Was I the only one in the dark on this??

Fourteen years ago breast cancer led to bilateral radical mastectomies. After getting past the "five years and no problems" threshhold I have been sitting back fat, dumb and happy -- no mammograms anymore! I didn't think there was anything left to X-ray.

Then just last week to my utter surprise and shock our new physician told me that I should have continued having mammograms even after the mastectomies. I had no idea, and I rushed out and finally had that mammogram this morning.

I pass this on to the rest of the ladies in the crowd, as there may be others out there in my situation who are as ignorant about this as I was.

To get this back on topic -- take care of yourselves, ladies. Your furbabies would be lost without you there to care for them.

All the best,

Ann

Ann, thank you for the warning. I haven't had to have a mastectomy but I will let those in my family who have know. Will the mammogram show up any abnormalities if the breast has been rebuilt with implants?

Ann, you definitely weren't the only one in the dark. I had my first mammography last year, and have had two ultrasounds since then (all clear), and after the unpleasant experience of having my fatty tissue, etc., put in a vise, I (would have) assumed that such a test would be impossible after a mastectomy. Thank you very much for the warning. My grandmother died of breast cancer at 73, and my husband's aunt (68) had a bilateral mastectomy a few months ago. She's currently undergoing chemotherapy.

I don't see why not, Tania, but from my earlier post you should know well not to trust any medical advice from me. In my case there were no implants and no reconstruction.

Jim, in his inimitable fashion, responds to your question, "Not if they are made of lead."

Cheers,

Ann

LOL @ Jim, Ann. If it's not too personal a question, how do they do a mammogram on you? Is it more standing up like an x-ray?

Originally Posted by Kumbulu

LOL @ Jim, Ann. If it's not too personal a question, how do they do a mammogram on you? Is it more standing up like an x-ray?

Click to expand...

Sort of -- you are standing up, but they do take what is left of the breast tissue and compress it so as to get a "view from the side," if you will. They do have to manipulate what is left of the soft tissue; that is, you are not just standing up against the X-ray film.

Ann

Ow, ow, ow!

I always check them once a month. After i'd lost a lot of weight and i did my normal monthly check i felt what i thought was a lump. My doctor did'nt think anything was wrong and told me to keep an eye on it.

After chatting to a friend of mine who is a theatre nurse(AND THIS IS ADVICE TO ALL OF YOU!), she told me to go back and demand he refer me to a specialist as G.P.s are nothing more than failed surgeons. Dont get me wrong they know what their talking about when it comes to coughs, colds etc.. but for something like this they don't have the proper knowledge.

Thankfully after a mammogram and needle biopsy it turned out that the lump was just fat cells.

I don't know about other countries, but in the UK from the age of 50 you are invitied to have a mammogram and i think it's every three years after that.

ANN: I worked with a woman who had a double mastectomy 15 years ago and she would go back every year after that for a mammogram, so ring your calendar every year!!

For those who haven't had a mammogram, it's a bit uncomfortable, but it only takes a few minutes