound room because of abnormalities and then waited there for a core biopsy.

As you can see in my signature, I had cancer, which is why I was shuttled around to a whole bunch of rooms. Your experience will not be as traumatic as mine!

Oh, and this smilie seems fitting since this is what it feels like when you get the mammogram done!

 

[Arielle22]

I have had many done since my mom died from breast cancer. I have dense tissue and DD size. So it seems to be a problem while taking pictures and getting results.

The last one I had hurt. The tech had some problem with getting my side **** into the picture. I have a high pain tolerance but I was squished quite a bit and couldn't move until the tech confirmed the picture was clear.

I have 4 sisters who have had them as well. None have said they are as painful as mine was.

I did have to sit in the waiting room with the paper gown with other women until I was called.

 

[I loveStitchnippyjon]

Where I go, you go into a cubicle and undress to the waist, put on a paper gown, and wait there for the tech to come and get you. Afterwards, go back and dress and leave. The last two were digital, and by the time I got home there was a message on the answering machine with results! (I had to authorize the messaging; otherwise they would have sent a letter).

 

[Handbag Lady]

As an also blessed-in-the-bust person, try not to laugh when you see the guide numbers printed on the plastic top that squishes your breast.

It goes from 1-2-3-4-5 and there isn't anything past that. My "tissue" extended to about what should be 8 but the measurement didn't go that far.